The Canadian Horticulturist. 95 



THE NARCISSUS AND THE TULIP. 



O garden seems to be complete in the early spring without 

 a selection of narcissus, and taking the best, there ar^ 

 no more reliable bulbs for garden use. Many new kinds 

 have been lately introduced, among which those of 

 Spanish origin, after flowering once, dwindle away and 

 rarely succeed in gardens. But among those of hybrid 

 and garden origin, there are few that will not succeed in 

 American gardens, and these hybrids and garden varieties are by far the best 

 kinds. There is a phase of narcissus cultivation that is too rarely seen here, 

 that is their naturalization among grass in wild or shady places. The Poet's 

 narcissus and those allied to it, and the Incomparabilis section, and, in fact, all 

 those of starlike forms are most eligible for this purpose. For cutting for indoor 

 decoration there are few to excel Empress, Horsfieldt, Michael Foster, and Wil- 

 liam Wilks, all of which are bi colors and bloom in succession. Countess of 

 Annesley, Emperor, Sir Watkin, and Princess, all belong to the larger yellow 

 flowered section, and to these may be added the Incomparabilis and Barrii sec- 

 tions, which are well adapted to our climate. It is preferable not to plant these 

 in a mixed or herbaceous border, but to keep them in a separate border, which 

 in summer is planted with annuals that shade the soil from the burning sun. 

 The narcissi are planted in rows, sixteen inches apart, 

 and the annuals, such as stocks, asters, mignonette, etc., 

 are set between. When the annuals are cleared off" in 

 the fall, a top-dressing is given over all in the beds, and 

 this is all the fertilizer they seem to require. They should 

 be lifted and re planted every three years. It is quite in 

 keeping with a herbaceous border to have clumps of 

 narcissus mixed here and there, along the margin, and, 

 where few are grown, this is perhaps the best way, but 

 if the number of varieties is large it is better to have them 

 where labels will not be disturbed, and where each kind 

 is near the other for comparison. Fig. — ^zii. 



There are a number of species of tulips other than those generally used for 

 massing for color effects, which are most beautiful in the mixed border, and they 

 have also greater vigor and taller habit, and grow on for any number of years 

 without deterioration, Tulipa Gesneriana may be taken as the type of these 

 late»flowering kinds, and there are few bulbs that give such rich coloring as this, 

 without being gaudy. Other species are the horned tulip (T. cornuta) with 

 petals narrowing to a point: T. Greigi, Fig. 923 with rich colors and prettily spotted 

 leaves ; T. vetillina, pure yellow, and many others not often seen cultivated, 

 some of which are real gems in the rock garden. The so called Darwin tulips 

 are the " breeders of the Flemish and English raisers ; the lovely colors of this 



