PLANTING NOURISHMENT 41 



years ; and on the other hand, delicate sorts which look 

 as if they were not doing well, may, with advantage, be 

 lifted year by year. But too frequent lifting and too 

 greedy subdivision of the bulbs is not desirable as a rule, 

 and indeed, may be the cause of injury in some cases 

 one hears of, in which varieties of strong constitution 

 like " Horsfield " have begun to develop weakness. 



As TO NOURISHMENT. Narcissus growers have had 

 some trouble and differences of opinion in deciding how 

 they may best supply their bulbs with the necessary 

 nourishment. One rule now seems to be pretty generally 

 admitted. No stable manure should be dug into the 

 ground for some time before planting ; even the most 

 vigorous varieties do not like such manure to be in con- 

 tact with their bulbs and roots. But most varieties may 

 be planted with advantage in ground from which early 

 potatoes (or such like crops) have been taken, for in 

 this case the rawness and much of the strength of the 

 manure have departed before the bulbs have anything 

 to do with it. And the ground will be in still more 

 favourable condition if the year before the potato crop 

 it has been well prepared and used for celery or peas, 

 and then thrown up roughly to the action of the frost 

 during the winter. Thoroughly prepared in this way 

 and then cropped with potatoes, it will be in admirable 

 order for Narcissi. 



No better plan can be suggested for the renovation of 

 Narcissus beds than to dig in a plentiful supply of well- 

 rotted turfy soil (when such is obtainable), particularly 

 that of a dark-yellow or red-brown colour, with iron in 

 it, and "wood-ashes" are very valuable thoroughly 

 mixed with the soil before planting. When it is neces- 

 sary to apply manure our guiding rule must be that the 

 Daffodil likes phosphates, but strongly objects to 

 ammonia. Basic slag and crushed bones and dissolved 

 bones seem to be the most reliable manures. These in 



