THE NEW DAFFODIL-GROWING 177 



quickly, indeed, the reminder of their existence which is 

 thus given may lead to actual benefit if it secures for 

 them a spadeful or two of fresh, sandy soil and decayed 

 manure or a dash of bone meal. In the border, then, as 

 well as in grass, in beds, in the rock garden, and in the 

 woodland, will we grow these beautiful flowers. 



The modern development of the Daffodil has elevated 

 it to the rank of the Rose, the Carnation and the Sweet 

 Pea ; and it has given us the same embarrassing problem, 

 namely, to find room for such varieties as take our fancy 

 without expelling older sorts that are still good. The 

 Daffodil is not a plant that degenerates quickly. The 

 old kinds are as strong as ever they were. If I were asked 

 to say what I thought was absolutely the most vigorous, 

 free-blooming and durable of all the Narcissi, I should 

 hesitate between Sir Watkin, Barri conspicuus and 

 rugulosus, the last a variety of the fragrant odorus 

 section (single Jonquil), which grows on any soil, blooms 

 freely, and keeps fresh after other varieties which came 

 into flower at the same season are long past. And all 

 these are old, cheap sorts. 



Those who would specialize Daffodils must bed them ; 

 only thus can they conveniently handle a collection of 

 modern sorts. The difficulty comes in when the bloom 

 is over, for the plants are none too sightly late in spring 

 when the foliage is yellowing, while the soil is bare in 

 summer. Daffodil experts, who are not, as a rule, 

 flower-gardeners, do not recognize this trouble ; they 

 ignore it ; they just let the beds be. But a person who 

 is as keen a flower-gardener in summer as he is Daffodil- 

 lover in spring feels the situation ; it hurts him ; he 

 wants to see those beds as cheerful with some good 

 flowers in July as they were with Daffodils in April. If 

 the Daffodils are put in close lines, as the expert puts 

 M 



