778 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



in the throat. It is singular in the shape of its bulb, and produces 

 numerous small offsets, 0. speciosus, the tallest of all, is very robust 

 and not particular as to soil. It is more nearly blue than any other, 

 and should be planted in August fairly deep; the finest form is known 

 as Aifchisonii. C. pulchellus, nearly related, is paler lavender with 

 rich orange spots and white anthers; it flowers after speciosus, at the 

 end of October. 



_ Among the earlier Autumn Crocuses is hyzantinus (iridiflorus), of 

 which the inner petals are small, pale, and pointed, the outer 

 being wide and fall outwards, of various shades of lilac and purple. It 

 is best in the shade under a north wall. 



The Greek species are late, r C. Tournefortii, the first to flower, is 

 lavender with white stamens, rather tender and soon damaged by 

 weather. - C. Boryi, creamy white, is only for the frame. G. marar 

 thanisius, large white with scarlet stigma, requires a sheltered comer. 

 Of C. laevigatus there are two forms; one white, with or without 

 stripes and feathers; the other having a pale lilac ground. It is strong, 

 and stands bad weather well., 



Next comes a Spanish group : C. nudiflorus is rich purple. 

 C. asturicus being smaller and without the underground runners pro- 

 duced by the first. G. Salzmanni is robust, but of a washy lilac. 

 0. - CZtisw resembles asturicus, but has well-developed leaves when 

 flowering. C. serotinus, once common, has,, nearly disappeared. 

 G. medius, from the Eiviera, is hardy, and forms a link between 

 nudiflorus and sativus; it has deep scarlet stigmas. C. sativus, once 

 largely cultivated for saffron, requires a sunny, well-drained position; 

 it has several varieties. G. hadriaticus, nearly related, is white with 

 some yellow in the throat. G. longiflorus is very fragrant, of a rosy 

 shade of lilac, and flowers freely in the end of October and. November; 

 it should be given a sheltered nook on the rock garden. 0. cancellatus, 

 a white ground striped purple, has a variety from farther east with a 

 lilac ground known as cilicius, and sold for food in Damascus. 0. caspius 

 is white, sometimes with a rosy tinge, and should be kept in a frame. 

 Other beautiful species, such as G. hyemalis and G. Foxii, are too 

 tender for the open ground. 



After treating of the species Mr. Bowles describes their uses. 

 For planting in the open ground he has found Tomasinianus the most 

 satisfactory of the wild kinds, and of autumn bloomers zonatus and 

 'pulchellus to be the best for this purpose. 



The Eock Garden provides a congenial home for most of the smaller 

 species, especially in such places as at the foot of a large stone. But 

 best of all for the choicest varieties is a strip of ground a foot wdde in 

 front of a sheltered south border with a low edging. The different sorts 

 may be divided from one another with sunk slates, and, to further 

 prevent mixing, corms with different tunics may be planted next to one 

 another. The corms should be planted 4 inches deep. Directions are 

 given for raising seedlings. The capsules appear above ground about 

 May, and seed may be sown from thence till mid-September. — H. R. D. 



