Daffodils 



bulb and I often wish Mr. Pope had never set the big 

 price ball a-rolling by paying down ^100 for those three 

 bulbs of Will Scarlett. 



I was one day asked what I thought the most beautiful 

 novelty of the Daffodil shows of the year, and with happy 

 unconsciousness replied without hesitation, " Lavender, 

 which I saw at Birmingham." " How nice of you," came the 

 reply ; " it is one of my raising, and as you like it you shall 

 have a bulb," and in his characteristically generous way 

 my host led me to a newly-planted line and extracted the 

 treasure just beginning to root, and each succeeding Spring 

 I have revelled in the delicate colouring of that cup. The 

 poor dear's perianth is not a thing to boast of, buckling and 

 curling unless treated in some cunning way unknown to 

 a simple soul who, like me, is not up to the tricks of the 

 showing profession, but the cup would save it even if 

 the perianth were made of spiders' legs. It is more like 

 some enamelled jewel than a flower. The central hollow 

 is of a soft emerald green of solid opaque enamel, then 

 the flattish cup glistens all over and shows radiating lines 

 of brightness and has an almost indescribable touch of pink 

 in it. (In painting it I found a wash of Rose madder 

 needful tmt difficult to subdue.) I think it suggests a 

 transparent white enamel laid over engraved copper, or 

 gold heavily alloyed with copper. Then the rim of the 

 cup is stained with soft orange, of almost a salmon shade, 

 and exquisite in combination with the green of the eye. 

 This lovely beauty must never be stared at by the sun, but 

 should be gathered directly the bud bursts and brought 

 into the house to open, and I am rather glad to feel that some 

 flowers are best gathered, and enjoy a vase of Lavender 

 131 



