CEOCUS 



FLAG OBDEB 



CBOcus 937 



naturally great favourites in the flower 

 garden. They may be used in a variety 

 of ways with other early-flowering bulbs 

 like Snowdrops (Qalanthus), Spring Snow- 

 flakes (Leucojv/m vernum), the Spring 

 Meadow Saffron (Bulbocodium vernum), 

 and also dwarf early-flowering plants like 

 the Winter Aconite {Eranthis hyeinalis), 

 either in beds, borders, groups &c. The 

 individual flowers do not last very long, 

 but they are produced in such profusion 

 that the flowering period extends over 

 several weeks. 



Culture and Propagation. — They are 

 easily grown in light well-drained sandy 

 loam, which may be enriched with a little 

 leaf mould or weU-deoomposed cow- 

 manure, although this is not essential in 

 ordinary good garden soil. The corms 

 should be planted in September and 

 October to secure the best results, but 

 planting is often deferred until as late as 

 December, with little injury to the corms, 

 if kept in a dry airy place in the mean- 

 time. The beds or borders may receive a 

 thin coating of coco-nut fibre, which not 

 only serves as a protection to the bulbs, 

 but also makes an excellent background 

 for the bright colours of the flowers. 



There is little difiiculty in increasing 

 Crocuses. The production and separation 

 of the young corms are so easy that it is 

 scarcely worth while to raise plants from 

 seeds. The best time for hfting the corms 

 is when the leaves have completely 

 withered. They are then quite ripe, and 

 after the young offsets have been detached 

 may be cleaned by separating them from 

 the dead roots, leaves, and shrivelled 

 corms of the previous season. It is some- 

 times advised not to disturb the corms for 

 two or three years, but this is not good 

 practice, especially where other plants 

 are grown on top, and many corms are 

 destroyed in working the soil. 



Corms planted in September and 

 October yield better and more numerous 

 offsets than those planted later. When 

 seeds are used they should be sown as 

 soon as ripe or very soon after gathering 

 in pots, pans, or cold frames or even in 

 the open border in nice light prepared soil, 

 in the latter case protecting them with 

 litter during the winter. The seeds wiU not 

 sprout until spring, and will take 2-3 

 years to produce flowering corms. For 

 the first two years they are best left in 

 the bed where sovrai. Afterwards they 

 may be treated like the old corms. 



alist of the best spring- 

 described below : — 



Malyi. 



Mmimus. 



Nevadensis. 



Nudiflorus. 



Olivieri. 



Beticulatus. 



Sieberi. 



Stellaris. 



Suaveolens. 



Susianus. 



Tommasi/nianus. 



Vernus. 



Versicolor. 



Vitellinus. 



The following is 

 flowering Crocuses 



Alatavicus. 



Aureus. 



BalanscE. 



Banaticus. 



Biflorus. 



BiUotti. 



Carpetanus. 



Chrysanthus. 



Corsicus. 



Dal/maticus. 



Etruscus. 



Fleischeri. 



Imperati. 



Korolkowi. 



2. Autumn - flowering' Crocuses. — 



These are quite as hardy and ornamental 

 as the spring-fiowering Croctises, but the 

 later kinds are likely to become a good 

 deal damaged by wind and rain unless 

 protected in pits or frames. The earlier 

 kinds may be used for the decoration of 

 beds, borders, lawns, grass land &c., 

 either by themselves or in conjunction 

 with the Meadow Saffrons {Oolchicu/m) 

 and Lily of the Field (Sternhergia), which 

 flower at the same period. They like 

 light, rich, well-drained soil and open 

 airy situations, and may be increased in 

 the same way as the spring-flowering 

 Crocuses by separation of the offsets and 

 by seeds when ripe. The corms may 

 also be left in the soil for two or three 

 years without disturbance. The best time 

 for planting autumn Crocuses is about the 

 end of July or beginning of August, and the 

 corms should not be taken up until the 

 foliage has quite withered, say about May. 

 The following is a list of autumn 

 Crocuses described below : — 



Asi/uricus. Ochroleucus. 



Camcellatus. Pulchelhis. 



Clusi. Salzmamvi. 



Hadriaticus. Sativus. 



Iridiflorus. Scharojani. 



Karduchorum. Speciosus. 



Longiflorus. Zonatus. 

 Medius. 



C. alatavicus. — A native of the Siber- 

 ian mountains in Asia with grassy leaves 

 about 1 ft. long when fully developed. 

 Flowers in February, small, white, with 

 a smooth yellow throat, the 3 outer seg- 

 ments being obscured, freckled and 

 feathered with purple outside. There is 

 a variety white vrfthin, pale buff outside. 



