FEBRUARY 19 



the fine hybrids, which this year are showing quite 

 splendid masses of flowers. I grow a great many; 

 the masses get larger every year, and some of them 

 are very curious ; for the hybrid flowers have lost their 

 hybridity, and have gone back to not one, but both the 

 parents ; so that I have clumps in which both parents 

 are growing from the same root. I need not say that 

 this is a very curious feature in vegetable physiology, 

 but there are many other such instances on record. 



If any one was asked to name the chief flowers of 

 February, I suppose he would name the crocus and 

 the snowdi'op ; I certainly should with reference to 

 my own garden, for I am glad to say that both these 

 beautiful families revel here. I have large clumps of 

 snowdrops in every direction, and almost an equal 

 number of the old yellow crocus, which I highly prize. 

 It is not, however, quite the earliest ; this year the 

 lead was taken by C. stellaris, a very bright little 

 flower, considered to be an old garden variety of the 

 common yellow ; but in most years C. imperati is the 

 first, and it is certainly one of the prettiest. It comes 

 from Naples and the mountains of Calabria, and is 

 perfectly hardy, but here it increases very slowly. 

 Both of these were in flower before the end of 

 January ; but the mild February has made the garden 

 rich with all the species that flower in the spring. 



