Baffolifls fceflfn to peer. 99 



near London, plants the bulbs in land that was 

 manured for peas or early potatoes ; a similar 

 plan being adopted by the Dutch growers in 

 their bulb-culture. Sea-sand is very genial to 

 daffodils ; the Scilly Islands soil consists of but 

 little else. Constant replanting in deep, pure 

 soil is the plan in England now, although five 

 years ago growers were all manuring the soil for 

 them. In Holland, all bulbs are lifted once a 

 year. Fine crocuses, hyacinths, and tulips do 

 not grow themselves. The soil in Holland is 

 dark sea-sand or alluvium. Cow-manure is 

 largely used for ordinary farm-crops, and after 

 these have sweetened the soil it is dug over, two 

 to four feet deep, and the bulbs are plant- 

 ed. Deep culture prevents their suffering from 

 drought, and gives a clean, round bulb. To the 

 Dutch should be awarded the prize for perfect- 

 ing the bunch-flowering section, as to the Eng- 

 lish belongs the olive-crown for developing the 

 grand trumpeters and the incomparabiUs sec- 

 tion. 



For house-culture some of the tazettas are 

 very effective, grown in the Chinese fashion, in 

 water. Indeed, many of the Narcissi, which 

 force readily, may be grown in this manner. In 

 China N. tazetta is a favorite flower. The cus- 

 tom there is to place the bulbs in bowls of water 



