Saffotifls begfn to peer. 91 



until May, the climate hesitates between winter 

 and spring, and this is what daffodils seem to 

 like. Nevertheless, even there some of the large 

 trumpets go off with a kind of blight in masses 

 after bad seasons. The flowering of the follow- 

 ing year so depends upon the full development 

 of the leaves that, if the weather suddenly be- 

 comes blazing and burns up the foliage, degen- 

 eracy is sure to result. 



To the labors of the late Edward Leeds and 

 William Backhouse we are indebted for many 

 of the finest hybrid forms. Leeds was the prince 

 of hybridizers, and was followed by Backhouse, 

 who raised empress and emperor. Many of the 

 hybrid incomparabilis, however, are so similar 

 in form and coloring as to be perplexing and to 

 uselessly extend the list of varieties. Of all these 

 hybrids the Nelsoni are the finest and most dis- 

 tinct, with broad, snow-white perianths, and yel- 

 low cups usually suffused with orange on first 

 opening. I was about to pass by the Barri va- 

 rieties. But I find B. conspicuus, which has 

 just opened, is almost another bicolor poeticus, 

 also somewhat resembling one of the finest 

 Leedsi forms, aureo tinctus. 



Since writing the above, I find the reverse 

 opinion maintained by Mr. Burbidge, one of the 

 best authorities on Narcissi. " As a grower of 



