A good
Narcissus should have the six petals well formed, regularly and evenly
disposed, with a cup of good form, the colors distinct and clear, raised
on strong erect stems, and flowering together.
The _Polyanthes Narcissus_, N. tazetta, _Narjus, hur'huft nusreen_, is
of two classes, white and sulphur colored, but these have sported into
almost endless varieties, especially amongst the Dutch, with whom this
and most other bulbs are great favorites. It flowers in February and
March.
The _Poet's Narcissus_, N. poeticus, _Moozhan, zureenkuda_ is the
favorite, alike for its fragrance and its delicate and graceful
appearance, the petals being white and the cup a deep yellow: it flowers
from the beginning of January to the end of March and thrives well. The
first within the recollection of the author, in Bengal, was at Patna,
nearly twelve years since, in possession of a lady there under whose
care it blossomed freely in the shade, in the month of February.
The _Daffodil_, N. pseudo-narcissus, _Khumsee buroonk_, is of pale
yellow, and some of the double varieties are very handsome.
_Propagation_ is by offsets, pulled off after the bulbs are taken out of
the ground, and sufficiently hardened.
_Soil, &c._--The best is a fresh, light loam with some well rotted cow
dung for the root fibres to strike into, and the bottom of the pot to
the height of one-third filled with pebbles or broken brick.
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