
ODE TO THE DAFFODIL 
© Love-star of the unbeloved March, 
When cold and shrill, 
Forth flows beneath a low, dim-lighted arch 
The wind that beats sharp crag and barren hill 
And keeps unfilmed the lately torpid rill! 
—De Vere 
CULTURAL INSTRUCTIONS 
Daffodils are not difficult to grow, but like other flowers 
they appreciate the meeting of certain cultural conditions. 
Nearly any good well drained soil is suitable, and while there 
are somewhat divergent opinions among growers, it seems 
rather generally conceded that plenty of moisture during the 
growing season is more essential than feeding with fer 
tilizers. A soil deficient in plant food will quite obviously 
somewhat deplete the reserves stored in the bulb itself and 
it would be likely to produce blooms in subsequent years 
somewhat inferior to those produced the first year. 
The ground should be deeply worked before planting and 
when well pulverized, the bulbs may be planted so that they 
are covered with three or four inches of soil. If fertilizer 
is to be used, see that it is under the bulbs or off to the side 
and not in direct contact. It is perhaps best to use a formula 
rather high in potash, 
The soil should be well drained but plenty of moisture 
must be available preceding the blooming period if the finest 
blooms are to be produced. Proper cultivation is always 
beneficial but should consist in frequent shallow stirring of 
the soil and removal of weeds; deep digging near the plant 
tends to destroy the long feeder roots which often come 
quite near the surface. 
Daffodils should be dug and replanted every two or three 
years for best results. Digging may be done as soon as the 
foliage is mostly dead, usually in late June or early July, 
and the bulbs may be cleaned and divided about a month 
later for planting in September or October. While out of the 
ground, they should be kept in a cool, dry place. 
While Daffodils do not take kindly to forcing, they are 
good subjects for pot culture provided they are potted up 
early and given cool growing conditions. Fill pots with loam 
mixed with sand and peat moss or well decomposed leaves. 
The drainage hole should be covered with small stones, 
broken crockery or charcoal to insure perfect drainage. Pots 
may be buried in soil or veat moss outside and kept moist. 
This should be done in September, and after two or three 
months the first pots may be taken up and kept inside in 
a cool dark place for two or three weeks after which they 
may be given more light and slightly higher temperature. 
If kept warm, there is danger of getting no blooms from 
the buds on the flowers will not be of as high quality as 
if developed slowly. Even after opening they should be kept 
in as cool a room as possible and the blooms will last longer. 
It is essential that the potted bulbs be watched closely 
at all times and kept from drying out as much of the success 
in growing good Daffodil blooms hinges on their having 
plenty of moisture during their growing season. And it is 
quite as important that the drainage is good. Some va- 
rieties do not take kindiy to being grown in pots but on the 
other hand, it is doubtful if some kinds ever reach the 
perfection in the open garden that they attain when grown 
in pots and opened indoors in a cool room. Some of the 
white Daffodils are particularly entrancing when grown thus. 
CUT FLOWERS 
As eut flowers, Daffodils are especially desirable. It 
should be remembered that they are cool weather flowers 
and if they are cut and taken into a warm room, they can- 
not be expected to last more than a few days. In a cool 
location they sometimes hold up for two weeks. When the 
weather is favorable, they not infrequently last for three or 
four weeks on the plant. They lend themselves admirabl) 
to various types of arrangements in vases or bowls. 
OO 
