Notes and Glcajiings. '^yj 



Varieties of Crocus. — Of diversities in the habit and style of growth of 

 the different varieties, but little can be said. The early-flowering Cloth-of-Gold, 

 the Common Yellow, and the Versicolor, are peculiar in this respect: the other 

 varieties must be classed together; excepting, perhaps, that, though the style 

 of foliage may be much the same, the largest bulbs invariably produce the 

 strongest leaves. The earliest to- bloom are the Yellows : the earliest of these 

 two — for there are but two distinct varieties of yellow spring-flowering crocus 

 — is the Cloth-of-Gold. It is very dwarf-growing, and blooms freely. The 

 Common Yellow is a little later, grows taller and stronger, and produces more 

 flowers than any other variety. It is remarkably free in blooming; and, as 

 a rule, should be allowed plenty of room, as the bulbs branch out in a remarka- 

 ble degree. The Giant Yellow, the Large, and also the new Golden Yellow, are 

 but larger bulbs of this variety. It is imported generally in two sizes ; and, 

 where extra-sized roots are added, they are christened and priced accordingly. 

 The old Crocus versicolor, or Cloth-of-Silver Crocus, — for any original differ- 

 ence between them appears to be entirely lost, — is a dwarf-growing and very 

 free-blooming kind, and does well for massing. The flowers are white, with 

 purple stripes ; but they are neither so large nor so stout as the newer Striped 

 varieties. The Scotch Crocus, so called, now rarely met with, is a Striped 

 variety imported from Holland under that name. The bulbs are very peculiar, 

 being hard and smooth, and unlike any other spring-flowering kind. After 

 these, it would be difficult to assign the order of flowering. Speaking gen- 

 erally, the Striped varieties are the earliest, then the Blues, and lasdy the 

 Whites. 



Of the Striped varieties. Bride of Lammermoor, La Majesteuse, and Sir 

 Walter Scott, are three very fine varieties, of much the same build and growth ; 

 Bride of Lammermoor being the darkest, and Sir Walter Scott the boldest in 

 the color of the stripe. Of the darker Striped kinds, Albion is the largest and 

 showiest : the flowers are large, and of a globular shape, heavily flaked and 

 striped with violet : it is also distinct and good. Florence Nightingale is a large 

 and bold light Striped variety. Ida Pfeiffer, a lovely flower of good form, deli- 

 cately striped with rosy lilac, very fine. Madame Mina, a very pretty and free- 

 blooming pale-violet-striped flower, of good form. Princess Alexandra, Argus, 

 Comtesse de Morny, Parnassus, Elfrida, and Albertine, are more than summed 

 up in the sorts described above : they are not even required as varieties. Rhea 

 Sylvia is a medium-sized, pale, striped flower, but very pretty. Duke of Cumber- 

 land, a deep lilac, with stripes of a darker shade, and edged with white, is a some- 

 what curious and novel flower, which could be classed both with the Blue and 

 the Striped varieties, and yet belongs exclusively to neither ; so that, perhaps, it 

 would be best to class it with the Edged flowers. I had two forms of Argus, — 

 one a very pale striped flower of medium size ; the other a heavy violet-striped 

 flower, with more color in it than could be seen in Albion, though otherwise not 

 diftering materially from it, nor yet quite so large. Lastly, Maria, La Sylphide, 

 Miss Priestley, Ge'ant des Batailles, Baron Chasse, Duchess of Sutherland, Na- 

 poleon, Leviathan, and Philades, are sorts that can be obtained to suit the fancy 



VOL. III. ^8 



