130 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



CRINUM. 



H1MEROCALLIDES. HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



French, crinole. 



THE Crinums most cultivated in this country are the 

 American. The Great American Crinum flowers in July 

 and August : the small species will flower three or four 

 times in the year. They will thrive very well in a room 

 generally inhabited in the winter; and their flowers at 

 that time will be particularly valuable, so few being then 

 in blossom. In the summer they should be placed abroad 

 where they can enjoy the sunshine. The roots should 

 be transplanted every year in March or October, and the 

 offsets taken off and planted in separate pots, about six 

 inches in diameter and eight or nine inches deep, filled 

 with a light rich earth. Do not scruple to deprive the 

 mother of her children, for she cannot afford food to so 

 large a family ; and the unnatural little bulbs will deprive 

 her of all nourishment, and starve her without mercy, if 

 they remain. The flowers are white and sweet-scented. 

 These plants should be watered very sparingly every 

 second evening when newly planted ; when they begin to 

 shoot, they may have more water, every evening; but 

 when they begin to blow, they will continue longer in 

 blossom if more sparingly watered, as before. 



CROCUS. 



TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



An unhappy lover, whom the gods in pity were said to have changed 

 into this flower. French, safran. Italian, zafferano ; gruogo. 



THE Autumnal Crocus is supposed to have come ori- 

 ginally from the East, but is now so common in Europe, 

 that it is difficult to ascertain with certainty its original 

 birth-place. The flowers are of a purple, lilac, or pale blue 

 colour, blowing in October : the leaves grow all the winter. 



