DAFFODIL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION. 



355 



flower and then they die out. They ought to be taken up and 

 separated every second or third year at least, and the stock will 

 increase more rapidly still if they are lifted up every year. 



There have been great Daffodil-growers in the past, of whom 

 you have already heard in the excellent papers which have been 

 read, but I think I may truly say that our present Daffodil 

 fanciers have not been more than about ten or twelve years at 

 their hobby, and marvellous indeed have been the results of all 

 their labours. And yet how many sorts of Daffodils can even 

 now be called common, or usually to be met with in gardens ? 

 Not more than five, I think, viz. : (i.) The common wild English 

 Daffodil, called pseudo-narcissus ; (ii.) the great double yellow, 

 called Telamonius, still one of the very best ; (hi.) biflorus, a 

 poor yellow and white flower with a very strong, almost over- 

 powering scent ; (iv.) the common Poets' or Pheasant-eye, 

 poeticus recurvus ; (v.) and the double Poets' or Gardenia- 

 flowered. Now, I do not think that by stretch of language can 

 any other of the now numberless hardy outdoor varieties be 

 called common or usual. I do hope, therefore, that one result 

 of this magnificent show and Conference will be to induce people 

 to try some of the finer forms, such as Emperor, Empress, Sir 

 Watkin, Horsfieldii, Troilus, grandis, J. B. M. Camm, Ard Righ, 

 princeps, double oaorus, C. J. Backhouse, Barrii conspicuus, 

 poeticus ornatus, and a few others of thoroughly good constitu- 

 tion and habit. And I venture to say that, at the present price 

 at which the bulbs I have named can be obtained, it will, con- 

 sidering the rapidity of increase, be not only worth while to buy, 

 but absolutely a very fine investment of money ; and as an 

 example of this I may say that in 1888 I paid £ 5. 5s. for a single 

 bulb of Mme. de Graaff, and now in 1890 I have five fine bulbs of 

 it, and they still sell at £5. 5s. each. No one therefore need, I 

 think, grudge a somewhat high "price for a variety if he first 

 discovers that it has a thoroughly satisfactory and robust con- 

 stitution. 



Mr. Walker laid stress on the early planting of poeticus, and 

 I should like to support this, for though I take my bulbs up always 

 early in July, when often the poeticus foliage has not died away, 

 yet the young roots — next year's roots — I generally find to have 

 already started in all the poeticus section. It stands to reason 

 therefore, I think, that poeticus requires the earliest planting — 



