ON CROCUSES 133 



Walter Scott, striped. These cost no more than 2S. 6d. 

 to 35. 6d. per hundred, and are therefore cheap enough 

 for long lines, masses, or planting in grass. The Yellow 

 is generally sold in three sizes, and the price ranges 

 from 2s. 6d. per hundred. The colour is the same in 

 each case, but the large corms produce more and larger 

 flowers than the small. Unnamed Crocuses in white, 

 blue, and striped can be bought for is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per 

 hundred. 



Crocuses in Grass. Many flower-gardeners now plant 

 Crocuses in quantity in grass. They take off the turf, 

 stir the soil below, mix in bone flour at the rate of a 

 handful per square yard, and replace the turf above the 

 corms. It is a pretty idea to clothe a grassy mound 

 with yellow Crocuses ; the effect is charming when the 

 flowers are out in February. They will do under trees 

 which are leafless when the plants are in bloom. The 

 Crocuses may be put in six inches apart. 



Birds. The amateur often finds his Crocus edgings 

 spoiled by birds, which pull off the flowers. The sugges- 

 tion that they do this "for mischief" is of doubtful 

 accuracy. They probably find sweet moisture at the 

 base of the flowers. The simplest plan of baffling them 

 is to fix strings of black thread just above the blossoms. 



The amateur may plant his corms three inches deep 

 in well-worked soil and leave them from year to year. 

 When they have dwindled to very small proportions 

 fresh corms can be bought. 



Crocuses do well in suburban gardens. 



