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CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



striatum, striped mauve and white ; and atropur- 

 pureum, several shades darker than the type. The 

 double sorts, especially the double white, are the 

 most desirable as they are most attractive in a bor- 

 der and endure longer in flower. Nearly allied to 

 G. autumnale, as regards the size and form of the 

 flowers, and flowering at tbe same period, are C. 

 byzantinum, turcicum, latum ; and similar species, 

 but having smaller flowers, are such as arenarium, 

 neapolitanum, alpinum, and umbrosum. With rather 

 small flowers, and flowering either in the autumn 

 or spring, are C. montanum and C. crociflorum. The 

 foregoing species, being so nearly alike from a garden 

 point of view, might well be included under the head 

 of autumnale, and being all hardy they thrive under 

 the same conditions, such as an ordinary border. 

 Some, such as C. byzantinum, have very broad leaves, 

 while those of others are small and narrow ; but as 

 these are always produced in spring, and not at the 

 flowering-time, the foliage is of little interest. 



C. speciosum is by a long way the finest of the 

 Meadow Saffrons, and is at the same time one 

 of the finest of all autumn-flowering hardy plants. 

 It is like a magnified C. autumnale. "When well- 

 grown the large globose flowers are nearly a foot 

 high, and of a rose-purple, varying in intensity in 

 the various forms. This is, indeed, a noble plant, 

 desirable for every garden ; and as it flowers in 

 September and October, when open-air flowers are 

 not plentiful, it is doubly welcome. Like autumnale, 

 it flowers without leaves, these being produced in 

 early spring, and when full-grown they are some 

 four inches broad, and about a foot in length ; they 

 are, therefore, handsome in the spring border. 



C. variegatum. — This species may be taken as the 

 type of about a dozen others, characterised by the 

 tessellated or chequered markings of the flowers, 

 otherwise they resemble the autumnale set, as they 

 are about the same size and form, and flower at the 

 same period, and also before the foliage. The 

 principal species in the group is C. variegatum itself, 

 one of the oldest of garden plants, having been 

 cultivated in the sixteenth century by Parkinson. 

 It still retains the name of C. ParJcinsoni as well 

 as that of C. chionense. The flowers have pointed 

 sepals, of a pale lilac, chequered with deep lilac- 

 purple. C. agrippinum, also called tessellatum, is 

 similar, as are C. Bivonce lusitanum, and Tenorii, 

 all of which are in cultivation. All are natives of 

 South Europe and Asia Minor. 



Culture. — Colchicums are the simplest of bulbs to 

 cultivate ; indeed, they require no attention what- 

 ever when once they are planted in suitable soil, 

 and in a congenial spot. Any garden soil suits 

 them, though they have a decided partiality for 

 a sandy loamy soil. They rarely, if ever, require 



transplanting, and therefore the bulbs need not be 

 disturbed, except for the purpose of propagation, 

 once in about three or four years. When it is 

 necessary to lift the bulbs it should be done about 

 midsummer, and they should be re-planted at once 

 in fresh enriched ground. When undisturbed a little 

 mulching of leaf-mould or manure in winter will 

 benefit the bulbs. Seedlings of Colchicums can 

 easily be raised, as seed is borne and ripened plenti- 

 fully. It should be sown as soon as ripe, which is 

 about midsummer, and the seedlings will attain a 

 flowering size in about three seasons. As the 

 bulbs of nearly all the Colchicums flower in a dry 

 state, even if not in soil, they may be flowered in 

 rooms like Hyacinths. The bulbs should be placed 

 in damp sand, and surrounded by Fern-fronds or 

 other greenery ; they then have a pretty effect. 

 As soon as the flowers are past the bulbs should be 

 planted out. 



Colchicums are so accommodating that they may 

 be grown in various positions in the mixed border,, 

 shrubbery margin, rock garden, or may be natural- 

 ised in grass in semi-wild spots. In the latter 

 position care must be taken that the foliage is not 

 cut off before it is quite ripened, or the bulbs will 

 be weakened. The bulbs produce the best effects 

 when planted in bold masses, not dotted here and 

 there in small patches. 



Cooperia. — There are two plants belonging to 

 this genus, both natives of Mexico and Texas. 

 They are allied to the Zephyr Flowers (Zcphran- 

 thus). These are C. Drummondii and C. pedunculata. 

 The first has grassy foliage aboiit a foot long, pro- 

 duced in autumn. The flower-stem, about four 

 inches in height, bears a bloom having a slender 

 tube four and a half inches long, and white petals, 

 the whole flower being some two inches across. 

 Each bulb produces two or more flower-stems in a 

 season, but the flowers do not endure more than a 

 day or so, and they generally open during the 

 evening. C. pedunculata is a finer plant, having 

 longer leaves and larger flowers, the latter being 

 over two inches across, pure white, and very fra- 

 grant. The Cooperias are not very hardy in this 

 country, and require frame or green-house culture, in 

 pots. Their resting period is during summer, when 

 devoid of foliage ; they should then receive all the 

 sun-warmth possible, in order to ripen their bulbs 

 and prepare them for sending up then leaves and 

 flowers in autumn. 



Crinum. — For the stove, the green-house, and 

 even the open-air border, the Crinums are of great 

 importance, being among the finest of all bulbs of 

 the Amaryllis family. They are for the most part 



