CRO 



C R O 



the ground being previously well dug over, and 

 left some time to settle. They may be set 

 either in beds by themselves in rows, at the di- 

 stance of eight or nine inches, and six or eight 

 inches apart, or in patches of five or six roots 

 in each, on the fronts of the clumps, borders, or 

 other parts of gardens and pleasure grounds, 

 putting them in in a varied manner, both in re- 

 spect To the sorts, and the order in which they 

 are planted. 



Where the soils are tolerably dry, they may 

 remain two or three years without being disturb- 

 ed, but should then be taken up at the time the 

 leaves decay, in order to separate the new bulbs 

 or off-sets for further increase, as well as to new 

 dig the ground. The larger bulbs should be se- 

 parated from the small ones, and put up, each by 

 themselves, in order to be planted at the proper 

 season ; the former in the above manner, and 

 the latter in beds in rows six inches distant, to 

 remain till they are of a proper size. See 

 Bulbous Roots. 



As the bulbs increase fast, a large stock may 

 with care soon be provided. But when this is not 

 practised, bulbs of the different species and va- 

 rieties may easily be procured from the nursery- 

 and seeds-men. 



In the culture of these plants, great injury is 

 frequently done by trimming off the green leaves 

 at the time the flowers decline, in order to pre- 

 % r ent litter ; as by such means the future blow is 

 rendered more weak and less beautiful. 



Where new varieties are wanted, recourse must 

 be had to the seed, which must be sown in the 

 spring season, either where the plants are to re- 

 main, in a bed of light mellow earth, or in pots 

 filled with the same sort of earth. 



The first species is the plant which is culti- 

 vated in fields, and from the stigma of which 

 the preparation known under the title of En- 

 glish Saffron is made. 



CROTALARIA, a genus affording plants of 

 the herbaceous and shrubby exotic kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Diadelphia 

 Decandria, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Papilionacece. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a three- 

 parted perianth, large, rather shorter than the 

 corolla : the two superior divisions lanceolate, 

 leaning on the standard ; the third lanceolate, 

 concave, supporting the keel, three-cleft: the 

 corolla papilionaceous : standard cordate, acute, 

 large, depressed on the sides: wings ovate, 

 shorter by half than the standard : keel acumi- 

 nate, length of the wings: the stamina consist 

 often filaments, connate, rising, with a split line 

 on the back, and gaping base : anthers simple : 

 the pistillum is an oblong germ, reflex, hirsute : 

 style simple, bent inwards at an angle, rising : 



stigma obtuse : the pericarpium is a. short legume, 

 turgid, one-celled, two-valved, pedicelled •. the 

 seeds one or two, globose-kidney-form. 



The species cultivated are: I. C. jiincea, 

 Channel -stalked Crotalaria; 2. C. laburnifolia, 

 Laburnum-leaved Crotalaria. 



The first rises with an angular, rushy, stiff 

 stem, from three to near four feetin height,' divid- 

 ing into three or four branches : the leaves are 

 narrow-lanceolate, alternate, closely covered with 

 soft silvery hairs, on very short petioles : the 

 flowers are produced at the ends of the branches, 

 in loose spikes, being succeeded by large turgid 

 pods, containing one row of large kidney-shaped 

 seeds. It is a native of the East- Indies. 



The second species has a shrubby stem, four 

 or five feet high, dividing into many branches, 

 with trifoliate leaves, having three ovate acu- 

 minate lobes of a light -green colour, about two 

 inches long, and one broad : the flowers are large, 

 yellow, in large bunches from the sides of the 

 branches, appearing from July to September, and 

 making a fine appearance. 



Culture. — The first of these plants maybe in- 

 creased, by sowing the seeds in pots of light 

 mellow fresh mould in the spring, plunging 

 them in the hot-bed of the stove, and, when the 

 plants are of sufficient growth, removing them 

 into separate pots ; and the second sort, either 

 by seeds in the above manner, or by planting 

 cuttings of the young branches in the later 

 spring or summer months, in pots of the same 

 sort of earth, and plunging them in the bark- 

 bed of the stove, giving them water fre- 

 quently, and removing them, when well rooted, 

 into separate pots. 



They may be exposed to the open air during a 

 little of the heat of summer, but at other periods 

 require the protection of the hot-house. 



They afford variety among other exotic plants. 



CROTON, a genus comprehending plants of 

 the herbaceous shrubby sort for the stove. 



It belongs to the class and order Monoecia 

 ]\Io7iadclphkt, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Tricoccte. 



The characters arc : that the male flowers 

 are smaller than the females: the calyx is a 

 cylindric, five-toothed perianth : the corolla has 

 in some five petals, scarce larger than the 

 calyx, oblong, obtuse : nectary five glands, 

 affixed to the receptacle, small : the stamina 

 consist of ten or fifteen subulate filaments, con- 

 nected at the base, length of the flower: an- 

 thers roundish, twain : female flowers remote 

 from the males, on the same plant: the calyx is 

 a many-leaved perianth : leaflets ovate, oblong, 

 erect: the corolla, petals as in the males (in some 

 scarce manifest) : thepistillumis aroundisbgerm; 

 styles three, reflex-spreading, length of the flower, 



