Two methods of “‘natural”’ planting for daffodils. 
The Best Daffodils for Outdoor Planting—By A. M. Kirby, <= 
The essential puint is the avoidance of regularity in both the form of the masses and their distribution 
Jersey 
ADVICE FROM A PROFESSIONAL BULB EXPERT WHO HAS MADE DAFFODILS A PERSONAL HOBBY, 
‘ HAVING TESTED IN HIS HOME GARDEN EVERY VARIETY COSTING LESS THAN $2.00 A BULB 
ECAUSE of their bright colors and in- 
finite variety of form, the daffodils 
appeal irresistibly to the lover of hardy 
spring flowers. True, their colors are 
grouped within a very narrow range of yel- 
low and yellowish white, with a very few 
pure white, and some of the early new kinds 
have wholly red trumpets, such as ‘‘Red 
Star.” The very coloring, however, like 
rays of sunshine among the green, is espe- 
cially welcome among the burst of gorgeous 
hues that we get from the other spring bulbs, 
such as the tulips and hyacinths. The long 
trumpets or daffodils proper, are the best 
known. The short-crowned kinds include 
the poet’s narcissus and the cluster-flowered 
Tazettas, of which the so-called Chinese 
sacred lily is the most popular type. There 
are a host of species and hundreds of varieties, 
and the various sections have been hybridized 
and crossed one with another, till only the 
connoisseur can successfully thread his way 
through the maze of modern introductions. 
In this country are several amateurs who 
possess fine collections, but I do not know 
of anyone who has bulbs worth over $5 each, 
and from this price down to 5 cents each, 
hundreds of distinct and beautiful varieties 
may be selected. Some English amateurs 
have bulbs which they value at $250 each. 
A close club of six wealthy daffodil lovers 
has been formed to buy up any new seedling 
of special merit which has not yet got into 
commerce. When one of the band of six 
dies, his bulbs of the exclusive daffodils 
are to be distributed among the remaining 
members of this monopolistic club. Under 
this compact, it is not unusual for some of 
the members to pay $500 for the entire stock 
of some especially fine new daffodil, and if 
such “‘stock” consists of only one or two 
bulbs, they like it all the better. 
It is in the hardy garden border, with its 
‘old, rich, deeply prepared soil, that daffodils 
attain perfection. Little colonies of the 
different varieties interspersed among the 
various herbaceous plants and shrubs are 
most beautiful when in bloom. There they 
seem to fit their setting and thrive better 
than under any other method of culture, 
and the protection and partial shade of the 
other plants prevents the rich coloring 
(especially of the red rimmed daffodils) from 
fading out. For formal bedding on the 
lawn, daffodils are not adapted. 
Plant in the open border, any time between 
August and November; the earlier, the 
better, because daffodils like to make roots 
earlier in the fall than most other fall bulbs. 
The poeticus types, especially, under 
nature, commence to throw out new roots 
almost before the old roots have died off. 
They thrive in almost any good garden soil. 
The only thing to avoid is ‘‘wet feet,” that 
is, stagnant water in contact with the bulbs, 
and manure. Manure is all right if it does 
not come nearer than an inch below the 
bottom of the bulbs. Pull up a sickly look- 
ing daffodil in the spring and you will usually 
find the bulb has been surrounded by manure, 
which has burned off the roots, if any were 
made. 
For my daffodils I always select a plot of 
ground which was heavily manured for a 
preceding crop, and when it is dug and pre- 
pared in the fall for my daffodil bulbs, I 
simply add bone meal and some high grade 
commercial fertilizer. 
The depth to plant varies according to 
soils. In sandy soil, plant deeper; in heavy 
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soils, shallower; in average loamy garden 
soil have the top of the bulb two lengths of 
the bulb from the surface of the ground. Err 
in having the bulbs too deep, rather than too 
shallow. ‘The deeper the bulbs are planted, 
the later will the flowers appear, but they 
are often all the better for that. About four 
years ago I had occasion to fill in a border 
against the house, raising it about two feet 
at one end. I forgot all about the clump of 
double Van Sions which had ripened off, and 
did not show above the surface. The next 
spring, much to our surprise, up popped the 
daffodil buds, about ten days later than 
usual, but the flowers were larger and finer 
than ever before, and they have flowered 
every spring since, although the bulbs must 
be two and one-half feet below the surface. 
NATURALIZING IN THE GRASS 
All daffodils may be “naturalized,” that 
is planted out in the meadow, broadcast, and 
let alone, but the big, high-priced thorough- 
breds will gradually revert to the wild, simple 
form. For this reason it is folly to buy the 
more expensive sorts for this purpose. The 
work of planting should be done after a rain, 
when the ground is soft. Have an old 
spade handle sharpened like a dibber. Eight 
inches from its point fasten a cross piece, 
for the foot to rest on when thrusting the 
point into the ground. Press the point into 
the ground clear up to the cross piece, then 
wiggle the handle a little, to make the hole 
larger at the bottom, and remove it, and put 
in your bulb, big end down, and fill in with 
earth. The distance apart to plant is a 
matter of taste or money, but they should not 
be farther apart than six inches. 
I cannot say positively which are the best 
