Hardy and Half-hardy Plants 25 



to what may be called the Garden Crocuses, the corms of which are sold 

 in hundreds of thousands in the autumn, being mostly imported direct 

 from Holland, where they have been cultivated for generations, if not a 

 few centuries. 



The garden Spring Crocus (G. vernus) is universally popular. It is 

 grown by the cottager, the owner of the lordly mansion, by public garden 

 authorities, and by market gardeners, so that the bulb merchants do a/ 

 flourishing trade. The yellow varieties, including the old Dutch Crocus, 

 come from C. aureus] and the lilac, violet, and white forms corne from 

 C. vernus, a native of the Alps, Pyrenees, and Carpathian Mountains. 

 The cost varies from 15s. to 25s. per 1000, according to size, variety, &c., 

 while " mixtures " may be had at cheaper rates. 



For outdoor gardening in private gardens and public parks, &c., 

 Crocuses are used in many ways for decoration, either in the grass, 

 beneath flowering trees or shrubs, or as edgings to borders, &c. The 

 market grower, however, is more prosaic, and places the corms in pots, 

 pans, or shallow boxes with the object of selling the plants in various 

 stages of growth. Small shallow boxes about 1 ft. long, 4 in. wide, and 

 2 to 3 in. deep are popular. The corms are placed side by side, covered 

 with mould up to top of the boxes. These are then covered over with 

 about 6 in. of soil, and are packed away side by side until forcing-time 

 arrives. Some years ago Crocuses were planted in raised beds of good 

 rich soil, and as they were coming into bloom the plants were lifted in 

 little clumps and tied in bundles in moss, and then -placed in boxes for 

 market. The modern method is therefore cleaner, easier, less expensive, 

 and the small boxes holding from two to four dozen plants sell well in 

 all stages of growth either just starting or actually in bloom. Any 

 finely sifted old garden soil does for this purpose, and if early blossom 

 is required the plants may be transferred to a warm greenhouse after root 

 action is well started. It is thus possible to have Crocuses in bloom from 

 Christmas onwards until the first of the outdoor crops begin to bloom. 



Amongst the deep-blue, porcelain, and purple Crocuses the following 

 varieties may be recommended: Albion and King of the Blues, deep blue; 

 Baron von Brunoiu, Dandy, Prince Albert, Sir John Franklin, David 

 Rizzio, John Bright, and purpurea grandiflora, deep purple; Lord Pal- 

 merston, purple; L' Unique, reddish violet: Margot, porcelain blue; Motley, 

 purple; Othello, blackish purple; President Grant, lilac; President Lincoln, 

 purple violet; Von Moltke, dark violet, striped. 



Amongst the white spring Crocuses are these: Caroline Chisholm, 

 Grandeur Triomphante, King of the Whites, Lady Stanhope, Mont Blanc, 

 Queen Victoria, White Queen (Reine Blanche), La Majestueuse, Albion, 

 Madonna Mina, Sir Walter Scott, and Alfred Tennyson the last five 

 having violet stripes. 



Among the yellow Crocuses the dwarf Cloth of Gold (C. Susianus) 

 and the Large Yellow or Mammoth are the best. 



Amongst natural species worth growing in large quantities are sativus, 



