BARR’S HARDY DAFFODILS, THEIR ARRANGEMENT AND CULTURE. 
3 
This is what Mr. William Robinson said about Daffodils and their adaptation, in 
his Paper 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 seeu 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 vcrv delightful feature of the Narcissus meadow gardening is the way groat groups in succession follow 
each other Five years ago I cleared a little valley of various fences. Through this runs a streamlet, and we 
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 iu an Alpine valley! ’’—See The Garden of April 14, 1894, 
page 306. The annual effect continues. 
THE GREAT PRIZE OP 1895. 
BARR’S DAFFODIL SILVER CUP, specially designed by Mr. H. G. Moon, will be awarded, 1895, to the 
finest collection of Daffodils exhibited at either of the Meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society, held at The 
Drill Hall, Westminster, February, March. April, or May. Competitors cau only exhibit ouoe for this Prize, and, 
in entering, should see that the entry is duly made for Barr’s Daffodil Silver Cup. The judging will be done by 
“ Points," and at the close of the Daffodil season the R.H.S. will award the Cup to the exhibitor who has gained 
most “Points,” quality mil be an important consideration. The above arrangement places English, Scotch, and 
Irish Exhibitors on equally advantageous footings. The Dates of Meetings will be given in our Seed Catalogue, 
issued 1st January, 1895. 
An Engraving of Barr’s Daffodil Silver Cup will shortly appear in the “ Journal of Horticulture. 
CULTURE, ADAPTATION, Etc., OF THE DAFFODIL. 
DAFFODILS are the most graceful and beautiful of all hardy Spring flowers ; they have for centuries adorned 
our gardens, aud 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 banks, 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, 
Barrii, Leedsii, Baeklionsei, Nelsoui, Bernardi, Tridymus, Odorus, Burbidgei, Poetieus, etc. Many sorts which do 
not. thrive iu gardens will succeed naturalized, and we advise that those kinds which do not take kindly to garden 
culture be removed to the orchard, meadow or hedgerow. In such places the noble flowers of the Daffodil are seen 
to great advantage. The slender and dwarf-growiug sorts, Nanus, Minimus, Juncifolius, Triandrus, Corbularias, 
Cyclamineus, etc., do well on rock work, aud select places in grass ; Minimus, Juncifolius, and Triandrus are found 
wild in mountain pastures where the soil is shallow and firm ; Corhularia and Cyclamineus where the soil is soft and 
wet in winter and spring, but dry in summer. Mr. T. H. Burroughes, Stamford, has, since 1887, grown successfully 
Corbularin Citrina in undrained milk pans sunk in the ground, filled with peat and always kept wet; we cau, from 
personal experience, endorse this mode of culture. 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 iu a pot give a 
fine effect, and charming as edgings in conservatories. All lands of Narcissus can be naturalized in grass out-of-doors. 
Daffodil flowers can be had 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 give beautiful 
flowers in May. 
Out-of-doors the various kinds of Daffodils form a natural succession. In mild seasons, N. Pallidus praecox 
aud N. Obvallaris flower early iu February, and are followed by others in succession. 
In 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 
here to draw attention to the fact. First, the Trumpet Daffodils are the earliest. Second, Incomparabilis, Barrii, 
Leedsii, Odorus, Triandrus, Early-floweriug Poetieus, and Burbidgeis. Third, Nelsoui, Tridymus, Baekhousei, 
Bernardi, aud Jonquils. Fourth, Biflorns, late-flowering Poetieus and Burbidgeis, Schizanthes and Gracilis. 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 Nursery, should do so in April. 
The Daffodils named in the following pages comprise all the best sorts in commerce. They consist mostly of 
varieties we have introduced, raised by the late Mr. William Backhouse, and known as the “ Weardale Daffodils 
also by the late Mr. Edward Leeds, aud known as the “ Longford Bridge Daffodils." These New Daffodils became the 
property of Mr. Peter Barr, who classed and named them. A complete descriptive list of all Daffodils known to 
exist from the days of Parkinson to 1881 is appended to a brochure of the First Daffodil Conference, by F. W. B., and 
entitled “Ye Narcissus or Datfodyl,” price Is. 
CULTURE AND ADAPTATION OUT OF DOORS.— The Daffodil may be grown in any soil and situation, 
but thrives best in a fertile well drained loam ( avoid manu re as much as possible), and, in the warmer parts of England, 
when possible, plant in a situation facing north or north-east, protected from north or north-east winds. In 
planting, the top of the bulb should be two" to three inches below the surface, according to its size ; in permanent 
beds, etc., summer dowers 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 1 or 5-inch pot ; small-growing kinds, such as N. Minimus, Nanus, Minor, Cyclamineus, Triandrus, 
Juncifolius, and Corhularia, a greater number of bulbs should be used. These dwarf-growing, small-flowered species 
are most charming in pots (sot; 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 be 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, 
iu succession, to a moist forcing-house, aud plentifully supplied with water, care being taken that the plants do not 
get drawn, from an insufficient supply of air. 
A selection of Daffodils for succession out-of-doors should consist of varieties from the three groups. The 
Trumpet and Corhularia Sections flower, one variety following the other, from February till May. The Nonsuch and 
the other hybrid sections begin flowering in March, and succeed each other till May. The Burbidge’s Daffodils, the 
Poet’s, the Bunch-flowered, etc., commence flowering early iu April, aud furnish a succession of blossoms till June. 
When grown under glass, all the Daffodils Jlower probably a month earlier than the periods above named. 
Cut blooms of Daffodils are always acceptable, aud are in abundance out-of-doors at a season when other flowers 
are scarce. They supplement and associate admirably with hot-house flowers. For nearly thirty years, for 
three mouths in 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, 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, 1894, we were awarded the PREMIER PRIZE for the “ FINEST 
DAFFODIL” exhibited. During the season of 1894 we were awarded Sixteen Medals and Five 
Certificates. 
12 and 13 King St., Covent Garden , 1895.] 
