SNOWDROPS. 



173 



fine form which the late Mr. James Atkins, of Painswick, 

 procured " from somewhere in the Kingdom of Naples." This is 

 much finer than the G. Imperati offered by Messrs. Backhouse 

 and others some two or three years later, and now generally 

 grown under that name. I propose that the earlier form be 

 called G. n. Athinsi. Then the wonderful G. latifolius (first 

 offered as G. Eccloutei), a Snowdrop with the leaves of a Scilla, 

 followed later on by G. caucasicus, and finally by G. Fosteri. 



At the present time we have all these heads of the family in 

 cultivation, and in addition there is just opening up to us the 

 results of intermarriages between the various branches. 



We have also discovered that a few forms of G. nivalis, whose 

 lot it is to grow on some of the classic mountains of Greece, 

 hurry into flower in September or October instead of January, 

 and some of their little cousins in Corfu try to do the same, but 

 cannot get their wardrobes ready until a few weeks later. 



In speaking of Snowdrops we must not forget that, besides 

 the scientific division into species and sub-species, we have the 

 amateurs' arrangements into classes, according to colours and 

 other peculiarities. Consequently we hear of white Snowdrops 

 and yellow Snowdrops, and also green Snowdrops. From more 

 than one quarter a rumour reaches me that there actually exists 

 a really pink Snowdrop. I shall have something more to say on 

 each of these classes. 



G. nivalis and Imperati. — I do not think it is necessary for me 

 to say much about G. nivalis, as it is so well known and is such 

 a favourite everywhere. For massing or growing on grass there 

 is no variety equal to it, or that yields such a quantity of 

 flowers. 



G. Imperati (of Backhouse) seems to be nothing more than 

 nivalis enlarged and improved, by growing for untold genera- 

 tions under more favourable climatic conditions. I think no 

 botanist would be able to say where nivalis ended and Imperati 

 commenced. 



In this section there are some most lovely Snowdrops, amongst 

 which I would mention first Mr. Melville's Dunrobin form, now 

 known as G. Melvillei major. For several years after Mr. Melville 

 sent me this it did not seem at all happy, but since it became 

 thoroughly established it has done well, and I consider it a very 

 fine variety, and I think the purest in colour of all Snowdrops, 

 scarcely excepting G. poculiformis. 



