SEPTEMBER 1908 
The Chinese sacred lily does best in a temperature 
not exceeding 60 degrees and produces an abun- 
dance of pure white flowers 
where they are to be used for deccrative 
effect. Too much warmth, especially - at 
first, induces long, limp leaves and is apt 
to cause the flowers to “blast,” i.e, a 
failure to open the sheath. 
For hyacinth glasses use soft or rain 
water so that it does not quite reach the 
bottom of the bulb. Put a lump of charcoal 
in the bottom to keep the water sweet. 
Replenish the water as evaporation reduces 
the quantity, and change entirely every 
week or two, or whenever there is an indica- 
tion of its getting stale. A pinch of some 
Grand Monarque, 
flowered polyanthus narcissus 
one of the best of the larger 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
soluble plant food, purchasable at the seed 
stores, in each glass of water once a week, 
while the plants are in bud and blooming 
will be of great benefit. 
Probably any of the early flowering daf- 
fodils may be grown in this way, but the 
following trumpet varieties have been proven 
and are reliable: Henry Irving, Golden Spur, 
Horsfieldi, Victoria, and Double Van Sion. 
GROWING IN BOWLS 
Daffodils or narcissus in glass bowls filled 
with pebbles and water are pretty ornaments. 
The pebbles are used merely to support the 
bulb. Use shallow bowls, place a little 
granulated charcoal in the bottom to keep 
the water sweet, and cover with a one- 
inch layer of bird-gravel or sand. Set the 
bulbs on this nearly touching one another, 
three or more to a bowl according to size. 
Fill in with white pebbles, or, if they are not 
available, more bird gravel, to prevent the 
plant from toppling over when in leaf and 
bloom. Pour in water until it almost 
reaches the bulbs. Place in a cool spot to 
root, and grow on in a low temperature. 
just like the others. 
Some of the early flowering trumpet 
daffodils may be grown in this way, but the 
polyanthus varieties, are almost infallibly 
successful especially Gloriosa, Grand Soleil 
d’Or, Grand Monarque, Maestro, Paper 
White, and particularly the Chinese sacred 
lily, the latter coming into bloom the quickest 
of any, often in six weeks from planting. 
An incision made just through the skin 
across the bulbs of the Chinese variety and 
about an inch from the top of the main bulb, 
will induce an additional lot of leaves and 
flowers. By this method one bulb will often 
bear eight to twelve spikes of bloom. 
FIBRE OR MOSS AND WATER 
This is perhaps the best and most success- 
ful of all methods of water culture. Use 
bowls, pots, or jardinieres without holes. 
Take one pint of cocoanut fibre — or if that 
be not available, sphagnum moss — and 
add to it one pint of granulated charcoal and 
one quart of washed sand or bird gravel. 
Mix thoroughly. It will probably be neces- 
sary to tear the fibre or moss to pieces to 
accomplish this. Place about two inches of 
this material in the bottom of the jardiniere, 
putting the bulbs on it nearly touching one 
another, and fill in with more material, 
making all compact, but do not jam too 
tight. Leaveonly a portion of theneck of the 
bulb exposed. Water to thoroughly moisten 
the fibre and then turn the vessel on its side 
until all surplus water has drained off. 
Rooting can be done in any cool, airy 
room, and for the rest follow the directions 
given in the preceding paragraphs. The 
fibre must never be allowed to get dry, 
neither must it be so freely watered that it 
becomes soggy, at least not until the plants 
are in bud and blooming, during which 
period they will stand more water, and 
even a little weak liquid fertilizer. 
As food for the bulbs grown by the water 
method a little weak manure water may be 
used, but I prefer the soluble plant food 
67 
Horsfieldi, the bicolor counterpart of Emperor. 
This is an early flowering variety which has been 
found reliable for house culture 
tablets on sale at the seed stores. They 
are clean, odorless, and quickly dissolve in 
warm water. Dissolve one tablet in a 
gallon of water and give each pot a table- 
spoonful of this solution once a week. 
All hardy varieties recommended for pot 
culture, and all the half-hardy polyanthus 
varieties may be grown in fibre or moss and 
water, preference being given to the early 
and mid-season flowering kinds. 
It does not represent a very difficult undertaking 
to have daffodils and narcissus in bloom at Christ- 
mas time 
