180 



HARDY PERENNIALS AND 



high, are very small, globular, and narrowed at the opening, 

 where the tiny divisions are tipped with white. The foliage 

 resembles that of the wood hyacinth, 

 but it is more rigid, not so broad, and 



slightly glaucous. 

 It see 



seems to do best in light earth, 

 and the flowers are finer in colour when 

 grown in shade, but not too much. 

 "Where quantities are available, they 

 may be used as an edging, nothing 

 looking better in a spring garden. 



M. b. alba varies only in the colour 

 of its flowers; the white is somewhat 

 creamy for a time; it becomes much 

 clearer after a few days, and remains 

 in perfection for two weeks in ordinary 

 weather. This is a charming variety ; 



grown by the side of the different blues 

 Fia.65. MUSCAB! BOTETOIDES. itg beauty ig enlianced> It ig very effec . 



(One-eighth natural size.) tive as a cut flower, though rather stiff, 

 but if sparingly used it is attractive for bouquets, whilst for a 

 buttonhole one or two spikes answer admirably. 

 Flowering period, March to May. 



Muscari Racemosum. 



Nat. Ord. LILIACE^:. 



THIS is the commonest species, and although very pleasing, 

 suffers by a comparison with the above blue kind, being more 

 dwarf and the flowers less bright. The best time to transplant 

 the bulbs is when the tops have died off, and the choicer sorts 

 of these, as well as all other bulbs whose foliage dies off early in 

 summer, should have something to mark their situation when 

 in their dormant state. 



Cultivation and flowering period, as for M. botryoides. 



Narcissus Minor. 



SMALLER DAFFODIL ; Nat. Ord. AMARYLLIDACE^. 

 A VERY beautiful and effective spring flower. Though a native 

 of Spain, it proves one of the hardiest denizens of our gardens ; 

 it is not often met with, but it has been cultivated in this 

 country since 1629. It was well known in Parkinson's time. 

 Not merely is it a species due to bloom early, but it does so, 

 no matter how severe the weather may be, in March, and the 

 flowers are freely produced. We could hardly have more severe 

 weather than we had in March, 1883, when the snow was some- 

 times several inches deep and the frost as much as 17deg. to 



