CHAPTER I 



Old-time and Modern Daffodils and 

 Narcissus 



The largest flowers of early spring — Universal adaptation — 

 The homes of the wild species — Some early history — A 

 word as to prices — ^The daffodil in legend and verse — 

 What is a daffodil or a narcissus? 



The narcissus and daffodil have long been 

 the most world-widely popular of all spring 

 flowering bulbous plants. It is not alone the 

 individual and collective beauty of their flow- 

 ers that endears them to our hearts but the 

 bravery of their advent, for "the time of the 

 daffodil" closes the gates on bleak winter and 

 ushers in, with trumpets of gold, longed-for 

 spring. 



It is true that these flowers may have been 

 preceded by those of snowdrops, scillas, cro- 

 cus, etc., with their boisterous weather accom- 

 paniments, but the awakening of the daffodils 

 — among the earliest of the important flowers 

 of a new season — means the advent of mild 

 and genuine spring. 



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