DAFFODIL CULTURE 
O flower owes more of its perfection and development to Develop- 
N the research and experiment of the hybridiser than the ment of 
Narcissus. ‘This word Narcissus, botanically used, includes Narcissus 
the varieties commonly distinguished as Daffodils, Narcissi, Poet’s 
Narcissi, Jonquils and Polyanthus Narcissi. Within the last thirty 
years such a wealth of flowers of enhanced size, colour and beauty 
have been added to the Narcissus family by skilful use of the 
materials available for hybridisation, that it was found necessary 
by the Narcissus Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 
to compile and issue a list of names, so rapidly were new names 
being introduced that confusion arose from the frequent use of 
the same names by different persons for different flowers. ‘This 
list, it was surprising to find, contained no less than between 
1500 and 1600 names. Of course many of these were de- 
scriptive of varieties which are now quite superseded, and of 
many which have passed out of cultivation, but the fact remains 
that the list contains, not counting the most expensive new 
hybrids, over four hundred varieties grown by Daffodil 
specialists to meet the requirements of trade. 
It is worth noting that the Narcissus has not lost but 
rather gained in strength of constitution by the process of 
development in size, colour and form through hybridisation. 
Whereas many of the earlier natural hybrids throve best in 
grass, and often dwindled or died out in the richer and more 
artificial conditions of highly cultivated garden soil, it is rare to 
find any of the new hybrids raised of late years showing 
N 97 
