CULTIVATION OF SAFFRON IN FRANCE. 39 
the best soil and the smallest and best manure, as sheep 
manure. 
The saffron bulb is called in Austria Kiel. It is of the 
size of a walnut, surrounded by ten or twelve soft, brass like 
membranes, of a cinnamon-brown colour, which terminate 
at the top, around the germ, in capillary threads — called 
Bollen — but in such a manner that only about three of them 
reach the top, the others being shorter and finer. The mul 
tiplication of the saffron proceeds from these bulbs {Kiele.) 
No case is known of a flower producing seed. Each bulb 
produces within half a year, namely, between autumn and 
the end of spring, from one or two, or from three to four 
new young bulbs; but the parent bulb perishes in the mean- 
while every year, and nothing remains of it but some coarse 
blackish brown membranes, called Bollen, and a dried hard 
mass — the Plattel, on which the young bulbs are seated. 
Before the bulbs are planted, they must be cleared of all 
membranes remaining of the parent bulb,of the plattel, &c, 
and all damaged or diseased bulbs rejected. They are 
stowed away three to four inches high, in a dry airy place. 
The sowing is performed by two men, one making with 
a hoe furrows of eight inches depth, the other placing the 
bulbs three inches apart, and pressing them in the ground 
so that they are half covered. 
The saffron flowers appear before the leaves, and can 
easily be removed, without'disturbing the bulb. The best 
time for gathering them is early in the morning, while they 
are closed. When gathered, they are spread in a cool 
room, on cloth or straw mats, until fit for picking. The 
picking (called Saffronldsen) consists in separating the 
trifid stigma from the style, and removingit from the flower. 
This is done the day after the gathering, and must be per- 
formed without separating the parts of the trifid stigma 
(called the Zunglein, or little tongue) from one another. 
They should remain adherent, or, as it is said, "the Book 
