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THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



Native of South Europe. — Perennial. — A plant forming tufts of 

 stiff, pointed, almost triangular, leaves, like those of most plants of 



They may be easily kept all through the winter, if stored in a dry 

 place, sheltered from frost, and in drying become sweeter and more 

 agreeable to the taste than when eaten freshly gathered. The 

 tubers are eaten raw or parched. 



French^ Safran. German^ Safranpflanze. Italian^ Zafferano. Spanish^ Azafran. 



Native of the East. — Perennial. — A bulbous plant, with long, 

 narrow leaves, like those of a Grass, glistening and dark green, 

 with a white line running lengthways down the middle. Flowers 

 violet, very long ovoid, and not much opened at the mouth ; pistils 

 extremely large, divided into numerous strips, and of a handsome 

 orange or saffron colour. Their weight causes them to droop over 

 the side of the flower, which produces a rather peculiar effect. The 

 bulbs or corms are covered with brown, wrinkled coats. 



Culture. — The Saffron-plant is not propagated from seed, 

 although it occasionally bears some, but is always multiplied by 

 means of the bulbs or corms. These are planted from June to 

 August, in good, free, light soil, containing, if possible, a large 



the Cyperacece family. Roots 

 brown, very numerous, 

 tangled, and intermixed 

 with underground shoots, 

 which are swollen into a 

 kind of small, scaly, brown 

 tubers, with white, floury, 

 sweet flesh. 



Rush-nut, or Chufa (^V natural size ; 

 detached nut, natural size). 



Culture. — The plant 

 is propagated in April or 

 May, either from the tubers, 

 or from divisions of the tufts. 

 The divisions so planted 

 increase in size, and spread 

 very much during the 

 summer, and the tubers or 

 " nuts " are gathered in 

 October or November. 



SAFFRON-PLANT 



Crocus sativusy L. Iridacece. 



