November, 1907 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



427 



These two pictures show 

 two weeks' growth. The 

 plant was brought from the 

 cellar on March 1 , and on 

 March 25 the first flower 

 opened. 



The foliage is noticeably 

 broad and strong. 



The Plant is the Empress 

 Narcissus, one of the best 

 of the White and Yellow 

 Trumpets. 



place them in full sunlight. A table with two or three 

 shelves is convenient, as they can spend the four or five days, 

 which they take to attain the proper green color, on the lower 

 s'helves of the table, and as they are placed in full sunshine 

 others may be brought to occupy the lower shelves, thus pro- 

 viding succession of bloom. A medium-cool, moist atmos- 

 phere agrees best with bulbs. Air that is hot and dry will 

 blast the buds before they open. 



We have experimented with narcissus to the extent of 

 nearly forty kinds of named ones, and with hyacinths, tulips 

 and crocus, to a less degree, and of them all we have found 

 the following to be the most satisfactory for our condition : 

 a cellar where the thermometer stands from forty to fifty 

 and a light, sunny room that averages sixty degrees, warmer 

 in the daytime. 



Those that gave the best returns. — Crocus — mixed; tulip 

 — Princess Marianne; Roman hyacinth — double blush; nar- 

 cissus — poeticus, incomparable, paper-white (large-flow- 

 ered). Von Sion, orange phoenix, double Roman and 

 Chinese lily. 



These were not so satisfactory. — Jonquils — small and in- 

 significant; medium trumpet narcissus — we gave up this type 

 because they were less showy than the doubles, less delicate 

 than the poeticus and do not bear as many flowers as the 

 polyanthus sorts; all-white, large, double and trumpet sorts 

 — we had bad luck with these, they blighted every time; 

 mixed narcissus were not satisfactory — the named sorts are 

 much better and more than pay for the extra cost. 



These four sorts are particularly beautiful. — The paper- 

 white is the very popular all-white polyanthus narcissus seen 

 in the florists' windows in early winter. The poeticus is a 

 favorite with every one who has learned to know its pure- 

 white petals and beautifully colored cup and its delicious 



odor. It is one of the best for either indoors or outdoors. 

 The Empress, worthy of its name, is a choice yellow and 

 white, long trumpet narcissus. The foliage is broad and 

 strong and the flowers large and handsome. 



Among the bulbs mentioned as giving good returns in 

 ordinary living-rooms are crocus, tulips and Chinese lily. 

 There are a few points to be remembered in the handling of 

 these bulbs, which will help to insure the best results. Crocus 

 — the largest sized corms should be selected, and injured or 

 imperfect ones should be discarded; the soil should not be 

 kept too moist while roots are forming, as crocus seems to 

 mold more easily than some of the other sorts of bulbs. 



Tulips — the skin should be of a reddish color, but it is not 

 necessary that the bulbs be of the largest size; it is important 

 that they make good root growth. Chinese lily — the best 

 place for starting this kind is a dish of pebbles and water; 

 the water should be deep enough to reach half way up the 

 bulb and allowance made for the lifting caused by growing 

 roots. 



TABLE OF THE FOUR KINDS OF BULBS THAT SUPPLIED 

 THREE MONTHS OF BLOOM 



BULB 



VARIETY 



POTTED 



BROUGHT 

 FROM 

 CELLAR 



FIRST 

 BLOOM 



LAST 

 BLOOM 



LENGTH OF 

 BLOOMING 

 SEASON 



Narcissus 



Paper- white 



Oct. 5 



Dec. 6 



Jan. 9 



Feb. 1 



24 days 



Hyacinth 



Garrick 



Oct. 19 



Dec. 16 



Jan. 28 



Mar. 1 



33 days 



Narcissus 



Poeticus 

 Ornatus 



Oct. 31 



Jan. 29 



Feb. 26 



Mar. 19 



21 days 



Narcissus 



Empress 



Oct. 31 



Mar. 1 



Mar. 25 



Apr. 4 



10 days 



