10 BULLETIN 1462, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
starting with the base and proceeding upward through the scales, 
brought on by some of the above-mentioned agencies, is a familiar 
phenomenon. Stocks badly rotted have recovered perfectly with 
no other treatment than the culling out of the injured individuals. 
In the old naturalized Virginia stock there is represented a poten- 
tial asset to the daffodil industry of the country. Although it has 
been decided to apply to it the name " Spurius," it is well recognized 
that it is a group of closely related plants that is being dealt with. 
It is difficult to distinguish between the old Narcissus pseudonards- 
sus, Spurius, Trumpet Major, and Single Van Sion, if, indeed, some 
of them are really distinct. Whether Trumpet Major, Spurius, or 
some other name is finally applied to this old naturalized stock 
matters but little. The important thing to know is that it is a good 
forcer and that it or a very closely related thing is now used in 
considerable quantity as French Trumpet Major, on account of its 
early-forcing quality. This naturalized stock from Virginia will 
force as early as the Trumpet Major from southern France. The 
writer is informed that it is not uncommon for the growers in Vir- 
ginia to have this old variety blossom in tin cans in their homes at 
Christmas time. As much stock of it is naturalized in Virginia and 
Maryland as of all other varieties combined in the entire country. 
It may be advantageously used for forcing after about three years of 
good culture. 
KING ALFRED 
The behavior of King Alfred (pi. 4, A) in these tests has been 
very instructive. Some imported stock of this variety was grown 
for four years in the District of Columbia in the same location with- 
out disturbance. The soil was a heavy clay fill. In planting, a 
wedge-shaped trench about 6 inches deep was excavated for each row 
and the soil taken away. These trenches were filled with light 
soil and the bulbs set flush with the surface, after which the whole 
bed was covered with similar earth to a depth of 3 or 4 inches. The 
planting did not suffer for lack of fertility until the last year, when 
no fertilizer was applied. Under these conditions in a thick planting 
the bulbs dwindled in size in the four years to 12 centimeters and 
less in circumference. Two pans of these each containing six bulbs 
ranging from 10 to 12 centimeters were forced, as shown in Table 2. 
Only two of the largest bulbs flowered. Twelve centimeters may be 
taken as about the smallest size at which this variety will flower, and 
to insure certain flowering no bulbs short of 15 centimeters should 
be used. 
It is an interesting fact that the two flowers produced by this 
District of Columbia stock were good specimens — fully as good as 
the Oregon samples, which were from bulbs that were prime in every 
respect, although somewhat smaller than the mammoth sizes re- 
ceived from abroad. The Georgia sample, however, although 
handled similarly and flowering over 100 per cent, produced shorter 
stems and smaller flowers. 
King Alfred seems to be better adapted to warm regions than most 
of the so-called Dutch daffodils. Whether stocks of this variety can 
be maintained in these warm climates over a long period of years is 
yet to be determined. So far the plantings have been largely for 
