, JuLX 18, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Narcissus Lccdsii Mrs. Laostry. 



ily to flower. It carries two and occa- 

 sionally more flowers to a stem, the 

 flowers rather closely resembling those 

 produced on the new N. poeticus hy- 

 brids, which are the results of intercross- 

 ing N. poeticus and the polyanthus nar- 

 cissi. The latter have proved hardy in 

 New England. They carry several flow- 

 ers to a stem, which are white with 

 golden yellow cups, usually edged with 

 orange. The odor is delicious. 



The true poet's daffodils are the most 

 widely grown and popular of the nar- 

 cissi, the old pheasant's eye still selling 

 "by the millions annually. Whether it 

 be for the garden borders in masses or 

 for naturalizing in woods or grass land, 

 this is still the most popular variety. 

 On the edge of streams or lakes it does 

 especially well and spreads with sur- 

 prising rapidity. Once planted in such 

 a location, it will take care of itself and 

 provide a floral feast which must be 

 seen to be appreciated. Even in quite 

 ■dry land it thrives well, of course pre- 

 ferring deeply dug and well manured 

 ^ound, as do all the narcissi. The va- 

 riety ornatus is a favorite for forcing 

 and should be grown in quantity out- 

 doors for cutting, flowering as it does 

 two or three weeks ahead of poeticus. 

 The variety grandiflorus has extra large 

 blooms. 



Some of the newer, and at present 

 high priced, hybrids show immense ad- 

 vances over the old type, Cassandra, 

 Marvel and The Bride being especially 

 fine. The old double gardenia-scented 

 narcissus, with snow-white flowers, needs 

 planting deeply in a cool, rather moist 

 soil, or the flower stalks will be mostly 

 blind. 



Culture and Future. 



With the possible exception of the 

 golden trumpet section, which usually 

 run out in a year or two, nearly all nar- 

 cissi improve under cultivation. For best 

 results they should be lifted and re- 

 planted every third or fourth year and 

 each fall given a coating of well de- 

 cayed manure. While all will succeed in 

 full sunshine, a little shade will help to 

 prolong the flowering season. 



Fine as are many of the varieties 

 now being grown, a few years will see 

 many of the beautiful hybrids raised by 

 British and other hybridists at popular 

 prices. When we can secure such mag- 



nificent golden trumpets as King Alfred 

 and Van Waveren's Giant, bicolor trum- 

 pets like Weardale Perfection and Cyg- 

 net, white trumpets such as Peter Barr 

 or Henri Vilmorin, and giant white 

 Leedsii of the caliber of Maggie May 

 and White Queen, we wiit note the mar- 

 velous advances being made in this beau- 

 tiful hardy bulb, which for forcing, bed- 

 ding, shrubbery massing and naturaliz- 

 ing has a boundless future before it. 



W. N. Cbaig. 



GLADIOLUS PRINCEPS. 



In the hEviEW^ of July 4, page 11, a 

 correspondent, after justly praising 

 Gladiolus America, which is a good grow- 

 er and has a fine spike of lavender-pink 

 flowers of an acceptable shade for flo- 

 rists ' miscellaneous work, says : * * Glad- 

 iolus Princeps I cannot recommend as a 

 florists' flower. While the blooms are 

 big and showy, they are poor keepers and 

 rarely over three are fresh on a spike 

 at a time." 



Your correspondent is evidently not fa- 

 miliar with the qualities of Princeps 

 when properly grown. It is distinctly 



not a poor keeper when cut, unless the 

 difficulty lies in the florist's keeping the 

 spikes in his possession when displayed 

 to customers. It will open to the last 

 bud and always makes a brilliant and ef- 

 fective show. The only fair criticism 

 that has ever been made of this variety 

 as a cut flower is that owing to the 

 great size of the buds and blooms it is 

 not so easy to pack for shipment as are 

 the little ones. 



As the originator of Princeps I have 

 witnessed its sale for the last ten years 

 among the coast resorts of New Jersey, 

 and find that it invariably outsells all 

 other kinds, often realizing double the 

 best prices of the choicest varieties. 

 When others cannot be moved at all 

 Princeps has always been, and now is, 

 in demand. The bold, triumphant scar- 

 let color and great size of the blooms 

 never fail to please buyers. There have 

 never been enough to meet the demand, 

 and it is likely to be a long time before 

 there will be as many as wanted. .As 

 to the small number of blooms open at 

 the same time, the universal impression 

 is that one or two Princeps flowers about 

 equal a spikeful of other kinds, and as 

 they come out in regular succession the 

 effect is long maintained. 



W. Van Fleet. 



GERMAN AND JAPANESE IRISES. 



We wish some one would tell us, 

 through the Review, the best, or a good 

 time to divide and reset German and 

 Japanese irises. E. Y. T. 



These irises may each be successfully 

 divided and replanted any time after 

 they have done blooming. The work is 

 usually done as late ais October with 

 fairly good results, but to give your 

 plants the best possible chance I would 

 prefer to plant some time during the 

 month of August, choosing, if possible, 

 a moist and cool spell for the operation. 

 In setting out the . German irises use 

 care and do not bury the rhizomes too 

 much or many shoots will rot off. Give 

 the Japanese irises the moister and 

 shadier location. The German varieties 

 succeed well in quite dry places if the 

 soil is deeply dug and well manured. 

 Good drainage is, of course, essential to 

 the successful culture of both classes. 



Narciuus Incomparabilis Sir Walkin. 



