August 1, 1389. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
81 
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BORDER NARCISSI. 
LIFTING AND REPLANTING. ( 
A LL strong-groiving Narcissi that increase quickly soon suffer from 
mismanagement, and no variety sooner than the double form 
of Poeticus. Complaints of the flowers of this variety withering in 
•the sheath and other varieties failing to open are frequent every 
season. The cause is mainly, if not wholly, due to the crowded 
•state of the bulbs and poverty of the surrounding soil. It is a 
mistake, and a very common one, to suppose that when Narcissi 
are once planted they need neither care nor attention afterwards. 
Tt is true that for a few years after planting they will do well and 
give satisfaction when left to their own resources ; but directly 
'the bulbs commence crowding each other they cannot attain a 
natural size, the growth annually becomes weaker, and the flowers 
•and bulbs smaller until the latter fail to bloom or only produce a 
■solitary flower or two of inferior size. To grow Narcissi well 
■they must be lifted and replanted periodically. 
If careful note is taken of a patch of bulbs crowded thickly 
together, and also of one in which the bulbs have been planted 
•singly and have made robust growth, the foliage of the former will 
be found to have died away two or three weeks earlier than that of 
the latter ; in fact, they are ready for lifting three weeks earlier. 
No particular variety need be singled out for illustration. The 
•same conditions will be observed whether the kind is Poeticus, its 
•double form ; Horsefieldi, Sir Watkin, or the common double 
yellow Daffodil. The foliage as well as the flowers of crowded 
plants are puny in comparison with plants that stand singly or 
•nearly so and have room to develope. Those who have Poeticus 
and its double form only in a crowded state would scarcely recog¬ 
nise them when well grown singly. The comparison is so striking 
■that they have the appearance of being giant forms. To do Nar¬ 
cissi really well they should not be left undisturbed more than 
three or four years at the most; but this depends upon the variety 
and the size of the bulbs when they are planted. I am assuming 
that the bulbs when first planted are strong flowering ones, which 
•commence to increase at once. If small bulbs only are planted two 
years may elapse before they attain full size and increase com¬ 
mences. 
Bulbs that are left for many years in the same position and 
become seriously crowded are very liable to be attacked by the 
mite, often so seriously that they do very little good after they are 
planted singly. Bulbs that are lifted from time to time as they 
need it, and replanted in fresh ground, are kept healthy and 
vigorous, and therefore capable of resisting attack. I may be 
wrong, but lam strongly of opinion that the bulbs must be seriously 
checked, and their health and constitution impaired, either through 
poverty, overcrowding, or any other cause before the mite will 
•attack them. If strong bulbs are planted to commence with they 
■should be left undisturbed until the new bulbs they produce attain 
their full flowering size, when division should again commence. If 
left any longer they become crowded. This is all that is needed 
tor home decoration, but when the bulbs are grown for the market 
slightly different treatment must be followed. If the four or five, 
as the case may be, that spring from the original bulb are left 
until full size has been attained they will be flat on one side. 
To obviate this they should be lifted one year earlier, and planted 
inglv: the bulbs have then every chance of developing in all 
<lirections, and being symmetrical when lifted. 
No. 475 .—Vol. XIX., Thikd Sebies. 
All the early flowering varieties should be lifted at once, and 
even late flowering varieties of the Poeticus section, if they are in 
a crowded state. Those that have been grown singly are not quite 
ready in the northern parts of the country. The recent heavy 
rains, after the long spell of dry weather, will soon start roots 
again into activity. Narcissi do not remain in the ground long in a 
practically dormant state after the foliage has thoroughly died 
away. After the roots have started lifting cannot be done without 
injury to some extent, however quickly or carefully they may be 
returned to the ground. It is a very great error in management to 
leave them in the ground until fresh roots have commenced form¬ 
ing. "When lifted they should be spread out in the sun to dry, 
and if thoroughly at rest they will be ready for sorting and clean¬ 
ing at the end of a week or ten days. Some strongly object to 
drying these bulbs, and I was told the other day by one person that 
he would not purchase bulbs of N. Horsefieldi unless they were in 
a growing condition—that is, had started after resting into fresh 
growth. This is an erroneous idea. Drying the bulbs does not 
injure them in the least, or those that are kept out of the ground 
from July to October would be injured past recovery. I believe 
that the bulbs of Narcissi will bear being kept out of the ground 
for a greater length of time than the majority of bulbous plants 
without serious injury. I do not, however, advocate keeping them 
out of the ground longer than is really necessary, because it is un¬ 
natural. If Nature intended that they should enjoy a lengthened 
period of rest, root activity would not commence when left in the 
ground so quickly after the old foliage withers. When the bulbs 
are needed for garden decoration and the flowers for cutting, 
cleaning and drying the bulbs need not be practised. We have 
lifted and returned them direct to the ground with the very best 
results ; in fact, we have observed no difference between this 
method and that of drying them for a short time. 
Whatever object the cultivator may have in view the bulbs 
should be sorted into at least three sizes—that is, freely developed 
bulbs, those that require another year’s growth, and the small 
ones. Planting the first two sizes may vary according to circum¬ 
stances ; they may be planted singly in beds and borders, or four or 
five grouped together, the bulbs being a few inches apart. But the 
small ones should be planted in beds and treated as if they were 
being grown for sale. Fcr this purpose the first size would be 
disposed of, the second planted and lifted next July, and so on. 
The ground selected should be such that has been well cultivated, 
deeply dug, and heavily manured for a previous crop. Narcissi do 
splendidly on ground that has grown good Lettuces, early Potatoes, 
and such crops. If the ground is poor it must be well enriched 
with manure, but by no means place it in direct contact with the 
bulbs. A little may be scattered along each row as planting 
proceeds, or it may be spread on the surface and dug in. I prefer 
to give a little only at planting time on light soil, scattering in 
addition what amounts to a good manuring on the surface early in 
the year, to be washed down to the roots in a natural manner. If 
the ground has been previously well manured, and the bulbs are 
only to be grown on it for one year, no manure need be given. The 
bulbs should be planted in rows 1 foot apart, 3 inches asunder in 
the row, and about 2 inches below the surface. This allows of the 
ground being kept free from weeds by a free use of the hoe during 
the growing season. All small growing Narcissus may be planted 
less than half that distance apart, but nothing is gained by crowding 
the rows closely together, so that weeding is rendered difficult. 
The small bulbs are ready for lifting again when they attain full 
size, which may be two, three, or four years, according to their size 
at planting time and the variety. 
Such fine varieties as Sir Watkin, Emperor, Empress, Horse¬ 
fieldi, and others are amongst the most beautiful bulbous plants 
that can be grown for conservatory decoration in spring. No doubt 
in the near future they will be utilised for this purpose much more 
largely than in the past. The flowers are charming in beds and 
No. 2131 .—Vol. LXXXI., Old Sebies 
