NARCISSUS. 



" When daffodils begin to peer, 

 With heigh, the doxy over tlie dale. 

 Why, then comes in tlie sweet o' tlie year ; 

 For the red blood reigns in the winters pale.'' 



Sh.\KKSI"EARK. 



The lovely nodding flowers of the 

 Daffodil have always been a theme of 

 the poets and when one contemplates a 

 bed of their blossoms of " beaten gold " 

 the thought usually is that the half has 

 not been told. The fabled origin of the 



poets, and in one of the best English 

 translations we are informed that the 

 attendant nymphs were interested — 



" And looking for his corse, they only found 

 A rising stock with yellow lilossonis crowned." 



All varieties are not hardy in Ontario, 

 selections must therefore be made with 

 some care. It is well to note however, 

 that all the strongest growing sorts and 

 finest flowers are capable of standing 



Fig. 1209. — Narcissi's HoRSEFiiiLDH— type of the Trumpetflowered Uafl'odils. 



Daffodil is interesting ; in the publication 

 of Barr & Son " Ye Narcissus and Daffo- 

 dil" we find the following : "Nearly all 

 early writers agree in treating this flower 

 as an emblem of that youth whose name 

 it bears. He is said to have slighted the 

 nymph Echo in favor of his own shadow, 

 and Nemesis changed him into this 

 blossom as a punishment for his self- 

 esteem. It is a deep-laid myth, and as 

 pretty a one as often told to us by the 



well here. The exceptions are some of 

 the white flowered sorts, and the weak 

 and fragile growing species. 



In long lists a classification is gener- 

 ally made and for those not familiar with 

 them we will give the division mostly 

 used. 



The Trumpet section, embraces those 

 having flat leaves and a somewhat long 

 trumpet-shaped cup. 



The Iiicomparabilis section or peer- 



343 



