Hardy and Half-hardy Plants 29 



having room to move about may be in a sorry plight on reaching the 

 market, where first impressions count for much. Firm packing is of the 

 greatest importance when the flowers are sent by rail, the risk of damage 

 being greatly reduced when the goods are sent by road van. The flowers 

 are arranged one dozen in each bunch, and if given room will be seen to 

 advantage. The flowers should always be backed by their own foliage, 

 that is to say, ornatus foliage should not be used for Emperor, or vice 

 versa. The frail stems of ornatus and the smooth rounded stems of double 



Fig. 191. Showing Daffodils bunched and packed in Light and Shallow Wooden Boxes for 

 Covent Garden Market 



incomparabilis sorts are the most difficult to arrange, and require patience 

 and not a little engineering at times (fig. 191). 



OPEN-AIR CULTIVATION. This presents no greater difficulty than that 

 of growing a crop of potatoes, and both may be muddled at and not grown. 

 A fair depth of well-worked, moderately rich soil, frequent changes of site 

 where possible, the land preferably manured for a previous crop, annual 

 lifting, and replanting in August and September are among the chief points 

 to be remembered. Where the biennial lifting of second -sized bulbs is 

 contemplated, a thinner planting should be indulged in. Where the land 

 is manured at planting time the manure should be buried at least 6 in. 

 below the bulb-planting level. For light land I consider cow manure, 

 because of its cool nature and moisture -retaining attributes, the best to 

 use, though in this I am not very fastidious. Mulching with manure I 

 regard as waste of time and material; moreover, the manure is presently 

 in the way of the hoe, which should be kept in constant use during the 

 spring months. 



FLOWER GATHERING should be done in the bud state, the flowers to be 

 opened in water under glass. This is of far-reaching importance equally 

 when the crop is grown in smoky districts or near dusty highways, the 

 latter sending clouds of dust far away into the fields by reason of the 

 disturbing influence of the ubiquitous motor car. The bunching of these 

 outdoor-grown crops only differs from these earlier ones in not being usually 

 backed by foliage. Accompanied by foliage a slightly increased price may 

 be realized, though this depends not a little on supply and demand, the 



