Snowdrops 



wall at Bitton. As I have neither the soil, climate, nor 

 south wall of Bitton to give it, it is never quite so fine 

 here, but every season when I see it reappear I hail it as 

 one of the finest if not the loveliest of all Snowdrops. 

 The outer segments are wonderfully long and very perfect 

 in shape, making the flower resemble a pear-shaped pearl, 

 and it stands up well except, of course, during days of keen 

 frost. Very near to it in early flowering and stature, but 

 falling short in symmetry, is a form that I believe should 

 be known by the rather House-that- Jack-built sort of 

 name of G. Imperati, var. Atkinsii of Backhouse. It is a 

 fine thing, but very seldom produces a perfectly sym- 

 metrical flower, for either one of the inner segments is as 

 long as the outer ones, or there are four outer segments, 

 or yet again a petaloid bract may appear just below the 

 ovary but not quite so purely white as the flower proper, 

 and all these vagaries give a clump rather an untidy 

 appearance when looked at closely. I find it hard to say 

 which I consider the most beautiful Snowdrop, and 

 should pick out four as candidates for the prize, but I have 

 never ranged them all four together for comparison, so 

 when I look at any one of them I wonder whether the 

 others can possibly be more beautiful. I think if only I 

 could grow it here as I once received it for figuring straight 

 from its home in Ireland, the Straffan Snowdrop would 

 win the golden apple. It is a Crimean form, and like its 

 relations bears two flowers from each strong bulb, one 

 rather earlier and taller than the other. It is a fine large 

 form, but so beautifully proportioned that it is not a bit 

 coarse or clumsy, as I think some of the very globose 

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