THE NARCISSUS. 
221 
growing for the sake of stock and growing 
for bloom. Those "who grow for stock should 
take up the bulbs every season, and remove 
the offsets, to be planted out till they come to 
maturity ; even these are taken up every 
year, and kept out of ground some time to 
rest, and then planted again at the proper 
season, sufficiently far apart to enable them to 
swell and become good round bulbs. On the 
other hand, those who wish merely for quan- 
tity of bloom let them remain in their borders 
or beds three years. There is then quite as 
much increase, but the roots, from being close 
together and not having room to swell, be- 
come unsightly, and would not in a general 
way do for market ; for the greater portion 
of those imported or brought to market in 
spring are for blooming in glasses, which ex- 
pose the entire bulb ; and if not handsome, 
for this purpose they would be unsaleable. 
The varieties which bloom with handsome 
trusses of many flowers are commonly called 
polyanthus narcissus ; but there are many 
that flower with a single bloom, others with 
two or three. The colours simply vary from 
yellow to white, some being yellow with a 
deeper coloured cup, almost orange coloui% 
others are white with yellow cups ; some are 
double, others single ; some pure white — 
indeed, one is called the paper white, and 
exceedingly pretty it is. Upon the whole, 
the numerous varieties of the narcissus form 
a beautiful group, and will bloom in any way 
that the ordinary spring bulbs will flower. 
For this reason we have placed it among them 
in the following paper on the many ways of 
flowering the spring bulbs, such as hyacinths, 
crocuses, tulips, and others, which will do 
well under the same treatment. 
PROPERTIES OF THE NARCISSUS. 
The great variety of this beautiful spring 
flower would almost seem to defy us to lay 
down general rules, yet there is no more diffi- 
culty in imagining what would be the most 
beautiful than there is in any other of the 
numerous families for which we have already 
provided models of perfection. 
It is very true that some narcissus have 
only a single flower, others a large bunch — 
some are white, others yellow — some have 
narrow petals, others broad — but all are 
pointed. The only varieties, however, calcu- 
lated for florists or show flowers, are those 
which have bunches or heads of flowers, and 
a few necessary qualities would render them 
beautiful objects. 
First. — The flowers should be circular and 
large. 
Second. — They should expand flat, and 
the cup which is in the centre should stand 
out well. 
Third. — The petals should be thick, smooth, 
firm, free from notch or roughness on the 
edges, and have no points. 
