1909.] 



Narcissus Cultivation. 



899 



then ready for planting. The soil should be uniformly level, 

 as hollows in which water stands injuriously affect the bulbs. 



Manures. — Fresh farm-yard manure must never be used 

 in connection with narcissus cultivation ; its ammoniacal con- 

 stituents have an injurious effect upon the plants, and this is 

 the chief reason for recommending that they should follow 

 such a crop as potatoes, where the rankness of a heavy manur- 

 ing has already expended itself. Some may think sixty tons 

 of farmyard manure per acre an unnecessarily large amount, 

 but unless the ground is in good condition this is no excessive 

 quantity. Good bulbs, like most other crops, cannot be grown 

 on poor land. If it becomes necessary to plant on land which 

 has not recently been well manured, bone-meal is probably 

 the best artificial manure to use at time of planting. This 

 should be applied at the rate of ten to fifteen cwt. per 

 acre, and can either be harrowed and raked in before plant- 

 ing commences, or worked in as planting proceeds. 



Time of Planting. — As a general rule, the shorter the 

 period the bulbs are out of the ground the better. In some 

 cases, such as the Poeticus section, new roots are formed 

 simultaneously with the drying of the old, and a decided 

 injury is done by keeping such varieties out of the ground 

 for a lengthened period. Nevertheless, narcissi, with few 

 exceptions, may be planted as late as Christmas, and still 

 give -fair results; but the best time for general planting is 

 during August and September, and all planting should cer- 

 tainly be finished during October. The ground should be 

 dry and friable at the time of planting, which should be done 

 at a depth of two to four inches — the larger bulbs at the 

 greater depth, and the smaller ones proportionately shallower. 



Methods of Planting. — Various methods of planting are 

 adopted, and the amount of space to be planted will influence 

 the method decided upon. Many large growers use a one- 

 horse plough, to which is fixed a special share that works 

 in the bottom of the furrow and makes the necessary im- 

 pression for the reception of the bulbs; and on large estab-. 

 lishments the work is expeditiously performed in this way. 

 From twenty-four to thirty planters are necessary to keep 

 the plough constantly at work, and an acre a day may be 

 planted. The cost would be : — Man and horse per day, Ss. ; 



3 M 2 



