SPRING, 1886. 
BARR’S HARDY DAFFODILS. 
Awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society at South Kensington — Gold Banksian Medals, 
Silver Banksian Medals, Gold Gilt Silver Floral Medals, and other Medals, also numerous 
Votes of Thanks and First-class Certificates. 
Awarded by the Royal Botanic Society at Regent’s Park, many Medals and Certificates. 
Awarded by the Crystal Palace Society several Prizes. 
The varieties of Daffodils or Narcissus enumerated and described in the following pages 
comprise all the finest sorts known in cultivation. They are for the most part new varieties 
and hybrids with recent introductions from the Pyrenees, etc., collected together by Mr. Barr 
during the past twenty years, and by him put in order. The new sorts were finally named by 
the Committee appointed at the Daffodil Conference, held 1st April, 1884, in the Large Con- 
servatory, South Kensington, under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
To assist amateurs in making their own selections of these hardy and beautiful spring 
flowers, a number of woodcuts have been supplemented to illustrate each group. 
All the woodcuts represent the flower much reduced from natural size, and are therefore 
simply to be taken as exhibiting a few of the leading features— such, for example, as in the Trum- 
pet Daffodil, the flowers of some on first opening droop very much, but soon assume a more 
horizontal aspect ; others, again, open horizontally, or nearly so. The brim in the trumpet of 
some is straight and serrated, and sometimes gashed more or less, while others have the brims 
nearly straight and scalloped, and there are those with the brim scalloped and recurved. 
Culture: and Adaptation. — The Daffodil may be grown in any soil and situation, but it thrives best in 
a fertile loam. In planting, the top of the bulb should be two to three inches below the surface, according to 
size; but when in permanent beds, &c., and summer flowers are cultivated over the bulbs, plant at a depth of 
six or nine inches. In beds the large flowering Daffodils are charming, and for edgings the dwarf growing kinds 
such as Nanus, are most beautiful. In flower borders and shrubberies groups of Daffodils look splendid. For 
naturalization in woodland walks, semi-wild places, on the margins of lakes, streams, and plantations, and also 
amongst grass, no hardy flower looks so natural and pleasing as the Daffodil. 
^ S £u Ct i? n ' cons * sdn ff varieties from the three groups, gives a succession of flowers from January till 
June. I he Trumpet Section of Daffodils flower in succession, one variety following the other from January till 
the end of April. The Nonsuch or Incomparabilis Section of Daffodils begin flowering in March, and succeed 
°f, her 0 tl11 Ma ^ The third S rc) uP of Daffodils, the Poet’s Narcissus, the Tazetta or Bunch- flowered 
Daffodils, &c. , commence flowering early in April, and furnish a succession of blossoms till June. 
GROUP I.-MAGNI-CORONATI OF BAKER. 
Ajax of Haworth, Pseudo-Narcissus of Parkinson, which includes Bulbocodium or 
Corbular’3 (Hoop Petticoat or Medusa’s Trumpet). 
Distinguishing Character. — Crown or trumpet as long or rather longer than the divisions of the perianth. 
The first systematic arrangement of this family is found in Parkinson's " Paradisi in Sole Paradisus 
Terrestris ; or, A Garden of All Sorts of Pleasant Flowers," published 1629. Haworth, in 1831, published his 
Narcissus Monograph as a Supplement to Sweet’s "British Flower Garden,” and about the same time Dean Herbert 
embodied in his “ Amaryllidaceae ” the result of a careful study of the genus Narcissus from living plants. Baker's 
review of the genus Narcissus appeared in the Gardeners' Chronicle, 1870. Burbidge's " History and Culture," 
with coloured plates and descriptions of all known species and principal varieties of Narcissus, written in a 
charming style, tracing the literature of the Daffodil back to 1570, was published 1875 ; Mr. Barr at this 
date was working into form ihe new hybrids and varieties, so that very few ol these are mentioned in Burbidge’s 
book. "Ye Narcissus or Daffodyl,” published by us, may be considered a supplement to what Mr. Burbidge 
bad done, as it brings up Daffodil lore to 1884. 
The Trumpet Daffodils, Group I., flower in the following succession: Pallidus Praecox, Parkinson’s 
"Beautiful Sulphur Daffodil," from January; Cambricus and Obvallaris from February, closely followed by 
Nanus, Minor, Spurius, Blondin, the English Lent-Lily, the Scotch Garland Lily, Lobularis, the early-flowering 
varieties of Bicolor, viz., Horsfieldi, Empress, etc., which are followed by Emperor, Maximus, Major, 
Rugilobus, Bicolors, Grandis, Dean Herbert, Michael Foster, James Walker, J . B, M. Camm, and Princeps, 
Moschatus varieties, etc. 
The Grand Trumpeters include all the large trumpet varieties of Bicolor, Emperor, Maximus, Major, 
Princeps, Rugilobus, varieties of Spurius, Blondin, Telamonius, Dean Herbert, Michael Foster, James Walker, 
the two Camms, Princeps, the two Burbidges, Dr. Hogg, St. Brigid, John Nelson, Capt. Nelson, Shirley 
Hibberd, William Goldring, Cernuus pulcher, Hudibras, Exquisite, etc. 
All the Trumpet Daffodils are prized for pot-culture, flowering under glass with the Hyacinth, 
and should he cultivated in the same way, but with three roots In a pot. 
