266 
THE GARDENING WORLD « 
April 1, 1905. 
the real distinctions or precise lines of demarcation between 
one species and another, lie evidently merely concluded that 
colours were variable within the limits of an allied form oi 
type. His methods of classification seem to depend more upon 
the time of flowering than upon the structure of specific forms. 
Of the above number, all which flowered in autumn had 
the word autumnale attached to it. The true Saffron or 
Crocus sativus headed the list. He enumerated only four 
autumn flowering species, but we have now very largely 
augmented that list. Nevertheless, lovers of flowers and culti¬ 
vators of hardy plants have a larger number of more beautiful 
subjects, which are now valuable for beautifying their gardens 
and interesting their owners while furnishing a harmless and 
pleasing occupation. 
Parkinson had a finer collection of Colchicum than the bulk 
of private gardens have at the present day. He enumerated 
no less than nineteen species, which lie described under the 
name of Meadow Saffron. Of the English species (C. autum¬ 
nale) he had the white, the ordinary purple, and a double 
variety in those days, and we have not very much increased 
this number. The English plants were found in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of " Bathe, Bristow, and Warmister,” in which names 
readers will be able perhaps to recognise towns whose names 
are now spelt very differently. 
The species of Anemone now at the command of the culti¬ 
vator are numerous, but if all the gardens were inspected, and 
the species enumerated, it would be found that the spring 
flowering ones consisted very largely of varieties of A. coro- 
naria, single, semi-double, and double. Parkinson possessed 
a large number of these, including some handsome double 
forms that would be difficult to improve upon at the present 
day. Some of the numerous forms which he figures were 
evidently closely similar to A. fulgens fl. pi., if, indeed, they 
were not identical with the plant as grown at the present day. 
Several forms of the Pasque Flower (A. Pulsatilla) were well 
known to Parkinson. Indeed, we do not seem to have im¬ 
proved upon this species since his day. Permanent improve¬ 
ments or those that come to stay seem indeed very few during 
all that lapse of years. We are afraid that after a wave of 
enthusiasm has passed over the country many of the improved 
forms are allowed to die of neglect or disappear in old-fashioned 
gardens to be discovered later on. 
Improvements continue apace in the greenhouse Cyclamen, 
but the hardy species have not been much improved, nor have 
they Increased in number, judging from Parkinson’s pages, 
where ten are described, and nine fairly well delineated by 
illustrations in black and white. He even described two or 
more double ones having ten to twelve segments each, so that 
the double Cyclamen of recent times would only be a repeti¬ 
tion of three hundred years ago-. Judging from the illustra¬ 
tions, the leaves of all the modem, forms or hardy species are 
represented, including one with a small, nearly circular leaf. 
Within comparatively recent year’s we have on the other 
hand immensely increased the number of Dog’s Tooth Violets 
by the introduction of the American ones. Three forms were 
known to Parkinson, but these were evidently mere varieties of 
the European Erythronium Dens-canis. If record speaks cor¬ 
rectly, E. americanum must have been introduced after his 
book was written and closed. 
The bulbous Irises or a few of the more common were noted 
and described under the name of the bulbous Flower-de-luce-. 
The English and Spanish Irises are not, of course, spring 
flowers, but even in those olden times I. persica was well 
known and described. Hyacinths were plentiful, but consisted 
chiefly, if not entirely, of mere varieties of Hyacinthus orienta- 
lis, differing chiefly in colour and the size of the flower. We 
have greatly added to the list since those days, but the species, 
although in many cases extremely beautiful, have small flowers 
and presumably on that account are much neglected by cul¬ 
tivators generally. 
Daffodils were known in a very large number of forms, and 
owing to the lack of scientific knowledge they are not always 
correctly defined, while no distinction can be made between 
species and varieties; at the same time, several genera were 
included amongst the Daffodils by Parkinson, including the 
Jacobaea Lily (Sprekelia), Ismene, and Pancratium. Of the 
time Daffodils or species of Narcissus, every section was well 
represented, and the reader is amused at Parkinson’s anger at 
the mistakes made by admirers aud cultivators by not making 
the proper distinction between time Daffodils and the bastard 
Daffodils. This he describes as the “ greatest and grossest 
error.” 
The true Daffodils, according to this waiter, included all 
those in which the chalice or cup was shorter than the perianth 
segments. The bastard Daffodils corresponded to- those which 
we now’ term Trumpet Daffodils. Briefly stated, we may say 
that both of these sections were w T ell represented, described 
and figured, including forms closely similar to those which we 
know as N. Sir Watkin, N. poculiformis, N. pallidus praecox 
(of which he described several varieties), also the Polyanthus 
Narcissus, of which he figured a considerable number of forms, 
some of which are still recognisable. He gave them various 
names according to the 1 reputed country from whence they 
were obtained, and it- may interest some to know that one of 
these forms was known as the Great English Daffodil. 
As most cultivators in this country are well aware, the forms 
of N. Tazetta are more difficult to cultivate successfully in the 
open air than any others. The author was honest enough, 
however, to say that the name had been given by people 
beyond the sea, as he wrn-s not aware that anyone in this 
country had it growdng wild. Several varieties of Angel’s 
Tears (N. triandrus), and even the green Daffodil, rarely now 
seen in cultivation, were described and correctly figured. 
A large number of Tulips were knowm to the early enthu¬ 
siasts, but owdng to the flowers being so closely similar in form 
and differing so much in colour, it would be difficult in many 
cases to determine which species were meant. As in the case 
of Crocus, he classified the Tulips into three main groups 
according as they flowered, early, mid-season or late, yet he 
had difficulty in giving an exact definition to the middle class, 
as they partook partly of the other two. Besides these main 
distinctions, he also described and figured some very handsome 
Tulips indeed. 
It is evident also that they understood the cultivation of 
Tulips even in those days, or at all events, succeeded better 
in country places than in London, and if it was difficult to 
grow plants in London when Holbom was merely a suburb, 
how much more difficult must it be to-day? In speaking of 
the greater Red Bolonia Tulip, he describes its particular mode 
of growth, but adds, “ especially in the countre-y .ground and 
ayre ■where it will encrease aboundantly, but not either in our 
London ayre or fo-rc’t grounds.” 
In those days, improved Tulips came from the various parts 
of Turkey, where they grew wild in fields, w T oods and moun¬ 
tains. The author also obtained Tulips from Armenia, Persia, 
Crete, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and other countries. We 
can thus see that the wild home of the Tulip was well ran¬ 
sacked in those days, and we can only re-import- the greater 
number of those which Parkinson had, except, perhaps, in the 
case of scarce species of Central Asia, and the Himalayas with 
intervening countries from whence most of our recent introduc¬ 
tions in the- way of Tulip bulbs have come. Even in those 
days the imported Tulips grew better in English gardens than 
they did in the wild state. In describing the peculiarities of 
growth, we can often glean bits of information that show how 
well they did grow, and how closely they were observed by 
this enthusiastic cultivator. 
Considerable additions have been made to the list of Grape 
Hyacinths since Parkinson's day, but even then several still 
recognisable species are cultivated at the present time. At 
least two of those figured by Parkinson are unknown at the 
present day, including what he called the branched Grape 
Flower. The common flower-stem was strong, and bore 
numerous branches, each of which carried a dense bunch of 
globular flowers. This must- indeed have been a remarkable 
Grape Hyacinth, if not a product of the imagination. We 
have, however, the comforting reflection that several plants 
supposed by modern wafiters to have been imaginary turned 
