RETICULATA n 



a peculiar blue-purple, without the blotches so characteristic 

 of the two species just mentioned. 



These three are usually closely followed by the red- 

 purple /. Krelagei, which in its turn is succeeded by the 

 well-known deep violet /. reticulata the so-called type. 

 /. Krelagei may be a very poor thing, scarcely worth growing, 

 but there are some forms which have magnificent, broad- 

 petalled flowers of a shade approaching crimson. Both 

 this and the type increase fast when the conditions suit 

 them, and should therefore be frequently lifted and replanted. 

 If this is not done, the flowers become so crowded that the 

 outline of each is lost and half the beauty gone. On the 

 other hand, the sight of a bed of several hundreds of these 

 exquisite flowers of brilliant violet and gold gleaming amidst 

 the grey-green mist of glaucous foliage does indeed rejoice 

 the heart on some sunny morning at the end of February 

 or early in March. 



The method of frequent lifting has another advantage 

 in that it enables steps to be taken to counteract the 

 ravages of a deadly fungous disease which first shows 

 itself in the shape of inklike stains on the outer coat of 

 the bulbs. Soaking for about two hours in a solution 

 of formalin of the strength of one in three hundred parts 

 seems to check the disease. 



As to cultivation, all that can be said is that shelter 

 from wind is advisable for such early flowering bulbs, 

 and that it is impossible to say that any particular soil 

 is more suitable than another. The bulbs appear to be 

 most capricious, and except that humus in some form 

 may with advantage be added to a very poor soil, no 

 directions can be given. It may be useful to remember 



