CLASS IIL TRIANDRIA. 
MONOGYNIA. 
23. SAFFRON is the orange-coloured pistil, or centre 
part, of' a purple species of crocus (Crocus sativus) which 
Jlowers in the autumn, and is chiefly distinguished by having 
the three extremities of the pistil so long as to hang out of the 
flower (Fig. 6.) 
In Cambridgeshire there is a town called Saffron 
Walden, that has its name from the quantity of saffron 
which is annually produced in its neighbourhood. 
The roots of the saffron crocuses are planted at the 
distance of about five inches from each other, and two 
Inches deep in the ground. As soon as the flowers ap- 
pear, they are gathered by hand every morning, just be- 
fore they open ; and, as they continue to open in succes- 
sion for several weeks, the saffron harvest of course 
continues so long. When the flowers are gathered, they 
are spread on a table : the upper part of the pistil only 
is picked out, and the rest of the flower is thrown away. 
As soon as a sufficient quantity of the pistils have been 
collected, they are dried in a kind of portable kiln ; 
over this a hair cloth is stretched, and upon it a few 
sheets of white paper. The saffron is scattered upon 
these to the thickness of two or three inches, and is 
then covered with several sheets of paper, over which 
is laid a coarse blanket five or six times doubled, or a 
canvas bag filled with straw. As soon as the fire has 
heated the kiln, a board, on which a weight is put, is 
placed upon the blanket to press the saffron into a cake. 
13y the end of the first hour, a strong fire being em- 
ployed, the cake is formed. This is then turned, and, 
for another hour, is subjected to an equal degree of 
heat. It is then turned a second time, and a more 
gentle heat is employed, till the cake becomes dry, 
during which time it is turned every half hour. 
