188 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



noticed that the bulbs are very soft and spongy, as though they 

 had exhausted all their substance in perfecting the flowers. 



In 1889 the Snowdrop fungus appeared in my garden ; last 

 season it visited me again, and this year it is working destruction 

 amongst some of my choicest varieties. The feeling of utter 

 helplessness is very depressing. I can hear of no remedy or 

 preventive. Still I do not intend to give up in despair, but intend 

 to work on and hope for "a good time coming" when the terrible 

 fungus shall be a thing of the past. A faint heart never made 

 a good gardener, and with that sentiment I will conclude my 

 rambling remarks on Snowdrops. 



SNOWDKOPS. 



By Mr. D. Melville. 



[Eead March 10, 1891.] 



A discussion on Snowdrops, under the auspices of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, will afford a valuable opportunity of com- 

 paring the various forms of Galanthus, and of putting on record 

 what progress has been made in the improvement of the flower 

 in recent years. 



Other spring flowers, notably the Daffodil, have been 

 materially helped forward in improvement, and in classification, 

 by discussion or conference, and no doubt the present discussion 

 will encourage those who take an interest in our earliest of spring 

 flowers to further effort. 



Although the Snowdrop has always been a popular favourite, 

 and the hardy pioneer of the floral beauty of the year, yet the 

 improvement of the flower has not, until recent years, attracted 

 the attention its merits deserve. 



Collections of the known varieties have been gathered to- 

 gether by lovers of hardy plants, but improvement by selection, 

 or hybridisation, has been slow. 



Galanthus nivalis is the best known Snowdrop, and is found 

 wild throughout Europe and the greater part of Asia Minor. 

 Where G. nivalis grows freely, and has been increased naturally 

 by seeding, there are usually many variations which, to the close 

 observer, are very interesting. 



