BARR AND SON, 12, KING STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 
NARCISSUS, THE DAFFODIL. 
THE DAEEODIL CONFERENCE 
Of the Royal Horticultural Society, held 1st April, 1884, Professor Michael Foster in the chair. After 
an interesting and instructive Address by Mr. Burbidge, Author of “ The Narcissus, its Culture and 
History,” the following Resolution, proposed by II. J. Elwes, Esq., and seconded by J. G. Baker, Esq., 
was adopted — 
Resolved — “That, in the opinion of this Conference, uniformity of nomenclature is most 
desirable, and that garden varieties of Narcissi, whether known hybrids or 
natural seedlings, should be named or numbered in the manner adopted by 
Florists, and not in the manner adopted by Botanists.” 
To carry out the above Resolution, a committee was appointed to revise the names of New Daffodils, 
which resulted in the substitution of popular names for the Latin ones Mr. Barr had in use. In all the 
gardening papers of May the result of the Revising Committee will be found, with a new classification by 
J. G. Baker, Esq. The Conference Catalogue being simply an enumeration of names, it was considered 
desirable that a Descriptive Supplementary Catalogue should follow, and this was prepared by our 
Mr. Barr, and appeared in “The Florist and Pomologist,” June, July, and August. It is this Descriptive 
Supplementary Catalogue we have reproduced ; adding a few Illustrations, very witch reduced from the 
natural size, to make plain the distinctions between the different groups; this being as necessary in the 
year 1884 as it was in the year 1629, when Parkinson penned the following “ There hath beene great 
confusion among many of our moderne writers in not distinguishing the manifold varieties of Daffodils,” 
adding, “ To avoid therefore that gulfe, whereof I complaine and to reduce the Daffodils 
into such methodicall order, that every one may know, to what classis or forme any one doth appertaine.” 
. . . . “ And this is chiefly in the cup or chalice.” .... “ Pseudo-Narcissus, whose cup is as 
long, and sometimes a little longer then the outter leaves (perianth), so that it seemeth rather like a trunke 
or long nose, then a cup or chalice, such as almost all true Daffodils have ; I say almost, because some of 
them have their cup so small, that we rather call it a crownc then a cup ; and againe, some of them have 
them so long, that they may seeme to be of the number of the Pseudo-Narcissi, but yet may easily be 
knowne from them, in that .... the cup of some, is wider open at the brim or edge and not so 
long and narrow ; .... and this is the ehiefe and only way to know the several kinds.” 
J. G. Baker, Esq., in his Monograph ranges the Daffodil in three Divisions, thus — Magnicoronati, 
Mediicoronati, and Parvicoronati —which was wittily interpreted at the Daffodil Conference as Long- 
nose, Short-nose, and Snub-nose. 
This arrangement not only assists the student in finding out the names of his Narcissus, but is a great 
help to the amateur in making a selection for his garden or to plant in the grass. Each division is 
represented by a perfectly distinct group of flowers. 
In preparing the Descriptive Supplementary Daffodil Catalogue, Mr. Barr followed Haworth’s 
Monograph for names, published in 1831, it being the most comprehensive list which had been compiled to 
that date. There are some sorts described by Haworth not at present in cultivation, they are distinguished 
by a *, and it is to be hoped, that through the diligent researches now being made for Daffodils all along 
the Pyrenees, these may be re-introduced, and that the origin of such hybrids as Sabini, Macleai, Montanus, 
etc., be accounted for, as on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees where there are some natural hybrids ; one 
of which was figured by Parkinson, 1629 ; one was collected by the Hon. Mrs. Barton, of Straffan House, 
County Kildare, a few miles from Luchon, in 1878; three were collected by H. E. Buxton, Esq., in 
1881, on Piz Entecade, near Luchon, and all point to the same common origin or cross that produced 
Sabini and Macleai. 
The raisers of the New Daffodils to which the Conference Committee gave names are thus indicated : 
B., Backhouse; de G., de Graaff; IL, Ilors field ; L., Leeds; N., Nelson; P., Picks/one; Leich., 
Leichtlin ; R., Dawson. When no raiser’s name is given, the variety was either introduced to our 
gardens as a natural plant, or raised at some remote period, and, therefore, the Latin name remains, the 
plant having been botanically described. 
In justice to the late Mr. William Backhouse, of Wearda/e, and the /ale Mr. Edouard Leeds, of Longford 
Bridge, the raisers of nearly all the New Daffodils, it is well to explain that the names given to certain 
families of hybrid Daffodils — as Nelson's, Hume's, Barr's, and Burbidge' s — are merely complimentary to 
these gentlemen for the conspicuous part they have taken in popularizing the Daffodil. 
