14 
FLOWER ROOTS— Ci oeus. 
THE CROCUS. 
We are not quite sure of the justice of putting this sturdy, hardy, useful, and beautifully-coloured flower second to 
the Tolip, and for our own part, we make a. larger use of the Crocus than we do of the bedding Tulip, for the simple 
reason, that Crocuses of the most diverse and elegant colouring may be easily had, and may be varied and mixed in 
so many ways, that their presence is tolera ble in numerous p ositions, w here othe i^nrim^lm^M^^|Lnot be g rown 
with advantage and with good ta 
[we do not 
merely suggest that such mixtures would be beautiful as edgmgs^vffiav^!r^W^^IWW!IIS(IHP!TO>rm, when 
in full flower of a sunny Spring day, by far the most charming of all edgings ; they should not be much used in large 
bods, except in this way. We have also mixed them plant for plant with the Snowdrop, and clump for clump ; by 
planting them rather deep, say five or six inches, the ordinary preparations for any changes in the beds may be made 
without disturbing the Crocus, by not digging too near the edge, and thus they will flower away year after year, 
getting stronger and blooming better every season, unless indeed the soil is of an unusually stiff and wet character. 
The best show of Crocuses we have ever seen was- afforded by edgings and clumps, in a free, rich, and light soil, in 
which they had not been disturbed for nearly twenty years ; this is not what we recommend, of course, but it serves 
to show the thoroughly hardy and useful nature of this glory of the Spring garden. As regards cultivation, it would 
be difiicult to find any plant, wild or cultivated, better able to take care of itself. As soon as the bulbs are obtained, 
they should be planted, and perhaps the readiest way is to open a drill with a hoe, or light spade, to the required 
depth, and then pop in the bulbs regularly ; cover over, and all is done that is necessary for the best of Crocuses. If 
the cultivator wishes to increase a rare kind, the best way is to take the stock of it up every second year, and divido 
them, so as to give each little crown as much room as it could desire. In clumps along the mixed border they are 
also very effective. For in-door culture, they should be potted at intervals — first, as soon as the bulbs are ready, 
again early in October, and, if a long succession is required, later still ; and as they are only effective in masses, a 
4-inch pot should contain five largo bulbs, or seven smaller ones, and so on with other sized pots in proportion. In 
forcing, the extra heat must be applied very gradually, and scarcely ever above 65° to G0° ; and before being sub- 
mitted to any rise, the pots must not only be full of roots, but the flower buds appearing, and, as soon as tending to 
the opening, the pots must be removed to a cool greenhouse or window. 
Among the many modes of growing them in rooms, a pretty method is to have sugarloaf-like pyramids, made of 
earthenware, tin, or zinc, painted to fancy, with rows of holes all round, each hole being about half an inch in 
diameter and separate about two inches from its neighbour, and the rows of holes three inches apart. The top of the 
cone to be moveable by means of a lid likewise pierced with holes and mado ornamental ; let the necks of the bulbs 
just protrude through the holes, fill every layer with moss, and make each ring a distinct colour. But in this and all 
similar cases thoy must have abundance of light and air from the moment of coming up, or the sturdy little hardy 
Northener will look as delicate and feeble as a European in the worst parts of West Africa. The Crocus is more 
impatient of in-door culture than either the Hyacinth or the Tulip, and few should pay much attention to it in-doors 
who have the opportunity to grow it in the open garden. 
Large Dutch Varieties. 
Per 1000 Per 100 
s. il. s. d. 
Blue 18 0 2 0 
Blue, light 18 0 2 0 
Cloth of Gold, small deep yellow, brown 
striped 18 0 2 0 
Purple 18 0 2 0 
Scotch 21 0 2 6 
Por 1000 Per 100 
Caroline Chisholm, finest pure white 4 0 
David Rizzio, dark purple, very fine 4 6 
La Majestueuse, large violet, striped, splendid .. 4 fi 
Louis d’Or, large golden yellow, extra fine 4 6 
No Plus Ultra, blue, white border 3 0 
Prince Albert, lilac 3 g 
100 of each of the above 10 sorts, 19.?. (id. 
Selected named Dutch Varieties. 
Per 100 — s. d. 
Striped is 
Variegated 18 
Versicolor 21 
White is 
Yellow, large 18 
Very fine mixed 14 
s. d. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Per 100— s. 
Queen Victoria, pure white 3 
Sir J ohn Franklin, large purple 4 
Sir Walter Scott, finely striped 3 
Superb, pure yellow 3 
Extra choice mixed 3 
d. 
0 
0 
G 
0 
0 
G 
100 of each of the above 10 sorts, 33 s. 6 d. 
OUR COLLECTIONS OP BULBS ARE MADE UP WITH “ FIRST-CLASS ” ROOTS ONLY 
