STE GEORGE BIRDWOOD AND " PRIMROSE DAT " S9 



brought togethei' in a volume entitled Sva (Myself), published by the 

 Oxford University Press in 1905. 



On his return to England, Birdwood took up work at the India 

 Office, where he remained from 1871 until his retirement in 1902. 

 Shortly after this he went to live at Ealing, where he added gardening 

 to his other interests. Plant-associations had always a keen attrac- 

 tion for him : he was greatly interested in plant-names, which his 

 knowledge of languages enabled him to study in various tongues ; his 

 acquaintance with these in the Indian languages bore fruit in the 

 ap])endix on the Aryan floi-a and fauna which he contributed to Max 

 Miiller's Bioc/rajyhy of Words and which is included in the volume 

 of essays already mentioned. I had some correspondence with him 

 aljout our English names, in the course of which he wrote — " Your 

 invaluable Dictionari/ of English Flant Names is one of the works, 

 amounting to over 500 vols., 1 have always kept within arm's reach of 

 my l)ed .... I think I know your Dictionary pretty well by heart." 

 At the time of the Morninc/ Post article, the question of the 

 originator of "Primrose Day " was in discussion, and the intervicAV 

 contains a paragraph relating to this. As I was writing to Birdwood, 

 I asked him one or two questions in connection with the matter, to 

 v>'hich he replied with his accustomed fulness. The subject is not one 

 of botanical interest, but as time goes on the history of the celebration 

 will probably pass into folk-lore, and it may be worth while to put on 

 record this authentic information from its originator : — 



" When I wrote my first letter in The Times signed ' Far 

 from the madding crowd,' in saying ' We all know the authoritv 

 for the fact of Lord Beaconsfield''s fondness for Primroses,' ' of its 

 being his favourite ilower' I had in my mind the inscription on 

 Queen Victoria's card attached to the wreath of Primroses H.M. of 

 ever revered and beloved memory, sent to be placed on his grave at 

 Hughenden. Since then I have heard that by 'his ' in her Majesty's 

 inscription the reference was not to Lord B., but to the Prince 

 Consort. But only some months ago I was told hj a gentleman who 

 like you referred to me on the question that he had made searching 

 enquiiy elsewhere, and had come to the conclusion that it really was 

 Lord Beaconsfield who was meant : and my interviewer for the 

 Morniny Post— M.oy Thomas, the son, not the "father — also insisted on 

 this, scoiiting the doubt on the subject I felt bound to mention to him, 

 " My first letter in The Times was published just before the first 

 anniversary of his death [1881], and at the same time I advertised in 

 all the leading London papers that on the approaching anniversary all 

 the florists of the West End, London, would be prepared to ])rovide 

 Primrose boucjuets as button-holes to wear on that day. I tliink 1 

 phrased them ' Beaconsfield Button-holes.' The next year I again 

 advertised all round, and again wrote a letter in The Times, this one 

 signed ' Hortus Siccus.' I wrote no more, but think I advertised 

 a third year — for even from the first year absolute success was 

 achieved. It was in this second year's letter and advertisements that 

 for the first time 1 used the phrase ' Primrose Day.' Knowing that 

 all sorts of peojjle would claim a hand in the deed, I precautiouslv did 

 all the advertisements through Messrs. Henry S. King &. Co. of 

 Cornhill, bankers and India agents. 



