188 BULBS AND THEIR CULTIVATION. 



prevent evaporation of the moisture in summer. Failing 

 decayed manure, cocoanut-fibre refuse may be used as a sub- 

 stitute. Lawn mowings may also be used. 



" Narcissus." The generic or family name of the daffodil, 

 and also used commonly in the case of those narcissi which 

 have coronas or cups shorter than the perianth segments. 



" Narcissi for Cutting." Where large quantities of flowers 

 are required for cutting for decoration or sale, the bulbs 

 should be planted sin. 10 sin. deep, according to size, Sin. to 

 ift. apart, in rows isin. asunder, in October. The soil should 

 be previously deeply dug and, if poor, have some well-rotted 

 manure, basic slag, at the rate of ylb. per square rod, and ilb. 

 of kainit to the same area added. A good site for planting 

 is between the rows of fruit trees or some other sheltered spot. 

 Lift the bulbs every third >ear late in July, and sort them into 

 three sizes. The largest may be sold to bulb dealers, and the 

 remaining two smaller ones stored till October, then replanted 

 to flower the next year. On good loamy or sandy soils 

 narcissi grown thus will yield a considerable revenue. The 

 flowers are usually marketed in bunches, each containing a 

 dozen blooms arranged to face one way, and with a few leaves 

 added. They are sold wholesale by the dozen bunches, these 

 averaging is. to 4s. per dozen. The most popular sorts are 

 Horsfieldi, Sir Watkin, Golden Spur, Princeps, Poeticus or- 

 natus and Barri conspicuus. 



"Nosegay" Daffodils. A term applied to narcissi which 

 bear several flowers in a bunch or umbel, as N. tazetta and its 

 varieties. 



" Parrot" Tulip A race of tulips with laciniated or fantasti- 

 cally-cut petals, grotesquely marked or feathered with brilliant 

 yellow and scarlet colours. Said to be derived from Tulipa 

 viridiflora. 



" Peat." This is decayed vegetable matter obtained from 

 heaths or bogs, and it should be of a fairly solid consistency, 

 plentifully intermixed with sand. Black boggy peat is usually 

 too sour for use in gardens. 



" Perianth." A term applied to the petal-like appendages 

 of a daffodil or narcissus flower, the segments of which radiate 

 round the base of the corona or trumpet. The perianth in 

 this case is the combination of the calyx and corolla. 



" Plunging." A term signifying the covering of newly-potted 

 bulbs with cocoanut-fibre refuse (see diagram A) until they 

 have an opportunity of forming roots. The latter is to 

 keep the P9ts, etc., and the soil uniformly moist in order to 

 dispense with watering. If newly-potted bulbs were exposed 

 to the air the latter would extract the moisture from the soil 

 and render the soil too dry ; then, if water was applied, before 

 there were any roots to absorb it, the soil would be rendered 



