44 THE BOOK OF THE DAFFODIL 



Narcissus flowers look much better when the contents 

 of each vase or glass are of one variety only, and the 

 best kind of glasses for drawing-room and table decora- 

 tion are cylindrical, as much as possible like a rose 

 specimen tube in shape, but in various sizes to suit the 

 diff^erent lengths of the flower stalks. 



As TO Lifting the Bulbs. — After one, two, or 

 three years, as the case may be, the bulbs must be taken 

 up and the ofF-sets they have produced separated from 

 them, and it is even more important to be right in the 

 time of lifting than in the time of planting. It is, I 

 believe, to errors in lifting that we may trace many of 

 the failures, or half-successes, which are sometimes 

 complained of in the cultivation of Narcissi. The rule 

 laid down for me years ago by an expert grower was 

 this — in the matter of lifting better he too early than too 

 late. My own experience has amply borne out this 

 rule. Some of the varieties have no period of bulb rest, 

 i.e. they begin to put out the roots for their new season's 

 growth before the old season's foliage has begun to die 

 away. This is especially the case with the Poeticus 

 varieties — but it is not confined to them — and those 

 varieties which do rest, rest only for a short time. Now, 

 if the bulb% be lifted after new rootlets have been put 

 forth these new roots, unless the bulbs be immediately 

 replanted, must die off', and the vigour of the bulb will 

 be diminished. In the case of delicate sorts, or where 

 much new growth has taken place, the consequences 

 may be most serious, the constitution of the bulb per- 

 manently injured. There is a great temptation to leave 

 the bulbs in the ground until the foliage has quite died 

 down, for they are much more easy to handle when 

 taken up late in this way ; and, besides, it is not always 

 convenient to attend to them at the right time. But it 

 is really of very great importance to stick to the rule, 

 " better too early than too late." If you should take up 



