8 
Carl Purdy, Ukiah, California 
SIR W ATKINS daffodils (see page 10) 
Culture of Daffodils 
My observation is that, 
in California, Daffodils will 
grow in any soil from sand to 
the stickiest adobe. The soil 
which best suits them is a 
rich loam with abundant 
moisture during the winter 
and which gets dry 
in the summer. 
Dig the ground 
up deeply and thor- 
oughly and then let 
it settle a few weeks 
before planting. Do 
not use fresh stable 
manure, al- 
though if ma- 
nure has been 
applied the 
year before it 
will do no in- 
jury. The best 
fertilizer available here 
fcr in California is crushed 
1/ bone, at the rate of one 
and one-half ounces to 
the square yard. With this 
sulphate of potash can be 
used at the rate of three- 
fourths ounce per square 
yard. Daffodils are especi- 
ally fond of lime, and a 
sprinkling of quicklime on 
the soil before it is dug is of 
advantage. 
Planting and Lifting. The 
best time to plant is with 
the first rains, although little 
difference will be noticed in 
planting up to November i ; 
but after that date the bu'bs 
lose by being out of the 
ground, and planting later 
than January i is apt to 
give poor results. The bulbs 
may be left undisturbed for 
years, but it is my observa- 
tion that it is better to lift 
them and reset every second 
year, and, with the exception 
of the various forms of 
Poeticus, there is some gain 
in lifting every year and 
replanting at once. The 
bulbs produce offsets, and, 
having to share the space 
with their offspring, become 
too crowded in three years to 
do well. By all means plant 
the Poeticus varieties with lib- 
eral space, and do not move 
until crowding makes it ne- 
cessary. They are far finer 
when undisturbed. 
