POPULAR HAEDY BULBS 213 



lislied by lifting a portion of the sod and set- 

 ting the bulbs under this, then replacing the 

 turf. If, however, you prefer them for bed 

 display, provide a deep rich sandy loam. In 

 this they should be set three inches apart and 

 allowed to remain until, through natural in- 

 crease, they become so crowded as to show 

 signs of deterioration. This is not likely to 

 occur for four or five years. Avoid planting 

 crocuses too deep, two inches being the best 

 depth as a rule — when they are set deeper, they 

 often fail to bloom. 



Another hardy flower of March is the winter 

 aconite {Eranthis hyemalis). Its flowers are 

 yellow and larger than the crocuses and some- 

 times, if the weather is extraordinarily open, it 

 will come into flower as early as the first of 

 February. The winter aconite belongs to the 

 buttercup family and has from five to eight 

 golden sepals. It grows about six inches high. 

 While it is a flower frequently mentioned by 

 writers on English gardens it is seldom seen 

 in America, probably because it is not as well 

 adapted to our climate as to that of its 

 European home. But where it is planted in 

 partial shade it stands a fair chance of suc- 

 ceeding. 



