BARR’S HARDY DAFFODILS, THEIR ARRANGEMENT AND CULTURE. 
3 
MR. WILLIAM ROBINSON ON DAFFODILS AND THEIR ADAPTATION, 
In his Paper read at the Conference on Hardy Flowers, Chiswick, July 7 and 8, 1891. 
“ The most important of all early flowers is the Narcissus. Five years ago I planted many thousands in the 
grass, the most important being the Star Narcissus (N. incomparabilis, &c.). They have thriven admirably, flowered 
well and regularly. They are delightful when seen near at hand, and also effective in the picture. With the common 
English, Irish and Scotch Trumpet Daffodils I have had good results. The Tenby Daffodil is very sturdy and 
pretty. A very delightful feature of the Narcissus meadow gardening is the way great groups in succession follow 
each other. Five years ago I cleared a little valley of various fences. Through this runs a streamlet, and wo 
grouped the Poets’ Narcissus near it, and in a little orchard that lay near, and through a grove of Oaks. This year 
the whole landscape was a picture, such as one might see in an Alpine valley ! "—See The Garden of April 14, 1894, 
page 306. The annual effect continues. 
THE GREAT PRIZES FOR DAFFODILS, 1896, 4 SILVER CUPS. 
BARR'S DAFFODIL SILVER CUPS, specially designed by Mr. H. Q. Moon, see back page of Cover. 
LONDON.— Royal Botanio Soolety, Regent's Park, Competition in April (date will be fixed in March). 
BIRMINGHAM.— Daffodil Show, Competition in April (date will be fixed in March), Botanic Gardens. 
EDINBURGH.— Royai Caledonian Horticultural Sooiety, Competition in April (date not yet fixed), Waverley 
lYLar hoc. 
DUBLIN.— Royal Horticultural Sooiety of Ireland, Competition in April (date not yet fixed). Royal 
Umver 8 ity Buildings, Earlsfort-terrace. ' 
CULTURE, ADAPTATION, Etc., OF THE DAFFODIL 
DAFFODILS are the most graoeful and beautiful of all hardy Spring flowers ; they have for centuries adorned 
our gardens, and withstood uninjured our severest winters better than any other flower of spring. 
For beds, mixed borders and shrubberies, the Daffodil surpasses all spring flowers in beauty and for general 
effect, and when it is naturalized in grass, in orchards, woodland walks, sloping hanks, meadows, margins of lakes and 
ponds, the effect is superb. All Daffodils may be naturalized, but the strong growers make the finest display, and 
include such sorts as Emperor, Empress, Horsfieldii, many of the white trumpet varieties, all the Incomparabilis, 
Barm, Leedsii, Backhousei, Nelsom, Bcrnardi, Tridymus, Odorus, Burbidgei, Poeticus, etc. Many sorts which do 
not thrive when cultivated in gardens will succeed naturalized, and we advise that those kinds which do not take 
kmdly to garden culture be removed to the orchard, meadow or hedgerow. In such places the noble flowers of the 
Dattodil are seen to great advantage. The slender and dwarf-growing sorts, Nanus. Minimus, Juncifolius, Triandrus, 
Corbularms, Cyclamineus, etc., do well on rock work, and select places in grass ; Minimus, Juncifolius, and Triandrus 
are found wild in mountain pastures where the soil is shallow and firm ; Corbularia and Cyclamineus where the soil 
is soft and wet in wintor and spring. Mr. T. H. Burroughes, Stamford, has, since 1887, grown successfully 
Corbularia citnna as a semi-aquatic in milk pans and other contrivances without drainage, sunk into the ground so 
that the tops are four inches below the surfaco. Peaty soil is then filled in to the level of the surrounding ground ; 
in the upper four inches, which is always moist, the bulbs are planted and root into the lower soil, which should be 
perpetually wet. We recommend Mr. Burroughes’ culture, having followed it with success at our Nurseries. The 
bottom of a rock garden would also admirably suit, as the drainage from the rockwovk would accomplish this without 
extra labour. Rev. Charles Watson, Largs, grows N. Cyclamineus with great success in moist loam under a wall facing 
the north-east; Mrs. Buchanan, Fairlie, on a north border has great success. For culture under glass, 3 to 6 bulbs of 
the strong growing sorts cultivated in a pot, the effect is splendid ; of the dwarf growing kinds enumerated 6 to 
18 bulbs in a pot give a fine effect, and make charming edgings in conservatories. All kinds of Narcissi can be 
naturalized in grass out-of-doors. 
Daffodil flowers can bo bad from January to June, firstly, by planting early, in pots or boxes to force, and, 
SECONDLY, by planting out-doors, in succession, from September to Christmas. These late plantings flower in May. 
Out-of-doors the various kinds of Daffodils form a natural succession. In mild seasons, N. Pallidus prrecox 
and N. Obvallaris flower early in February, and are followed by others in succession. 
Ij 1 arranging Daffodils for effect in the flower garden, or in potting up for indoor decoration, let it be borne in 
mind they form a natural succession, which is fully explained under the heading of each group, and simply noticed 
liere to draw attention to the fact. First, the Trumpet Daffodils are the earliest, one following the other from 
February to May. Second, Incomparabilis, Barrii, Leedsii, Odorus, Triandrus, Early -flowering Poeticus, aud 
Burbidgeis, which begin flowering in March and succeed each other till May. Third, Nelsoni, Tridymus, 
Backhousei, Bernardi, and Jonquils. Fourth, Biflorus, late-flowering Poeticus and Burbidgeis, Schizanthes aud 
Gracilis, which form a succession of flowers to J une. In the middle season, representatives from all the groups 
may be found in bloom at the same time, therefore, those who can make but one visit to our Bulb Nurseries at 
Surbiton, should do so m April, When grown under glass, all the Daffodils Jlowcr probably a month earlier than the 
jwnods above named 
CULTURE AND ADAPTATION OUT OF DOORS. — The Daffodil may he grown in any soil and situation, 
but thrives best in a fertile loam ( avoid manure as much as possible ), and, in the warmer parts of Eugland, 
when possible, plant in a situation facing north or north-east, protected, when possible, from cutting winds. In 
planting, the top of the bulb should he two to three inches below the surface, according to its size ; in permanent 
beds, etc., summer flowers may be cultivated over the bulbs. For such permanent beds use the large-flowering 
trumpet and Incomparabilis varieties, also Barrii, Leedsii, Nelsoni, Burbidgei, etc. ; for edgings, use the dwarf 
growing kinds, Cyclamineus, Minor, Nanus, Minimus, Triandrus albus, Juncifolius, aud Corbularias. 
CULTURE AND ADAPTATION INDOORS. — Use three to six bulbs of strong-growing sorts, according to 
size of bulb, for a 4 or 5-iuch pot ; small-growing kinds, such as N. Minimus, Nanus, Minor, Cyclaoiiueus, Triandrus, 
Juncifolius, and Corhularia, a greater number of bulbs should he used. These dwarf-growing, small-flowered species 
are most charming in pots (see list, page 13). If Daffodils are grown for cutting early in the season, plant thickly in boxes 
of 15 inches by 10, and 5 to 6 inches deep, using ordinary potting soil. The pots or boxes should then be placed out of doors, 
on a bed of ashes, and covered with 6 inches of the same material, or with cocoa fibre, if it can bo had. The pots or 
boxes to remain out of doors till full of roots, and top growth has commenced. Portions may then be removed indoors, 
in succession, to a moist forcing-house, and plentifully supplied with water, care being taken that the plants do not 
get drawn, from an insufficient supply of air. 
Cut blooms of Daffodils are always acceptable, and are in abundance out-of-doors at a season when other flowers 
are scarce. They supplement and associate admirably with liot-house flowers. For about thirty years, for 
t hree months iu Spring, cut flowers from our collection of Daffodils have been exhibited at the various Londou 
Flower Shows and Fortnightly Meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society, also at the Spriug Flower Shows held 
at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Crystal Palace, Royal Aquarium, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, etc. 
At the above-named Exhibitions we have been awarded Gold and Silver Medals, 
Prizes, Certificates, Votes of Thanks, etc. Our Display of Daffodils at the Second Great Daffodil 
Conference, April 15th, 1890, was awarded the ONLY GOLD MEDAL. At the Birmingham 
Daffodil Show, April 18th, 1S94, we were awarded the PREMIER PRIZE for the “ FINEST 
DAFFODIL” exhibited. During the season of 1894 we were awarded Sixteen Medals arid Five 
Certif cates. The present year we have bad many awards. 
(Barr and Son, 12 and 13 King Street, Covent Garden, 1893 .) 
