IN THE GARDEN BORDER 35 



ideal, but they are not always available. I 

 have a friend who grows narcissus and daffo- 

 dils, in cold, bleak, northerly exposed, hillside 

 ground, who uses a six-inch covering of forest 

 leaves, and usually with great success. These 

 are held in place by a few branches of trees. 

 Towards spring this leaf blanket settles down 

 to a compact mass about four inches thick, 

 which in a less exposed and warmer location 

 would give too much warmth and induce too 

 early growth. In warm situations possibly 

 a four-inch covering of leaves would answer 

 well. 



I have generally used strawy manure and 

 with success when the winter has held steadily 

 cold and kept the ground frozen until the 

 manure could be removed before any bulb 

 growth had penetrated it. But, sometimes, 

 the manure covering has given disappoint- 

 ment, as when prematurely warm spells have 

 brought up an early growth which came in 

 contact with the manure. This condition pre- 

 vailed in the spring of 1906. As the plants 

 developed, there were irregular streaks of 

 sickly yellow leaved plants throughout the 

 beds. I could not account for this as I knew 



