THE LARKSPUR 229 



STAMPING PERSONALITY ON A FLOWER 



An illustration of the way in which the per- 

 sonality of the experimenter finds expression in 

 the plants that he cultivates was furnished me 

 a number of years ago by Mr. Peter Barr, a 

 well-known horticulturist who specialized with 

 the narcissus and daffodils. 



On visiting my place a number of years ago, 

 he related an experience that may be taken as 

 typical, yet which the amateur who has not 

 experimented extensively might regard as rather 

 extraordinary. The story has been told in an 

 earlier volume, but it may be briefly repeated 

 here. 



Mr. Barr stated that among the thousands of 

 seedlings, the whole stock of which he purchased 

 of two specialists in England, he could always 

 tell at once, on seeing the blooms, which of the 

 two specialists had developed any individual 

 plant, even though the varieties had been mixed. 



One of the breeders produced very large, 

 coarse flowers, gigantic and broad, and lacking 

 in delicacy of contour. The other produced 

 seedlings of graceful and exquisite form. 



And these contrasting characteristics of the 

 different daffodils, Mr. Barr assured me, typified 

 the personalities of the two breeders by whom 



