N AR 



392 



N AR 



^ 



roundiiiff or dome-like surface, with I remain till they show flowers, and after 



.. ° . . .,,, . ., ■ .K_ J ,_ 1.1 .._ ;ii u« 



one bloom in the middle, the other six 

 forming a circle round it. The stem 

 should be strong, firm, elastic, and not 

 more than ten inches in length. The 

 leaves should be short, broad, and 

 bright, and there must not be more 

 than one flower stem to a show flower. 

 If the variety be white, it should be 

 pure ; and the yellow cup should be 

 bright. If the variety be yellow, it 

 cannot be too bright. Double flowers, 

 and Narcissi of numerous kinds, with 

 only one or two flowers in a sheath, 

 will not be considered subjects of ex- 

 hibition, except in collections of forced 

 flowers." — Gard. and Prac. Flor. 



Propagation. — The propagation of 

 all the Narcissi is effected principally 

 by off'sets ; also by seed, to obtain new 

 varieties. 



By Offsets. — All the sorts increase 

 plentifully by offset bulbs from the main 

 roots annually ; and the proper time for 

 separating them is in summer, when 

 they have done flowering, and the 

 leaves and stalks begin to decay. 



By Seed. — It will be often six or 

 seven years before the seedlings will 

 flower in perfection. The seed ripens 

 in June or July, which sow soon after 

 in pots or boxes of light rich earth, half 

 an inch deep, then place them in a full 

 sunny situation for the winter, allowing 

 them shelter in severe frosts. In March 

 or April they will come up. Give fre- 

 quently sprinklings of water, and, occa- 

 sional shade from the midday sun at 

 their first appearance ; and as the 



the second year's bloom you will be 

 able to judge of their properties, when 

 mark the good sorts, and manage them 

 as directed for the blowing roots. 



Soil and Culture. — They succeed 

 very well in any good, light, rich earth, 

 in a sheltered situation and eastern 

 aspect, with the beds a little elevated 

 above the common level ; and in win- 

 ter and early in spring give occasional 

 shelter of mats from frosts and incle- 

 ment weather, especially afler the 

 flower buds appear above ground. All 

 the sorts of these bulbs, planted in 

 either of the above methods, may be 

 suffered to remain in the ground two 

 or three years, or more, unremoved; 

 however, it is proper to take up the 

 bulbs in general every third or fourth 

 year, in order to separate the off'sets, 

 which in that time will be increased so 

 greatly in number, that the tubes press- 

 ing close against one another, the inner 

 ones will be so much compressed and 

 weakened, as greatly to impede their 

 flowering. But where these bulbs are 

 intended for sale, they should generally 

 be lifted once a year, or once every 

 two years, otherwise, by their growing 

 close in clusters, pressing against one 

 another, they will be flattened thereby, 

 and rendered unsightly, and less sale- 

 able. The proper time of year for 

 taking up all the sorts is soon after 

 they have done flowering, and their 

 leaves and flower stalks attained a 

 state of decay; at which time of lifting 

 the bulbs, separate them all singly, and 



warm season advances, move the pots ] the smaller offsets from the larger, re- 

 to an eastern aspect, to have only the | serving the large roots for planting 

 morning sun till ten or eleven o'clock, i again in the principal compartments; 

 In June or July the leaves will decay, I and the smaller may be deposited in 

 when stir the surface lightly, and clear' nursery beds for a year or two, to gain 

 ofli" the decayed leaves, all weeds, and | strength, when they will become good 

 mossiness; then sift a little fine mould j flowering roots, and may then be taken 

 over the surface, half an inch thick, up at the proper season, in order tor 

 repeating it in October. Let them re- \ planting where wanted. When the 

 main tilf the third year, treating simi- roots are lifted at the above season, 

 larly ; and in the third summer, at the ! they may either be planted again di- 

 decay of the leaves, take up the bulbs, I rectly, or in a month or six weeks 



and separate the largest, which plant 

 in beds, in rows, five or six inches 

 asunder and three deep ; and the small 

 bulbs you may scatter, mould and all, 

 on the surface of another bed, and 

 cover them two or three inches deep 

 with fine earth, which after a year's 



after; or may be cleaned and dried; 

 and retained out of the ground in a dry 

 room, two or three months, or longer, 

 if occasion shall require. 



Method of Planting. — The best gene- 

 ral season tor planting all these bulbs 

 is in autumn, from about the beffin- 



growth may be transplanted in rows as i ning or middle of September until No- 

 above. In these beds let the seedlings , vember: they will flower considerably 



