IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME X 



No. lis 



Editor— C- F. Ball 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



SEPTEMBER 

 t9'5 





Daffodil Notes. 



By G. L. Wilson, Co. Antrim. 



By the time that these notes are in print the 

 planting of Daffodils will be in full swing, and 

 in the best interests of the bulbs ought not to be 

 delayed on any account. Those of us who are 

 tlevotees of the flower know that September 30th 

 is the ver}' latest date that any self-respecting 

 Daffodil bulb should be out of bed, indeed we 

 feel miich happier if we can manage to get our 

 children safely tucked away before August 3()th. 

 There is no doubt whatever that Daffodil bulbs, 

 unlike some others, deteriorate considerably if 

 kept out of the ground later than September. 

 If, therefore, you have not already planted 

 your Daffodils you should make arrangements 

 for doing so as soon as ever you can, and now 

 that you are thinking of your Daffodils why not 

 add a few new ones to your collection ? You 

 have an unparalleled opportunity of doing so 

 this season, for, as the catalogue of a very 

 eminent firm which is before me as I write puts 

 it, " the whole trade realises that in order to 

 dispose of bulbs freely, the prices must this year 

 be low," so look out for bargains, and at the 

 same time help to support a very useful and 

 healthy industry. 



Having decided to have a few new Daffodils, 

 the next question is what to buy. The varieties 

 of modern Daffodils are practically innumerable, 

 and, therefore, somewhat bewildering to most 

 people, and it is sometimes the case that a variety 

 that " takes one's eye " at a show may not be a 

 satisfactory grower or a good garden plant. I 

 should therefore mention some which, from my 

 own experience, I have found to be possessed 

 of outstanding merits. 



Taking Trumpets to begin with, need 1 

 mention Madame de Graaff ? Surely everyone 

 who grows any Daffodils knows her, and grows 

 lier. No nu)rc lovely Daffodil exists, the flower 

 is exquisite in form, and dainty and refined in 

 colouring ; it is classed as a white Trumpet, the 

 perianth being quite white, and the trumpet 

 only very faintly tinted with cool primrose, 

 which becomes iJractically white as the flower 



ages. You may have tried and failed to grow 

 some of the old white Trumpets such as Cernuus 

 and Mrs. Thompson, as they are extremely 

 difficult to keep in health except in some spots 

 where soil and situation are particularly suited 

 to them, but you need not fear to try Madame, 

 as she thrives as easily as Emperor ; moreover, 

 she makes an exquisite pot plant if grown 

 slowly, coming much whiter indoors, and you 

 can buy her this year for about 3s. per dozen. 



Weardale Perfection is now fairly well known. 

 It is a massive flower of noble proportions ; in 

 colour it is what is known as a "' pale bicolor," 

 the perianth is ivory white and the trumpet soft 

 ])ale primrose. When first open the whole 

 flower is very faintly suffused with a most 

 distinct warm buff tone throughout. It is 

 well worth growing a small stock from which 

 one can lift three or four good bulbs for a pot 

 each year, for if grown slowly in a cool green- 

 house and brought into flower about the end 

 of March, Weardale is a really magnificent 

 thing, and grown thus generally quite excels 

 its outdoor performance. The price is now 

 about 20s. per dozen. 



Although King Alfred is not always easy to 

 grow, I should strongly advise everyone who 

 cares for Daffodils at any rate to try him, for 

 not only i« he head and shoulder above all other 

 yellow Trum])ets in stature, but also in beauty. 

 He is indeed a peerless flower of truly regal 

 splendour, growing two feet high ; he carries on 

 a superb stem a noble and perfectly proportioned 

 flower of marvellously pure and sparkling gold, 

 having an ample and gracefully set perianth and 

 magnificently serrated crown ; the bloom also 

 has exceptional substance and most beautiful 

 texture, so that it lasts an extraordinarily long 

 time either cut or on the plant. Indeed, I have 

 not yet seen anything even among the finest and 

 newest Trumpets that really excels King Alfred 

 for sheer beauty. Having been bred from 

 nuiximus, his constitution is somewhat uncertain, 

 and there are places in the .Midlands and north 

 of England where he cannot live, but I fancy 

 he could be i)ersuaded to grow quite well any- 

 where in Ireland. I say that because 1 have 

 succeeded in getting him to settle down quite 

 hap])ily with me, and my garden is in the 



