BARR & SONS, 11, 12 & 13 King^ Street, Covent Garden, London. 
3 
CULTURE AND ADAPTATION OF THE DAFFODIL OUTDOORS. 
Soil and its Treatment. — The Daffodil will thrive in any ordinary garden soil, but prefers 
a deep, rather moist loam. When the soil is of a dry and sandy nature, it should be deeply dug, if 
possible at least a season before [rlanting the bulbs, well-decayed stable manure being added, and a potato 
or other vegetable or annual crop grown on the ground. Before the bulbs are planted a sprinkling of 
quick-lime shoidd be spread on the surface and then dug in. If it is not convenient to first take off a crop 
of Vegetables or Annuals, then, in digging, give a dressing of lime to the top spit, and work in a little 
well-decayed stable manure one foot below the surface, 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 are injurious to the Daffodil, hence great care is necessary in the use of it. On good retentive 
loamy soils stable manure is not required, but a dressing of lime may prove beneficial. 
Freshly dug Soil should be allow'cd to stand vacant two to three weeks before planting, to allow 
the ground to settle down, otherwise the freshly planted bulbs are sometimes drawn under considerably 
below their proper depth, and the bloom in consequence is apt to be weakened and retarded the first season. 
Best and Safest Manure to use is Crushed Bones or Basic Slag {for price see page 38). This 
should be applied at planting time, and may be mixed with the soil or placed next the bulbs ; the 
Crushed Bones may be applied at the rale of 4 cwt. to the acre, or i.^ oz. to the square yard, and Basic 
Slag may be applied in same manner at the rate of I ton to the acre, or 7J- oz. to the square yard. We 
recommend for light soils Crushed Bones (provided they are genuine) in preference to Basic Slag. On very 
poor and DRY SANDY SOILS we recommend in addition Sulphate or Potash {for price seepage 38), to be 
sprinkled annually in the autumn over the surface of the ground, after planting, at the rate of 2 cwt. to the 
acre, or about f oz. to the square yard. The potash not only increases the depth of colour in the flowers, 
but also helps to hold moi.sture in the soil, a condition so essential to the perfect development of the 
Daffodil. We also recommend the use of Phytobroma in autumn and spring \see particzilars, page 38). 
In Early 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. Where practicable it is advisable to 
cover the ground in November with some light covering material (the idea is to prevent the autumn rains 
from beating down the crust of the ground, and to break the severity of a sudden frost). We use for this 
purpose pulled heather ; cut furze or gorse, however, answers the same purpose ; cut fern or bracken is 
bad, as it lies too wet ; old pea sticks laid across the ground are good, or on flower beds sprays or small 
branches of cut evergreens stuck into the ground answer the purpose and look decorative ; these, of 
course, need renewing when they get shabby. Do not mulch the beds with manure. 
Planting and Lifting. — The best time to plant, to obtain the finest flowers, is during 
September, although bulbs may be planted as late as Christmas with fairly satisfactory results. (We have 
planted some Daflodils as late as the second week in February, and had some very good blooms the third 
week in May.) We recommend, however, early planting. The bulbs may be left undisturbed for years in 
ordinary good loamy soils, but on poor and light soils they are better lifted every two years, as soon 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 and friable. Do not put silver sand around the bulbs of Narcissi except in 
the case of N. corbularia. 
Depth to Plant. — The average depth to plant is from 2 to 3 inches, that is to say, a covering 
of 2 to 3 inches of soil, but not more. As the bulbs vary considerably in size, according to the 
relative varieties, the best rule to go by is the bulb itself, which should be cemered with soil once and a half 
its own depth, measuring the bulb from the collar of its neck to its actual base. On light sandy soils the 
bulbs may be planted a trifle deeper than on heavy stiff soils, and in the North of England and in cold 
localities they should be put in a little deeper than in the warmer southern districts. 
Position a.nd Grouping for Effect. — All Daffodils prefer partial shade, although 
most of them will grow equally well in the open. The varieties which are best grown in partial shade 
are indicated in the following pages by an *. In the flower border, to obtain the best effect. Daffodils 
should be planted in large groups of irregular outline, each group or clump to contain one variety only ; 
avoid straight lines, circles, and symmetrical designs, 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 Daffodils the season of flowering should be borne in mind, as the varieties 
bloom in succession from the end of February to the end of May, during which period, by a judicious 
arrangement, a constant succession of flower is obtainable. On page 17 we denote the rotation of blooming. 
Naturalising Daffodils in Grass, Etc. — All Daffodils may be planted in grass 
with perfect success. To produce the best effect, the three groups should be kept separ.ate : thus the Star 
Narcissi should not be mixed with the Great Trumpets, nor Poet’s Narcissi with the Star Narcissi. In 
arranging, make the breaks large and bold, scattering the bulbs over the ground broadcast with the hand, 
and planting them where they fall. Avoid synrmetrical lines or formal circles as far as possible, as thc.se 
are never found in nature. In planting under trees, avoid places where the drip from the branches is 
greatest, also where the main roots of the trees come close to the surface. 
Varieties specially Suitable for Naturalising in Woodlands, Grasslands, Glades, Etc., 
Delighting in Partial Shade. — These are mostly free seeders, and will therefore spread naturally ; they 
are mostly wild plants — Abscissus, Countess of Annesley, Golden Spur, Henry Irving, Obvallaris, 
Spurius, Cabeceiras, English Lent Lily, Princeps, Scoticus, Albicans, Pallidus Prtecox, Moschatus of 
Haworth (very pretty in grass), Johnstoni Queen of Spain (in our opinion the most beautiful of all for 
this purpose), and all varieties of Poeticus. The Varieties underlined we do not recommend for the 
cultivated border, as they deteriorate the second year, while in woodlands, grass, or me.idowland they 
flourish. 
