BARR’S HARDY DAFFODILS AND THEIR STORY. 
The woodcuts are simply intended to show what is meant by the terms Magni-Coronati Medii- 
Coronati and Parvi- Coronal,, and except that of N. Pallidus pratcox, and perhaps that of N Obvallar s 
represent the flower much reduced from natural size. 1 N ' DDvaiiaris, 
The Daffodil Conference of 1884 gave a great impetus to the general cultivation of the Narcissi and 
stimulated a growing desire which existed amongst amateurs, to ascertain the history of those ancient va iete 
ofDaffodi Is, which were cultivated in gardens, \xAoxzwe had distributed the beautiful new hybrids and varetes 
raised by the late Messrs. William Backhouse and Edward Leeds. These older Daffodil- 01^ ^ ’ 
cultivation represented only a portion of the species described in Haworth’s 
arisen to hunt up the other species, more especially those which he had recorded from descriptions or 
I°H No rh JT*" a - lt ^ rS ‘, ,? Ur ’ 1!arr ’ dU ^ g V He SpringS ° f 1887 and l888 - visited Northern P Portuga 
and Northern Spain, in the latter country searching the provinces of Guipuzcoa, Biscay, Santander Astu as 
Galicia, and Old Castile, and spent a considerable time in the French and Spanish Pyrenees lie has found 
many species full of interest, and not recorded by old authors, whose researches must Save been confin 
to comparatively limited areas, travelling not being so facile and more full of danger than in these modern 
days; but even now travelling in these out of the world places where Mr. Barr fotnd the Daffodils d, ere is 
just sufficient danger and discomfort to give piquancy to the enterprise. There is yet much to be done in 
nnding new wild Daffodils, and Mr. Barr lives in the hope of accomplishing even more than he has done 
at °v n UblS a ed , r , 88 tv tlere u S f com P r ehensive list of the Daffodils in cultivation 
at that date ,_also a list of those described by Haworth, but not in cultivation. Since 1884 some of these 
missing Narcissi have been re-introduced, and many new species and hybrids discovered, and a much more 
general knowledge of the habitats of Narcissi, is now possessed, than at any past period, so that if the 
researches continue fora few more years, we shall know much more of the Wild species of Narcissi than 
Parkinson did, if we have not already passed him ; still there are yet sufficient points recorded in ancient 
authors to be cleared up in connection with Daffodils to stimulate us to go forward ancient 
ToGeorge Maw, Esq., we are indebted for the work he has done, and regret his health dn« nrn 
perrmt him finishing the Narcissus Monograph, which he had commenced as a companion to his splendid 
Crocus Monograph. To E. N. Buxton, Esq., we are indebted for the re-introductioA of the white Narcissi 
Moschatus, and the discovery of Buxton’s daffodil Juncifolius-Muticus. Rev. C. Wolly Dod a 1 ! 
industrious investigator, appears to have fallen upon new ground, and from specimen flowers sent ’to us in 
the Spring, has met with an Ajax of some interest ; a dried specimen of the same was sent to us by one of 
our collectors in 1887, but the bulbs received proved to be quite another species. We might Mention 
many other workers m England, to show the intense interest that exists in relation to DaXdils 
suffice it to say amongst these our friend Mr. Burbidge, inscribed “ Daffodil ” on his banner when a very 
select few identified themselves with this flower, and to show his practical interest in the subject he eonleZ 
plates a pilgrimage to the lands of the Daffodil. We may, therefore, expect to hear of him co, Jilting authorities 
on revolvers, as there are st, l plenty of wolves where the Daffodil grows, and, if the authors of “The Mow- 
tains of Cantabrica are lobe behaved, the bear has still his fastnesses in the high Spanish mountains 
To Alfred W. Tait, Esq., of Oporto, we are greatly indebted lor the re-introduction of N ’ Cvcla- 
mineus, a great rarity (which the late Dean Herbert designated an impossible plant): also' for the 
discovery and introduction of N Johnstoni and other species of Narcissi, besides some rare hybrid 
Narcissi, the parentage of which Mr. Tail has decided to be Triandrus albus x Yellow Ajax, and Trfand- 
rus aPous x Yellow Corbularia. Mr. Tail introduced in 1888, from a native habitat, in Portugal, a speries 
of N. Triandrus pulchel us and concolor, which flowered with us this year, and so far they are on to 
distinct from those figured in Sweet s “British Flower Garden,” being more dwarf in stature and flower eart ier 
therefore the habitat of the ancientforms of N. triandrus pulchellus and concolor is important to be cleared ud’ 
In the spring of 1S87, Mr. Barr, in company with Mr. Tait and his clever mountain boy Tos Maria" 
made many excursions around Oporto, Braga and on the Gerez Mountains, collecting and studying the 
new forms of Daffodils met with. Mr. Barr then continued his explorations through some of the northern 
provinces of Spain in company with Jos Maria, collecting much useful information, and discovering the 
new species °f Trumpet Daffodils, Santa Maria, Calvas Yellow, N. pallidus pracox var. asturicus 
several forms of N. Johnstoni, several varieties of Corbularia, Cyclamineus, and Minimus &c. ’ 
After leaving Spain and Portugal, Mr. Barr spent some weeks exploring the French and Spanish 
Pyrenees, and visited the home of th ^ pure white Daffodil, N. Moschatus, and collected many bulbs and 
was sanguine that amongst these he would find N. Cernuus, N. Tortuosus, but no such luck : in 188S we 
had N. Moschatus from two new habitats, still no N. Cernuus or Tortuosus amongst them. ( This rear we 
have N. Moschatus from a new habitat-tke bulbs have not yet arrived, but the collector reports them as 
exceptionally large. Now that we know the country of the Snow-white Daffodil, we shall continue our 
researches in it in the hope of charing up the origin of all the white daffodils which have been found more or 
less connected with the old religious order in England and Ireland. Some sanguine people think this is 
already done, but such is not our opinion, hence the interest which surrounds the consignment of 1880) 
rx ir 1 ?-/- 6 i pting ° f l88 - 8, M u B , arr s Pent three months in Northern Spain, collecting and studying the 
Daffodil, in the coast provinces bordering the Atlantic, commencing at the frontier French Basque town of 
Saint Jean de Luz, and continuing his journey more or less along the coast line, to the Valiev of the 
Minho, and from thence to Old Castile. In the mountains of Biscay he searched in vain for Corbularia 
Tenuifolia, and is of opinion Salisbury was mistaken in'his habitat of this plant, as all the Corbularias in 
this province are sulphur-coloured. In the Asturias he found two hybrid Narcissi, one bulb of each The 
first, Corbularia citrina X Ajax, one-flowered — this has died ; the second, Triandrus albus X Aiax one 
flowered, retaining colour and form of the mother, Triandrus albus, and taking size from the father In 
Old Castile he also found two hybrid Narcissi. The first, Triandrus albus x Ajax, one-flowered retaining 
colour and form of the mother, Triandrus albus, and taking size from the father ; the second Triandrus 
albus X Ajax, retaining size and form of the mother, Triandrus albus, and colour of the father viz white 
perianth, and bright yellow cup. These hybrids are good distinct things, but Mr. Barr considers their 
value to rest on the fact, that their parentage was settled before lifting the bulbs ; and when they flower 
1890, along with the hybrids sent 1887-88-89 by Mr. Tait, he hopes to draw some useful conclusions from 
them as to the origin of other hybrids. The important find made by Mr. Barr in 18S8 was the great 
Spanish beauty, N. fohnstonii Mrs. George Cammell; there has nothing yet in collected daffodils been found 
ancient or modern , one no distinct in character and so refined in beauty as Mrs . Gcorpe Cammell J ’ 
12 & 13, King St . , Covent Garden , 1889 ] 
