314 



Culture. — All lliesc different species and varieties may be in- 

 creased with facility, by planling llie off-set bulbs from the roots ; 

 and by sowing the seed in order to procure new varielies, which is 

 chiefly practised for the fine sorts of Polyanthus Narcissus. 



For this last purpose the seed should be carefully saved from the 

 best and most curious plants alter being perfectly ripened. ^ 



The seed should be sown soon after it becomes ripe, as about the 

 beginning of August, in shallow boses or flat pans perforated with 

 holes in the bottoms, and filled with fresh light sandy earth, being 

 covered about a quarter of an incli deep with fine sifted mould, and 

 ]ilaced in such situations as are only exposed to the morning sun, 

 till the beginning of winter, when they should be removed to have 

 the full sun, and be sheltered from severe weather. In the spring, 

 when the plants appear, they should be occasionally watered in dry 

 weather, and be screened from the mid-day heat, removing them 

 into cooler situations as the warm season advances, keeping them 

 ire& from all sorts of weeds. Towards the latter end of the summer, 

 Avhen their stems decay, the surface mould of the boxes or pans 

 should be stirred or wholly removed, and some fresh mould sifted 

 over the plants, being careful not to disturb the roots, and keeping 

 them rather dry in a shaded place. 



They should have the same management annually, till the period 

 of their leaves decaying in the third sunnner, when the bulbs 

 should be taken up, and the largest separated and [)lanted out on 

 raised beds of light fine mould, in rows six inches apart, and three or 

 four distant in them, having the depth of two or three inches. The 

 smaller bulbs may be covered in on another bed with fine mould, to 

 remain till of sufficient size to be planted out as above. 



They should afterwards be kept clean; and when they show 

 flowers so as to ascertain their properties, they may be removed, and 

 manaoed in the manner directed below. 



The off-set bulbs of the old plants, especially the double sorts, 

 should be separated from the roots annually, or at furthest every two 

 or three years, in the latter part of the summer, when their leaves and 

 stems decay, planting their larger bulbs out at different times, from 



