150 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



refreshment near home, and thus be enabled without risk 

 to " improve the shining hour." 



The spring-flowering crocuses are as well known in a 

 general way as any flowers of the garden. But those whose 

 knowledge of horticulture is more than skin-deep can tell 

 us of crocuses that flower in almost every month of the 

 year. For the present purpose, however, we may divide 

 them into two classes those that flower in autumn and 

 those that flower in spring. The naturalist may prove 

 to us that the season in which a plant produces its flowers 

 is determined by circumstances acting through many long 

 years ; but the poet has a perfect right to take another 

 view of it as having no relation to heredity, elimatical in- 

 fluence, or the origin of species. Good Gilbert White found 

 in the crocus a sermon so plainly written that he who runs 

 may read it for himself, and it might be interwoven with 

 the pregnant text, " My times are in thy hand/' 



Three species of crocus claim priority of attention in 

 this brief essay. The common yellow crocus of gardens 

 is the Crocus luteus of the botanist. The native country 

 of this is at present unknown, but it probably is "at 

 home" somewhere on the shores of the Mediterranean. 

 The finest of the yellow crocuses is known to traders in 

 bulbs as the " Cloth of Gold " this is the Crocus susiana 

 of the botanist, native of the " Levant," which may mean 

 anywhere in Asia Minor. The blue, white, and striped 

 crocuses are the product of the spring crocus, Crocus 

 vernus of the botanist, native of the Alps and Apennines. 



The following less known species are worthy of especial 

 attention by such as find amusement in collecting choice 

 hardy flowers. Crocus Imperati, flowering in spring, 

 creamy white with purple stripes, a very fine sweet-scented 



