The Weekly Florists^ Review* o^^^^^'^^ 29. loos. 



for formal bedding purposes, owing to 

 its wide range of colors, it is in some 

 respects superior to the narcissus. We 

 have not, as ^et, any scarlet, crimson 

 flaked and bright pink daffodils. As a 

 general rule the flowers of these are 

 either white or some shade of yellow, 

 although some of the newer creations, 

 still beyond the reach of ordinary mor- 

 tals in price, have medium trumpets of 

 bright scarlet, and we will eventually 



Imported and Home-grown Narcissi. 



At one time Holland was preeminent 

 in narcissus culture. England has now 

 wrested that supremacy from her, and 

 many of the so-called Dutch narcissi re- 

 ceived here are grown in the fen district 

 of Lincolnshire, England. The English 

 bulbs are harder and heavier than the 

 Dutch ones, and my experience with them 

 has been that they are superior to the 



Narcissus J. B. M. Gtmm. 



have narcissi with white or yellow wings 

 and scarlet trumpets, equal in size to 

 those of Victoria, Empress or Emperor. 

 We will also have pure white varieties, 

 with flowers rivaling those of Sir Wat- 

 kin or Beauty in size, and pure white 

 trumpet varieties far surpassing the 

 beautiful Mme. de Graaff. 



The Recent Work of Hybridists. 



It will take time to bring about these 

 improvements, but the wonderful work 

 of daffodil hybridists in the last two 

 decades warrants the supposition that 

 even more striking advances will be seen 

 in the years to come. New and striking 

 varieties of tulips are few and far be- 

 tween. It is otherwise with narcissi, 

 dozens of novelties being exhibited an- 

 nually, and while we may not feel like 

 Eaying $75 to $250 per bulb for these 

 itest creations, we can rest content that 

 in a few years they will be within the 

 reach of. all. 



Narcissi have never been use^ in our 

 public parks, gardens and cemeteries to 

 any considerable extent, and for bedding 

 they have been largely ignored. It can- 

 not be that they are too costly, for the 

 best bedders are as cheap as such stand- 

 ard tulips as Keizerskroon, Proserpine, 

 the Pottebakkers or Chrysolora. It is 

 not because they are tender or diflBcult 

 of culture. They are as hardy as any of 

 the tulips, rarely fall a prey to disease, 

 as tulips often do, and in nearly every 

 case are far better the second than the 

 first year. It can hardly be claimed that 

 the flowers pass more quickly than those 

 of the tulips, for they last fully as long, 

 and certainly they have a grace far sur- 

 passing that of either tulips or hya- 

 cinths. We believe, therefore, that once 

 we get greater color variety in the flow- 

 1T8, towards which we are drifting, the 

 ) opularity of narcissi for outdoor cul- 

 ture will receive an enormous impetus. 



Holland article. Virginia is now taking 

 hold of bulbs in earnest, and there is 

 no reason why as good roots cannot be 

 grown there as in Europe. Perhaps the 

 hot weather after lifting will make it 

 difficult to care for and save such sorts 

 as Horsfieldii. With a few exceptions, 

 narcissi increase quite rapidly under cul- 

 tivation, and will require replanting 

 every third year to prevent overcrowding. 

 Even in Massachusetts it is possible to 

 grow as fine bulbs of Emperor, Empress, 

 Barri conspicuus, Mrs. Langtry, Stella, 

 Sir Watkin, poeticus and other popular 

 sorts as can be imported. 



For bedding or massing in shrubberies, 

 tha finest sorts are: Golden Spur; Henry 

 Irving, very early; Sir Watkin; Leedsii 



Mrs. Langtry; Leedsii Minnie Hume; 

 N. incomparabilis Beauty; Barri con- 

 spicuus; Victoria, the best bioolor 

 trumpet variety; Emperor and Empress. 

 Glory of Leiden is now quite moderate in 

 price. It is the largest trumpet nar- 

 cissus in common cultivation today. The 

 poeticus section is splendid for massing 

 in shrubberies, and for naturalizing in 

 grass land these have no equal. The 

 commercial florist who wants to make a 

 little change in his bulb beds should try 

 one each of such narcissi as Barri con- 

 spicuus. Emperor, Golden Spur, Victoria 

 and Mrs. Langtry. He will be surprised 

 at the beautiful showing they make. His 

 customers will in many cases want sim- 

 ilar beds another season. The advertise- 

 ment will cost really nothing, as the 

 bulbs are all good for another season. 



Field-grown Bulbous Flowers. 



There are times of glut in the bulb 

 markets in the north. Generally these 

 occur while forced bulbs are in season. 

 There is, as a rule, a good home trade 

 for bulbous flowers grown in the open, 

 the demand being especially heavy for 

 Narcissus poeticus and the late tulips for 

 Memorial day. For cutting purposes the 

 nursery row plan is the best, as it ad- 

 mits of easy cultivation. It is better to 

 leave the rows undisturbed for three sea- 

 sons, then lift and replant them. 



Probably the most generally popular 

 narcissus, the one which increases the 

 most rapidly and is the most useful to 

 the florist, is the old poeticus. It does 

 better on damp ground, being in its ele- 

 ment on the shores of streams or ponds, 

 but grows well even on dry ground. The 

 variety ornatus, flowering two weeks 

 earlier, is also indispensable. The va- 

 riety grandiflora carries flowers double 

 the size of the common type. 



For cutting, the following quintette of 

 trumpets can hardly be beaten: Em- 

 peror, Empress, Golden Spur, Glory of 

 Leiden and Victoria. The single Von 

 Sion, or Trumpet Major, I have not 

 found reliably hardy, but the double 

 form will grow almost anywhere. Prin- 

 ceps has so little substance that it is 

 not worth growing, unless there be a de- 

 mand for cheap flowers. Of the medium 

 Trumpet sorts, the giant Welsh daffodil. 

 Sir Watkin, towers in size above all 

 others; N. incomparabilis Gwyther and 

 Beauty are fine; Barri conspicuus is 



Early Tulip ^Thite Pottebakker. 



