CROCUS CYCLAMEN 285 



seriously damaged, and however carefully planted, will not flower in 

 a satisfactory manner. Plant three inches deep in lines, clumps, or 

 masses, as taste may suggest, putting the bulbs two inches apart. If 

 possible, let them remain undisturbed two or three years, and then 

 take them up and plant again in well-prepared and liberally manured 

 soil. A bed of mixed Crocuses has a pleasing appearance, but in 

 selecting bulbs for the geometric garden, it is more effective to 

 employ distinct colours, reserving the yellow for the exterior parts of 

 the design to define its boundaries, and using the blue and the white 

 in masses and bands within. In districts where sparrows destroy the 

 flowers, they may be deterred from doing mischief by stretching over 

 the beds several lengths of coloured twine, which will not interfere 

 with the beauty of the display, and will terrify the sparrows for a 

 sufficient period to save the flowers. 



The named varieties are invaluable for pot and frame culture, and 

 to force for decorative purposes, for though the flowers are short-lived, 

 they are everywhere welcome, and in character they are quite distinct 

 from all other flowers of the same early season. When grown in 

 pots and baskets, the bulbs should be placed close together to pro- 

 duce a striking effect. A light rich soil is desirable, but they may 

 be flowered in a satisfactory manner in a mixture of charcoal and 

 moss, or in cocoa-nut fibre, or moss alone. When required in quan- 

 tity for ornamental baskets and other decorative purposes, it is 

 wise to plant them in shallow boxes filled with rotten manure 

 and leaf-mould, and to lift them out separately, and pack them when 

 in flower in the ornamental baskets. A perfect display of flowers in 

 precisely the same stage of development may thus be secured, and 

 successional displays may follow as long as there are suitable materials 

 remaining in the boxes. 



CROWN IMPERIAL. (See under LILIES, 



CYCLAMEN 



THE lovely Cyclamen is frequently subjected to a treatment which 

 results in the destruction of the bulbs ; or, if they survive it, they 

 never present the rich appearance of plants grown in a more sensible 

 manner. It is commonly supposed that the bulbs should be ' dried 

 off' as soon as they have done flowering, and accordingly we see 



