THE JOURNAL 



OF THE 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Vol. XV, No. 12. 



MARCH, 1909. 



NARCISSUS CULTIVATION. 

 James Waugh. 



Until ten or twelve years ago the Dutch had almost a 

 monopoly of the bulb trade of this country, but recently 

 bulb cultivation has been successfully undertaken in various 

 parts of the British Isles, and the new industry thus created 

 has brought prosperity to several districts. 



Districts where Bulbs are Grown, — In the Channel Islands 

 bulb culture is one of the chief industries, and during the 

 spring months tons of bloom are daily despatched to London 

 and other large centres, to be followed in summer by the 

 further despatch of tons of bulbs. In the South Lincoln 

 and Cambridgeshire Fens many acres of bulbs are now 

 grown, several of the larger growers having from twenty to 

 fifty acres under cultivation. An ideal bulb soil is found 

 here, which, with good culture, will produce bulbs equal 

 to those grown in Holland, and, in addition to supplying a 

 home demand, a considerable export trade is now being con- 

 ducted from this centre. 



In the South of England narcissus cultivation has been 

 receiving the attention of enthusiasts for years, and from this 

 source many of the newer and more expensive introductions 

 of recent years have been sent. In the Midland Counties 

 several nurserymen and amateur specialists are successful 

 cultivators, and this year bulb-growing is being tried on 

 commercial lines at Portmadoc, in North Wales. In Ireland 

 also narcissi are now successfully and extensively grown in 



3 m 



