250 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
wlio pay to come and look on, and who like to see before their eyes a 
reason for the decisions arrived at, and cannot he supposed to he able to 
appreciate by the eye, the minute inferences drawn by the judges as regards 
flavour. 
If it be considered desirable that decision by flavour should become a 
recognised feature at our exhibitions, let us not therefore interfere with the 
noble specimens which are brought before us to be judged principally by 
their appearance and fitness for a grand display; but let those who draw 
up schedules introduce other classes, such as, for example, “for the best 
flavoured bunch of black Grapes not having a Muscat flavour” ; “ ditto having 
a Muscat flavour” ; with similar classes for white Grapes. In these cases 
let the judges be instructed to award the prizes by flavour alone, irrespec¬ 
tive of any other quality, and let the advocates of flavour support these 
exhibitions well, and then we may possibly arrive at some conclusion on the 
subject, and learn whether ill-coloured Grapes under equal circumstances as 
regards ripeness, ever do attain a better flavour than well-coloured speci¬ 
mens—in fact, whether Red Hamburghs or Black Hamburghs are best. 
If the Red, then let the advocates for Grapes “ grown to be eaten ” take no 
further trouble about colouring their Grapes; for although an object of 
ambition with every good and skilful gardener’ it will no longer be con¬ 
sidered a sine qua non amongst those who seek for the gratification of their 
senses through the palate, and not through the eye. 
Hedleaf. John Cox. 
SPRING CROCUSES. 
I know of no flower that graces the out-door garden which is so tho¬ 
roughly acceptable at its particular season of blooming as the early Crocuses. 
Reared amid the raging of the “ elemental war ” that follows on winter’s 
supremacy, they presently come forth “like stars, to tell us Spring is born,” 
studding that material firmament—earth. 
The immense number of Crocus bulbs imported every year from Hol¬ 
land—a sum-total so vast as to appear almost incredible—proves how much 
is appreciated the valuable service rendered in its own good time by this 
humble little floral ministrant. Nothing else but the Crocus can make such 
an acceptable and charming display in the early spring—a display the more 
appreciable, as there is then but little in the way of flower to come into 
competition with it. Somewhat restricted though the variations of colour 
may be, still there is enough of variety to enable them to be grouped together 
very prettily and effectively—enough when so arranged to produce such a 
mass of blended colour, as to negative the charge of sameness sometimes 
brought against the Crocus as an ornament of the flower garden. Planters 
of the Crocus should make a selection of a few distinct kinds, and use them 
for spring effect. With a larger selection may come to a serious degree, 
want of uniformity in growth as well as in the time of flowering, and these 
might possibly impair the effect sought to be secured. 
During the autumn of 1866 I endeavoured to obtain as many as I 
possibly could of the so-called varieties of Crocus that are annually im¬ 
ported from Holland, and was enabled to plant a good-sized piece of ground 
with the collection I succeeded in getting together. I had white, striped, 
blue, purple, violet, lilac, yellow, and edged flowers, and at the time of 
planting I could not help remarking, on carefully comparing the conns the 
one with the other, how much diversity of shape and size prevailed. As I 
