BARR & SONS, 12 & 13 King Street, Covent Garden, London, 
‘ But space fails us to name even the best of this splendid company. Year follows year and its 
numbers grow. But lately have been joined to it the large yet exquisitely delicate “ Madame dk Graaff,” 
a very duchess in ivory satin tricked with pale gold ; the brilliant yellow Gloria Mundj, its splendid 
chalice stained through to orange ; and then, latest comer of all these, and to an initiate perhaps the most 
precious, the “ Apricot,” its long straight trumpet just the delicious hue of the fruit that names it— the 
crown this, assuredly, of how many years’ patient labour and thought, the strain of red brought at last to 
mingle with the natural yellow, and lo ! a new colour springs to birth in this exhaustlessly delightful 
Daffodil land. 
‘ Delightful indeed, for all its wealth of grace, and colour, and form, and subtle fragrance : delightful, 
too, these Daffodils for their timely appearance on the earth, and finally, let us say, for their hardihood.' 
1 hey ask from us no fanciful nurture amid strange heats and curious soils; they will flourish and 
blossom bravely under our northern, and too often reluctant, springs ; nor in the open country only, but 
here even in our town dwellings, they will consent to unfold their charms for us not grudgingly.” 
CULTURE AND ADAPTATION OF THE DAFFODIL OUTDOORS. 
SOIL.— The Daffodil will thrive in any ordinary garden soil, but prefers a deep, rather moist loam. 
W hen the soil is of a dry sandy nature, it should be deeply dug, rotten stable manure should be added, 
and a potato or other crop be taken off before planting. II this is not convenient, then place the 
manure at least 12 inches deep, so as to be out of the reach of the bulbs ; the manure is used not as a 
stimulant but as a sponge to hold moisture in the soil. The ammoniacal properties of manure arc poison 
to the Daffodil, hence great care is necessary in the use of it. 
Freshly dug Soil should be allowed to stand vacant two to three weeks before planting, to allow 
the ground to settle down, otherwise the freshly planted bulbs are often drawn under considerably below 
their proper depth, and the bloom in consequence is weakened and retarded. 
Bust and Safest Manure to use is Crushed Bones or Basic Slag (for price see page 24). This 
should be applied at planting time, and may be mixed with the soil and placed next the bulbs ; the 
Crushed Bones may be applied at the rate of 4 cwt. to the acre, or 1' oz. to the square yard, and Basic Slag 
may be applied in same manner at the rate of 1 ton to the acre, or 7.V oz. to the square yard. IVe 
recommend the Basic S/ag in preference lo the Crushed Bones, it being more reliable, and a good manure for 
all lands ; on very poor and dry sandy soils we recommend in addition Sulphate of Potash (for price 
seepage 24), to be sprinkled annually in the autumn over the surface of the ground, or after planting, at 
the late of 2 cwt. to the acre, cr about j oz. to the square yard. The potash not only increases the depth 
of colour in the flowers, but also helps to hold the moisture in the soil, a condition so essential to the 
perfect development of the Daffodil. 
In Fari.y Spring, as soon as the Daffodils begin to show above ground, the surface soil should be 
well broken with a hoe, to sweeten it after the heavy winter rains. 
PLANTING AND LIFTING. — The best time to plant to obtain the finest flowers is August and 
September, although bulbs may be planted as late as Christmas "with very satisfactory results. They may 
be left undisturbed for three years in ordinary good loamy soils, but on poor and light soils they arc better 
lifted every two years, as scon as the foliage has died down, and replanted as early as is convenient. 
Never plant when the ground is wet and sticky, wait until it is dry or friable. Do not put silver sand 
around the bulbs of Narcissi except in the case of N. corbularia. 
Depi h 10 l’LANr. — The average depth to plant is from 2 to 3 inches, that is to say, a covering of two 
to thice inches of soil, but not more. As the bulbs vary considerably in size, according to the relative 
vaiietics, the best rule to go by is the bulb itself, which should be covered with soil once and a liatf its own 
depth, measuring the bulb from the collar of its neck to its actual base. 
Position and Grouping for best Effect.— All Daffodils prefer partial shade, although most of 
them will grow equally well in the open. I he varieties which are best grown in partial shade are 
indicated in the following pages by an In grouping in the flower border to obtain the best effect, they 
should be massed together in as large and as irregularly shaped groups as possible, avoiding straight lines 
or circular and symmetrical clumps. Masses of Daffodils should always appear in the Hardy Flower border, 
where irregular and effective sweeps can be planted between the clumps of herbaceous plants which in 
their turn grow up and hide as well as shelter the Daffodil foliage while it is going to rest. In grouping, 
the season of flowering should be borne in mind, as the varieties bloom in succession from the end of 
February to the er.d of May, during which period a constant succession of flower is obtainable by a 
judicious arrangement. In the following pages we denote the rotation of blooming. (Y e page 9.) 
Varif.ti.es specially Suitable for Naturalising in Grass, Woodlands, &c. These are all free 
seeders, and will therefore spread naturally ; they arc mostly natural hybrids Ab cissus, Achilles, Countess of 
