IRISH GARDENING 



13 



po.se, combined with their cool and refined 

 colours, place them in the front rank for decora- 

 tive purposes. The perianths are always white, 

 and the large bold cups, which are often beauti- 

 fully tilled, may be almost wliite or varying 

 dehghtful tones of cool lemon or soft cream, 

 with an occasional warm buff tinge ; a great 

 many of them become entirely white after 

 being out and kept indoors a few days. They 

 are very strong growers and good increasers, 

 and many of the best varieties have flowers as 

 large as Sir Watkin. Unfortunately, being of 

 comparatively recent introduction, the stocks 

 are not yet very large, consequently they are 

 still rather expensive. However, White Queen, 

 which was about the first to appear at £25 per 

 bulb, by the way, can now be had for Is. 9d. 

 each, but its stem is rather short. Messrs. Barr 

 & Sons, of Co vent Garden, offer an excellent 

 variety called Mermaid, which they say is a tall 

 plant, and a great imiarovement on White 

 Queen, and, as far as I can remember, is 

 moderate in price. I have not myself grown 

 either of these varieties. Many of the best 

 Giant Leedsiis have been raised and introduced 

 by Messrs. J. R. Pearson & Sons, of the 

 Nurseries, Lowdham, near Nottingham, whose 

 beautiful catalogue will well repay looking into. 

 They make a very cheap offer of unnamed 

 selected Giant Leedsii seedlings. I have grown 

 some of these, and can only say with regard to 

 them that for comparatively a small outlay 

 I got hold of some charming plants of this 

 beautiful race of hybrids. 



The number of Poeticus varieties is now quite 

 bewildering, and a crop of new ones appears 

 annually ; their differences are so slight that 

 they can only be appreciated by those who 

 make Daffodils a special study. Of course they 

 are all great advances on the old Ornatus and 

 Poetarum, so it is well to have at any rate one of 

 these modern ones, and I should certainly say 

 let that one be Horace, wliich is a really great 

 flower in all respects. It is a faultlessly made 

 bloom of fine size, with brilliant sparkling snow- 

 white perianth com])osed of even and over- 

 lapping segments, and an eye of most beautiful 

 rich red throughout. To get that lovely eye in 

 perfection you must cut it when just opening, 

 otherwise the sun speedily burns it ; the same 

 advice ap])lies to all '" poet " and varieties with 

 red in the cup. It has a splendid stem 22 inches 

 tall, and grows \\ith the utmost vigour and 

 rapid increase. Some full-sized bulbs I planted 

 had become clumps the second year, bearing as 

 many as ten to thirteen flowers. 



Of doubles, Argent is a charming loosely- 

 l)uilt flower of much value for decorative 

 l)urposcs. while its stem is strong enough to kee]) 

 it upright when other doubles have gone down 



before wind and rain. Prinn-ose Phoenix I 

 think the most beautiful of the double Incom- 

 parabilis varieties, with its deUghtfully soft, 

 rich primrose self-colour. It comes most 

 amazingly fine indoors if grown very slowly and 

 not forced, its immense heads rivalling the 

 finest double Begonias ; of course they need 

 careful supjDorting. 



The foregoing are all comparatively moderate - 

 priced varieties, most of which ought to be in 

 everyone's garden ; and now for the benefit of 

 enthusiasts and exhibitors I should like to add 

 a short list of some still newer and more expen- 

 sive ones, which are of superlative merit, and 

 will take a prominent place among the standard 

 varieties of the future. Among the newest 

 Trumpets, Vestal Virgin is a flower and plant of 

 quite outstanding excellence ; it is quite the 

 best of the very pale bicolors, and is a large and 

 perfectly proportioned flower, the pure white 

 segments being very broad and of flne substance, 

 remaining even and flat till the flower is dead, 

 while the trumpet is somewhat of the Madame 

 de Graaff tyj^e, more or less rolled at the brim, 

 and in colour only very slightly deeper than 

 Madame de Graaff. The plant grows nearly as 

 tall and quite as strong as Emperor, and when 

 cut young and developed indoors the flowers are 

 practically quite white. When this variety 

 becomes plentiful it will be immensely popular, 

 and will take the place of Madame de Graaff, 

 upon which it is a great advance. Considering 

 its merits it is really exceptionally good value 

 at the comparatively low figure for novelties 

 of 42s. each. Messrs. J. R. Pearson & Sons of 

 Nottingham hold the stock. 



Herod is a new bicolor Trumpet which appeals 

 strongly to me ; it is best described as a much 

 glorified Empress, having the majestic carriage 

 of that grand old variety. It is a flower of 

 great substance, having broad-pointed, creamy 

 white segments standing flat and at right angles 

 to the boldly-flanged bright golden trumpet ; 

 it is a late bloomer. Price, about 10s. each, 

 from Messrs. Barr & Sons. A magnificent late 

 yellow Trumpet is Cleopatra, essentially a 

 show flower with most im])osing perianth of 

 great size and wonderfully overlapping ; about 

 12s. 6d. each, to be had from most dealers. 



Buttercup is a very beautiful and most 

 distinct h3brid between Emperor and Gdorus 

 Rugulosus ; it has much of the character of the 

 latter, with its pure deej) golden colour and rich 

 perfume, but in size it nearly equals Kmperor ; 

 perhaps 1 might best describe it as a much 

 glorified and giant Jonquil ! It is a fine tall 

 ])lant, exceedingly strong, and increases ver^' 

 fast. This, beyond all doubt, is one of the 

 varieties of the future, and a bulb at 85s. should 

 be a good investment. It can be had from Mr. 



