20 IN A GLOUCESTERSHIRE GARDEN 



There are more autumnal than spring crocuses — I 

 mean more species ; but beautiful though they are in 

 themselves, they never can have the same value as 

 those which come to us Avhen the garden generally is 

 so bare. The so-called Scotch crocus (C. biflorus) is 

 another very delicate one, which will stay in the same 

 spot for years and go on increasing, and Avhen the sun 

 shines a mass of them is like a mass of silver. But 

 of all crocuses I value most the old Dutch yellow 

 crocus, — not to be reckoned among the oldest inhabitant 

 of our gardens ; but so long has it been in cultivation 

 that its native country is not known, and it has lost 

 the power of seeding. There are many varieties of 

 it, but the one I like best is one in shape like a 

 bottle-gourd, or old pilgrim's bottle, and so is called 

 C. lagenceflonis. Its peculiar shape and deep golden 

 colour make it very attractive. 



' At their feet the crocus brake like fire,' is Tenny- 

 son's account of the herbage on which the goddesses 

 walked to meet Paris, and he is not the only one that 

 has spoken warmly of the golden crocus. It is tempt- 

 ing to quote some of the descriptions of its many 

 admirers, but I pass them all by, to speak of one book 

 only, which once was warmly Avelcomed, but is now, 

 perhaps, almost forgotten, but which ahvays comes 

 to my mind when the season of the crocus and the 



