24 
Barr’s Beautiful Hardy Daffodils: their Culture and Adaptation. 
bursting into spriug verdure, and see the yellow blossoms shimmering over a carpet of fresh green, and dancing to 
the music of the larks soaring and carolling up into the blue that is hardly so intense overhead as are the streets of 
Scillas and Chionodoxas now in full glory. What an invigorating, life-giving thing it is to get out here away from 
all the strife and turmoil of the town, and to listen to the birds, and the fitful roar of the winds in the naked elms, 
and to watch the cloud shadows and sunbeams gambolling over the springing turf and the brown clods and the woods 
and hedgerows ! How easy it is to be a philosopher out here— to sit on a five-barred gate and pour contempt on the 
pitiful wire-puller, stock jobbing, money grabbing, self-seeking, glory hunting that is going on in the crowded city 
yonder. 
“A little early,” says Mr. W. Barr, “but come along,” and he leads the way out into the grounds, where five 
acres of Daffodils will soon be all afluunt— great Trumpet Daffodils and Hoop Petticoated Daffodils, and Snow Whites 
and Tenby Yellows, and “Angels’ Tears,” and Poets’ Narcissus, and Golden Spurs, and Mountain Daffodils, and tiny 
wee things not so big ns a cowslip. Already they are out here in great sheets of luscious colour, and some of them 
delicately perfumed, and >vith larks over one’s head, and thrushes and starlings warbling around, it is so pleosaut to 
stride about the beds here, to make intimate acquaintance with these lusty trumpeters to the coming floral hosts, ami 
to feel that, under the tuition of an expert, yon are rapidly yourself becoming a daffodilidarion, or whatever may he 
the proper term by which to dub one who knows all about Daffodil flowers. 
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. incoinpavabilis, etc.) in great variety. They have thriven admir- 
ably, flowered well and regularly, and the flowers are large and handsome. In open rich heavy bottoms, along hedge- 
rows, in quite open loamy fields, in every position I have tried them. They are delightful when seen near at hand, 
aud also effective in the picture. Good results could he obtained with the finer kinds of Narcissi by wood walks nncl 
open copses, which abound in so many English country places. With the common Euglisb, Irish and Scotch 
Daffodils I have had good results, thriving better, and flowering much handsomer than the wild plant— not uncom- 
mon in 8ussex and many other parts of Eugland. The Tenby Daffodil is very sturdy and pretty, aud never fails us. 
A very delightful feature of the Narc-issus meadow gardening is the way great groups in succession follow each other. 
When the Star Narcissi (N. incomparabilis, etc.) begin to hide a little in their beauty, the Poet’s Narcissi follow, and 
as I write this pawer (in May) we have the most beautiful picture I have ever seen in cultivation. Five years ago I 
cleared a little valley of various fences, and so opened a pretty view. 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. We Lave had some 
beauty every year since, but this year the whole landscape was a picture, such as one might see in an Alpine valley! 
The flowers were large and beautiful when seen near at hand, and the effect in the distance was delightful.” 
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, 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 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, Backhousei, Nelsoni, Bernardi, Tridymus, Odorus, Burbidgei, Poeticus, 
etc. Many sorts which do not thrive in 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-growing sorts, Nanus, 
Minimus, Juncifolius, Triandrus, Corbularias, Cyclamineus, etc., do well onrockwork and select places in grass ; 
Minimus, Juncifolius, and Triandrus are found wild in mountain pastures where the soil is shallow and firm ; 
Coibularia and Cyclamineus where the soil is soft and wet in Winter and Spring, but dry in Summer. 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 charming as edgings. 
Daffodil flow r ers can be had from January to June, firstly, by planting early, in pots or boxes to force ; 
secondly, planting out-doors, in succession, from September to Christmas. The late plantings give beautiful 
flowers in May. 
Out-of-doors the various kinds of Daffodils form a natural succession. In mild seasons, N. Pallidus 
prcecox and N. Obvallaris flower early in 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, Incom- 
parabilis, Barrii, Leedsii, Odorus, Triandrus, Early-flowering Poeticus, and Burbidgeis. Third, Nelsoni,, 
Tridymus, Backhousei, Bernardi, and Jonquils. Fourth, Biflorus, late-flowering Poeticus, 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, 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 “ Wearda e 
Daffodils” also by the late Mr. Edward Leeds, and 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 1884 is appended to a brochure of the First 
Daffodil Conference, by F. W. B., and entitled " Ye Narcissus or Daffodyl," 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 manure as much as possible ), and, in the warmer parts of 
England, when possible, they should be planted in a situation facing north or north-east, protected from north oir 
north-east winds. In planting, the top of the bulb should be about two to three inches below the surface, 
according to its size ; in permanent beds, &c. , summer flowers may be cultivated over the bulbs, For beds, use 
the large-flowering Trumpet and Incomparabilis, and varieties of Barrii, Leeds* i, Nelsonii, Burbidgei, etc. ; for 
edgings, use the dwarf-growing kinds, Cyclamineus, Minor, Nanus, Minimus, Triandrus albus, Juncifolius, and 
Corbularias. 
CULTURE AND ADAPTATION INDOORS. — Use three to six bulbs of strong-growing sorts, according to size 
of bulb, for a 4 or 5-inch pot ; small-growing kinds, such as N. Minimus, Nanus, Minor, Cyclamineus, Triandrus, 
Juncifolius, and Corbularia, a greater number of bulbs should be used. These dwarf-growing, small-flowered 
[Barr and Son, 
