2 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



varieties ; they do not appear to revert to the old type, but the finest of 

 thein fail to produce offsets, while some of the poorer ones multiply so 

 rapidly that they gain full possession of the ground. 



The most popular bulbous flowers of the day are undoubtedly the 

 Narcissi ; and they may be grown successfully almost anywhere. Soon 

 after coining to New Zealand I was walking along the sea-shore a few 

 miles from Auckland, and saw some of the finest double Narcissi I have 

 ever seen growing in a grass meadow where had formerly been a mission 

 station ; they grew there for a number of years, but have long since 

 disappeared. Great changes have taken place in horticultural matters 

 since that time, and now growers of these flowers may be counted by the 

 hundred. 



Auckland and its environs may truly be said to be a horticulturist's 

 paradise, but the conditions here are also greatly varied, more perhaps in 

 respect to the soil than temperature. We find two distinct classes of soil, 

 one of which is heavy clay and forms the true soil of the district ; the other 

 is volcanic and overlies the heavy soil in those localities where volcanic 

 action took place. The burnt lava, or scoria, as it is called, overspreads 

 large portions of country, and in process of time has become decomposed, 

 and forms a soil of variable texture, sometimes a light puffy material, 

 which is liable to be blown away by the slightest breeze and sometimes 

 a soil of a more adhesive character, while there are soils of all intermediate 

 grades between the two. One peculiar feature of the soil is that, excepting 

 in the volcanic districts, it is free from stone, which makes it much easier to 

 work. Volcanic soil is peculiarly suitable for the growth of the various 

 Narcissi, being warmer than the clay, and on this account most of the 

 successful exhibitors at our spring show grow their flowers on this soil. 

 But though the earliest they are not always the finest, as the flowers 

 grown on the heavier land are, as a rule, when properly cultivated, of 

 much greater substance, and more durable when cut. 



A Daffodil conference has recently been held in Auckland, where the 

 varied experiences of different growers were exchanged. Among other 

 matters allusion was made to the length of time which was covered by the 

 different varieties, and it was remarked by some who had seen a schedule 

 of a Daffodil show in England that nearly all the varieties, both early and 

 late, were exhibited at the one show, while here there is a difference of 7 

 or 8 weeks in the blooming of the early and late varieties. 



Lilies are coming rapidly into favour with the Auckland flower lovers. 

 They seem, however, rather peculiar in their requirements, and many 

 will not thrive in the volcanic soil, as it is neither of the nature of peat 

 nor of the firmer texture liked by the various members of this large 

 family. I have been getting together a fair col'ection, and have now over 

 fifty varieties, and have gone to some trouble to try to make them a 

 success in my fairly heavy soil. I have made excavations and filled 

 in the bottom with small pieces of pumice ; then, for those which require 

 it, I have mixed a fair quantity of peat with the soil, and planted in 

 this. Most of the bulbs which I have imported, if sound on arrival, 

 have done well with me, while a friend who successfully cultivated many 

 varieties while living two hundred miles north of Auckland now fails 

 altogether with them on volcanic soil about two miles away. 



