Narcissus and Daffodil

394 C. Remy
Figure 17.2 Flower collecting implements: the comb (right) and the cart (left).
used for small isolated patches of flowers or on sloping terrain where agility is
needed. The principle of the cutting teeth is the same on both tools. The cart
allows the cutting of three-four times as many flowers as the comb.
As stated above, narcissus grow in meadows, which can apparently lead to conflicts
of interest. Unlike most forests where tree moss is collected, and which are
public places, the meadows are privately owned. Meadows are always carefully
fenced, since they are used for livestock farming, and this systematic fencing,
added to the temperament of the Auvergne farmers, reinforces the fact of ownership.
Two situations are possible:
• Where the owner has authorised access to his field for picking (possibly sharing
the profit with the picker).
• Where access has been prohibited since the owner plans to crop it himself,
because he believes that, in view of his decision not to exploit the field, there is
no reason for somebody else to earn money from it.
This reasoning perhaps appears to have an odd logic, but it is still frequently
encountered. If it is only a small part of a field that is covered with flowers, it is
very tempting to leave it to waste! These conflicts can sometimes lead to violence,
and, each year, some settling of scores are ended by lead shot. Sometimes there is
even clandestine picking, at night. Thus, a landowner who one evening sees before
his very eyes a field of white flowers, can find a green field the next morning!
As one can imagine, one of the problems posed by the gathering of narcissus is
the fragility of the flower. More so than in the case of tree moss, which is not
perishable, narcissus gathering demands a network of strict organisation because