OF GARDENING. 
Feb; 
The Leaves are long arid very narrow, they 
naturally grow in an arched Form, rifing cir- 
cularly from the Bafe, and drooping at the Point :. 
their Colour is a fine deep green, and each has 
along the Middle a Line of perfect white all the 
length. 
The Flowers rife from the Head of this u- 
nited Body, with long Tubes, which ferve them 
as Stalks, and they ate large and extremely beau- 
tiful. The Clufter of them from one Head is 
often eight or ten, and they difplay themfelves 
in various Pofitions, fome upright, fome droop- 
ing inwards, and others turning out; fo that 
the whole Tuft reprefents a Nofegay contrived 
in the moft artful Manner. 
The Body of the Flower confifts of fix ‘Sep- 
ments rifing from the Tube, and thefe fo large, 
that they refemble Petals. | 
Their Ground Colour is a greyith or pearly 
white, but they are ftained and diverfified in 
the moft elegant Manner with purple, and with 
crimfon. The three outer Segments ufually 
Have the Colour deepeft and in greatett Quan- 
tity. The inner ones are fometimes perfectly 
white ; often ting’d, but lightly. The Degree 
of the Colour varies extreamly, but this res 
from Culture; and the Art of the Gardener 
muft be employed to make it the Beeneet and 
mott lively. 
The Student examining this Flower a its. 
Origin, will find it rifes fhielded by a Scabbard 
in the Place of a common Cup, and that this 
confifts of a fingle Piece. 
The Tube of the F lower he will find eed . 
gradually till it comes to the Place where it, 
divides into thefe fix Segments. They are ob- 
long, of a fomewhat oval Form, and terminate 
obtufely. , 
In the Hollow forméd by this ftand thee up- | 
right F ilaments, very confpicuous, and crowned 
with arrow-headed Buttons. The Style is fingle, 
and itands in the midft of thefe ; and at. its 
Summit is placed a large and confpicuous Stigma, | 
or Head, divided into three Parts. 
The Seed Veffel is roundifh, and marked 
with three Furrows, containing in three diftiné& 
Cells many round Seeds. 
The Clafs to which the Plant belongs is very 
obvioufly written in the Flower, the three con- 
fpicuous Filaments refer it to the 7: riandria, and 
the fingle Style fhews it one of the firft Seétion | 
of that “Tribe the Monogynia. 
Culture of this Crocus. 
We have obferved already, that this beautiful 
Plant is fo more than a Variety of the common 
Spring Crocus, in whofe Flower there rife from 
Culture various Tinges and Degrees of Colour in 
different Difpofitions. _ 
Thefe, a fubfequent Attetition to the beft Me- 
thods of raifing the Plant varies more and mofe ; 
and the Luxuriance of Nature, fupported the fame 
Way, throws forth the numerous Flowers. to- 
gether’ 
N°? 22. 
Dung. 
rope : 
own ; it needs no artificial Warmth to raife; of 
Defence to preferve it from the Seafons: 
The Parting of the Roots is: the comrioi 
Method of propagating it; and miay be needful to: 
have Recourfe to it for the firft ftocking of the 
Ground ; but he who imbibes’ from ws the true 
Spirit — of Gardening, will think the Ptaétice ace 
much beneath his farther Notice;. 
To proceed for ever by parting of J Roots is to 
fee always the fame dull Round of Flowers: 
The commoneft Kind of Crocus ferves for thie 
Purpofes of Science ; for in that the Filaments; 
and all the other effential and characteriftick 
Parts, are feen as obvioufly as in the beft: 
but for the Beauty of their Colouring, let the 
Attention be employed upon the raifirig them 
from Seeds: this, though flow, will be always 
found the true Method to produce Variety: _ 
This is a Thing neglected by the Generality, 
and not laid down by common’ Atitthors; but 
we fhall explain it at large, and the Reader 
may be affured, he will not fail of Succefs in 
profecuting the Methods we direé&t ; becaufe they 
are the Hiftory of our own Practice. | 
The fowing of the Seeds is the firft Article; = 
and a great deal depends upon it. 
_ The Way to have fine F lowers is to favour the 
ripening of thefe; for if they be poor, tho’ they 
contain the Principle of Vegetation, little will be 
produced of Beauty, or of Value: | 
Let our Gardener felect for his Purpofe a fine 
Clufter of the Plant: the beft is, that in which | 
the Flowers are moft numerous, and have the: 
ftrongeft. Purple. ' 
Let him fix upon this as foot as: the Flowers’ 
are enough open to fhew their Beauty; and let 
him take off three or four of the loweft, leaving 
only three, or at the moft four; to > blow to Per-" 
fection. | 2 
Let him give the Plant a little Water every 
Day; afid fhade it from the Noon Sun con- 
tinually.: this will keep it much longer. in. 
Flower, and confequently the Seeds will ripen 
| gradually: 
When the Flower | is fallen, let 3 fame 
Gare be continued that nothing hurt the Plant : 
let it have Water moderately once in three 
‘Days; clear away all Weeds, and break the 
Earth round about it with a Trowel; but not 
too neat the main Root. 
The firft Week in May the Seeds will be ripe: 
Let the Head be carefully taken off, and laid 
upon a paper’d Shelf, and then prepare a Com- 
poft for fowing them in this Manner. 
Mix together 4 Barrow of freth and light 
Pafture Earth, half a Barrow of Pond. Mud, a. 
‘Buthel of old Cow Dung, and half a Buthel of 
Sand; beat and break all thefe very well to- 
gettiet, and fift the whole through a coarfe 
Wire Sieve, throwing away the Lumps, which 
will. be principally the wortt Part of the Cow 
Uut Make 
