n 4 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



family of plants has been more improved by hybridisation 

 in recent years. Twenty-five years ago only a few varieties 

 were available for garden decoration, and with the exception 

 of the Tazettas or Polyanthus-narcissi none were ever used 

 for growing in pots. Now, thanks to the pioneer work of the 

 late Peter Barr and the late William Baylor Hartland in 

 collecting and introducing new species, and the garden 

 hybrids of Leeds and Backhouse, and still later to the suc- 

 cessful work of Engleheart and an ever-increasing band of 

 enthusiastic hybridists, the number of varieties has been so 

 much added to that they literally seem to be without end, as 

 year by year adds its quota to the total available. 



The majority of these newcomers are necessarily very 

 expensive, as there is no short cut to increase a Daffodil like 

 there is in the case of many other flowers. It can only be 

 done in a natural way by its offsets, and these must not be 

 separated from the parent bulb unless they come away almost 

 by themselves, and are only joined to it by the smallest bit of 

 tissue at the base. It is tempting to use forcible means to 

 take an offset away when the variety is expensive, in order to 

 increase the stock, but the practice is a bad one, as the vigour 

 of the plant suffers, and a weak stock is more often than not 

 the result. This is a most important factor in the successful 

 cultivation of the Narcissus. " Never over-divide " is one of 

 the golden rules in its management in the garden. 



Another question upon which great uncertainty prevails is 

 the length of time a bulb should be left in the ground without 

 being lifted. Much depends upon circumstances, but with 

 the few exceptions of some delicate kinds that need annual 

 lifting, and which for practical purposes may be ignored, all 

 Narcissi are the better for being left in the ground for two or 

 three years. Perhaps the best general advice to give is to lift 

 at the end of every third year. This must never be done 

 until the foliage has turned yellow, and is lying flat on the 

 ground. After lifting, the bulbs should be spread out to dry 

 in an airy shed or room, and then cleaned and divided into 

 sizes, when the larger ones may be again used for garden 

 decoration, and the small ones grown on nursery beds, or, if 

 there is no room available for the purpose, they may be in 

 the case of the cheaper sorts thrown away. 



A third point of immense importance is the best time to 

 plant. All the most famous growers plant as early as possible. 

 The month of August is none too soon, but it is quite safe to 

 do it in September and early October. After the middle of 

 the latter month the bulbs begin to deteriorate, and then the 



