30 DAFFODILS NARCISSUS 



But most sorts are not so prolific. Still, in 

 time, varying from three to six years, ac- 

 cording to variety, soil, and the distance 

 apart the bulbs were originally planted, the 

 clumps of plants will have become so crowded, 

 and probably the soil so exhausted, or both, 

 that fewer and smaller flowers will be pro- 

 duced. It is then time to dig up the bulbs, 

 separate them and their offsets (young bulbs) 

 and replant, either in fresh ground or in re- 

 newed soil in their old locations. This opera- 

 tion is called lifting and dividing. 



The best time to do this, as a rule, is when 

 the foliage has yellowed one-third down from 

 the top, but some varieties, particularly those 

 comprising the poeticus, Burbidgei and 

 odorus groups, and possibly some others, 

 should be lifted even sooner, for the reason 

 that new root growth commences before the 

 foliage has ripened down. In these cases 

 the later lifting is injurious to the tender 

 rootlets which are likely to die off, weak- 

 ening the bulb and reducing the size of the 

 next season's flowers, even if it does not 

 prevent flowering altogether. Of course, 

 if fully ripened bulbs can be immediately re- 



