10 
CARL PURDY, UKIAH, CALIFORNIA 
Daffodils 
You couldn't possibly plant too many of these splendid spring-flowering bulbs. 
They are perfectly hardy, are as easily grown as onions or turnips, need hardly any 
watering, no care after they have flowered, and are not troubled by rats or gophers. 
They give a liberal bloom when flowers are most prized, in early spring, and for cut- 
flowers are unexcelled. Plant a few dozen, if you can do no more; hundreds if you can, 
and, if your purse will allow you, plant beds of thousands. Rest assured that you can 
buy no spring-blooming bulbs which will give greater satisfaction. I grow many Daf- 
fodils, and my customers say that they cannot get better ones elsewhere. My entire 
assortment was selected with the aid of the first Daffodil-growers of the world, and 
even then I have dropped many varieties that I have tested. 
y of Leyden Daffodil (see page 12) 
Culture of Daffodils 
In California, Daffodils will grow in any soil. The soil 
which best suits them is a rich loam with abundant mois- 
ture during the winter and which gets dry in the summer. 
Dig the ground up deeply and thoroughly, and then let it- 
settle a few weeks before planting. Do not use fresh stable- 
manure. The best fertilizer available here in California 
is crushed bone (commonly called "bone meal"), at the 
rate of one and one-half ounces 
to the square yard. With this, sul- 
phate of potash can be used at 
the rate of three-fourths ounce 
per square yard. Daffodils are 
especially fond of lime, and a 
sprinkling of quicklime on the 
soil before it is dug is of ad- 
vantage. 
Planting and Lifting. The 
best time to plant is with the 
first rains, although little dif- 
ference will be noticed in plant- 
ing up to iNovember I. After 
that date the bulbs lose by being 
kept out of the ground. The 
bulbs may be left undisturbed 
for years, but 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 off- 
sets, and become too crowded in 
three years to do well. Plant the 
Poeticus varieties with liberal 
space, and do not move until 
crowding makes it necessary. 
Depth to Plant. The average 
depth to plant is from 2 to 3 
inches. Better less than more. 
A safe rule is to cover one and 
a half times their height. 
Shade. All Daffodils prefer 
light shade. In California we 
should select a cool situation if 
the soil is light, and much finer 
and longer stems will be had 
when they arc shaded from one- 
fourth to one-half the day. This 
does not mean that the bulbs will 
