470 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



showy flowers, is limited to a third of that num- 

 ber. There are practically speaking only six 

 true species of Narcissus and their hybrid pro- 

 geny which lend themselves to ordinary open- 

 air or garden cultivation. These are N. Pseudo- 

 narcissus, N. poeticus, N. Tazetta, N. Jonquilla; 

 and in a lesser degree, N. triandrus and N. 

 Bulbocodium. By crossing the Daffodil with the 

 purple-ringed Narcissus (iV. poeticus), we obtain 



all sorts of star Narcissi, viz. N. incompardbilis, 

 N. Barri, and N. Burbidgei, &c, in all their 

 numerous forms and phases. 



Again, the Daffodil and N. Tazetta give the 

 varieties named N. tridymus; and the Daffodil 

 and N. Jonquilla, all the phases of the so-called 

 N. odorus. 



As affording some idea of the importance 

 attached to the Narcissus in recent years, we 



Fig. 579.— XnrcHsms naturalized on bank of stream. 



may allude to the three or four special Narcissus 

 Conferences and Exhibitions held by the dif- 

 ferent Horticultural Societies in London and 

 Birmingham, and to the permanent Narcissus 

 Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 in London. 



Cultivation. — Most of the garden varieties are 

 of easy culture, growing well in any good gar- 

 den soils, in beds, borders, or on outlying parts 

 of the lawn or pleasure-grounds, where the grass 

 is not cut until their leaves have had time to 

 ripen oft" in June. 



The best, hardiest, and most showy or ornate 

 of the species are X. Pseudo-Xareissus, N. poeticus, 

 and the very numerous hybrids between them 

 which are known under the name of X. incom- 

 parabilis. Good, deep, loamy soils suit all those 

 varieties, and they also do well on deep, sandy 

 or gravelly soils. The main point is to dig the 



ground well at or before planting-time, and on 

 no account to use any crude stable, farmyard, 

 or other manures. If the land is impoverished, 

 and manure essential, then deep culture and 

 heavy manuring should be followed by a crop 

 of early Peas, Potatoes, or other similar produce, 

 after which the land can be again well worked, 

 and the Narcissus bulbs planted. This method 

 is that followed by most of those who grow 

 Narcissus bulbs and cut-flowers for market, near 

 London, in Lincolnshire, and elsewhere. Top- 

 dressings may be applied to plots or beds of 

 Narcissus with advantage in the spring as soon 

 as the leaves appear. A good dressing is that 

 composed of bone-dust and wood-ashes, mixed 

 with five times their bulk of fine or sifted soil. 

 Basic slag has been used with good effect, as 

 also sulphate of potash mixed with five times 

 its bulk of fine sifted earth. 



