NARCISSUS 



NARCISSUS 



2107 



The narcissi are among the most popular of all 

 spring-flowering plants, being mostly hardy, free-bloom- 

 ing and showy, and of interesting forms and colors 

 There are a few autumn-bloomers in the genus, but 

 these are little known horticulturally. They are N. 

 viridiflorus, N. serotinus and AT. elegans. The hybrid 

 narcissi have now introduced many forms, and races of 

 varieties, and the nomenclature is mixed; but these 

 forms and tribes add greatly to the resources of the 

 cultivator. In this country, there is less amateur 

 interest in the group than in European countries, 

 although some of the kinds are forced in great quantities 

 and many of them are widely popular among planters. 



Narcissus has an interesting literature. Some of the 

 older standard works in English are Burbidge's "The 

 Narcissus," with many colored plates, and Peter 

 Barr's "Ye Narcissus or Daffodyl Flowre, and hys 

 Roots." Haworth wrote a monograph of narcissi in 

 1831, in which he made sixteen genera of the plants 

 that are now referred to Narcissus. For 300 years and 

 more, some of the species have been known as culti- 

 vated plants, and the literature runs through all the 

 gardening books and periodicals. The number of good 

 illustrations is also very large; some of the available 

 portraits of the species and varieties in recent periodical 

 literature are indicated in the systematic account 

 herewith under the names that they bear in the jour- 

 nals. Some of the pictures used in this article are 

 adapted from G.F. 5:209-13. 



Usual outdoor culture of Narcissus. (J. N. Gerard.) 



The narcissi are among the oldest of cultivated plants, 

 but were much neglected for many years. Within the 

 last twenty-five to thirty years there has spread a 

 renewed interest in the group, with the usual result in 

 such cases that the habitats have been closely searched 

 for new forms, and hybrids have been raised till we 

 have now a surprising number of beautiful flowers. 

 Recently many of these have become so plentiful that 

 they are within reach of the most impecunious gar- 

 dener, and there is no reason why American gardens 

 should not be filled with good collections of these 

 beautiful flowers, or why florists should not force a 

 more interesting list. 



With few exceptions, the narcissi are hardy and 

 strong-growing under ordinary cultivation. The 

 "bunch-flowered" or polyanthus narcissi (2V. Tazetta) 

 and corbularias (N. Bulbocodium) are better grown 

 under glass. The moschatus varieties, which are white 

 (or properly sulfur-white) forms, seem to be of rather 

 tender constitution in most gardens. Otherwise the 

 narcissi as a rule succeed in good turfy loam, but no 

 manure, rotted or otherwise, must touch the bulbs. Of 

 course drainage should be good, and moisture plentiful 

 in the growing season. In the garden it is well to plant 

 very strong bulbs say 6 or 8 inches deep, and 3 inches 

 at most apart, and allow them to remain till they form 

 strong groups, or until they show signs of too much 

 exhaustion from numerous offsets. Weak or small 

 bulbs should not go so deep. It is advised to cover the 

 bulbs once and one-half their own depth or size, meas- 

 uring the solid body part of the bulb and not the soft 

 neck or top. They may be placed a little deeper in 

 light soils. The large bulbs may be 4 to 6 inches apart, 

 and the smaller ones 3 to 4 inches. As decaying foliage 

 is unsightly in the garden, a good plan is to dress the 

 beds in the fall with rich manure, either animal or 

 chemical, and in early spring start seedlings of annuals 

 to cover the beds when the narcissi are through flower- 

 ing, the dressing being necessary for the sustenance of 

 the double crop. Too strong cultivation of the narcissi 

 is not to be recommended, an extra vigor of growth 

 being detrimental to the purity of the color of the 

 flowers. If the object is f o increase one's stock as 

 quickly as possible, bienr '-^i nnnual lifting and 



2438. Narcissus 

 Pseudo-Narcissus. 

 (XJfi 



separation of bulbs is advantageous. For naturalizing 

 in waste places, in the grass, or near water, many of the 

 strong-growing kinds will succeed perfectly. 



The proper time to plant is in late summer or early 

 autumn, and the poeticus kinds should not be kept out 

 of ground longer than possible. Knob-like excrescences 

 at the base of the bulbs indicate that growth is begin- 

 ning and that planting should not be delayed. Partial 

 shade, or at least protection from midday sun, is 

 desirable, as the blooms last longer, and the colors are 

 likely to be better. The old-fashioned or unimproved 

 kinds will last for many years, but the more highly 

 developed strains may 

 need renewal every three 

 or four years. 



A most satisfactory 

 planting of narcissi for 

 house decoration is the 

 use of flat lily pots, say 

 8 inches in diameter, 

 placing the bulbs close 

 together. The flowers 

 carry best and keep 

 better if cut when half 

 open. 



The intending col- 

 lector will perhaps be 

 confused when he opens 

 a list of say 200 varie- 

 ties, and it may be as 

 well to say that a moder- 

 ate beginning may be 

 made by choosing a few 

 of each section into 

 which these are usually 

 divided in good lists, 

 bearing in mind that 

 price is not an indica- 

 tion of the beauty or 

 usefulness. As a matter 

 of fact, the lower price is 

 usually an indication that these are not uncertain and 

 are probably more valuable in the garden. 



Narcissi for naturalizing and bedding. (David 

 Lumsden.) 



Many attempts have been made to naturalize the 

 narcissi in this country. Often, however, veryjittle 

 success has been achieved. The difficulties are due in a 

 measure, first, to climatic conditions, the very dry. sum- 

 mer weather being apparently detrimental to their 

 growth; second, the cultural treatment afforded the 

 plants. The former can be overcome to a considerable 

 degree by planting the bulbs in a cool sheltered posi- 

 tion where they will not be exposed to the prevailing 

 dry winds. The latter difficulty can be remedied by 

 changing cultural methods. Frequently the bulbs are 

 placed in a lawn, and as soon as their flowering period 

 is over the foliage is cut down to the ground. This 

 practice is to be condemned as it seriously impairs the 

 vitality of the plants, and in a comparatively few years 

 they succumb. When naturalization of bulbs in the 

 grass is desired, a part of the estate or grounds should 

 be taken where the grass may remain undipped until 

 the ripening period of the bulbs approaches. This 

 period is readily discernible, as the foliage will develop 

 a yellow hue and wither. It is then that the grass may 

 be mown and the bulbs will suffer no injury. 



In colonizing narcissi bulbs, it is advisable to plant 

 early in autumn or as soon as the bulbs are received, 

 which is usually the month of October. The bulbs 

 should be set 4 to 6 inches deep, the larger sorts 5 to 6 

 inches apart; and the smaller species and varieties 3 to 

 4 inches apart. The plants may be massed by the side 

 of ponds or streams, along sides of shady, or partially 



