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Barr’s Beautiful Hardy Daffodils: their Culture and Adaptation. 
PART III. 
BARR’S BEAUTIFUL HARDY DAFFODILS. 
esr Awarded the only Gold Medal of the Daffodil Conference, held in the Chiswick Gardens of 
the Royal Horticultural Society, April 15 th to 18 th, 1890 . 
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 Spring flower. 
“ Daffodils 
That come before the swallow dares, and take 
The winds of March with beauty. " 
For growing in beds, mixed borders and shrubberies, the Daffodil surpasses all other flowers of Spring; 
when naturalized in orchards, woodland walks, sloping banks, meadows, margins of lakes and ponds, the 
effect is splendid. All the strong growing Daffodils may be naturalized, including such sorts as Emperor, 
Empress, Horsfieldii, many of the white trumpet varieties," also all the Incomparabilis, Barrii, Leedsii, Back- 
housei, Nelsoni, Bernardii, Tridymus, Odorus, Burbidgei, Poeticus, etc. In orchards many sorts which do not 
succeed in gardens will be found to thrive, and we advise that all kinds which do not take kindly to garden 
culture be removed to the orchard or hedgerow. In all 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 on rockwork, and select places in grass; Minimus, Juncifolius, and Triandrus are- 
found wild in mountain pastures where the soil is shallow and firm ; Corbularia and Cyclamineus where the soil 
is soft and wet 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 ; these also make charming edgings. 
Daffodil flowers can be had from January to June, firstly, by planting in pots or boxes; secondly 
planting out-of-doors, in September; and, thirdly, planting out-doors, in succession, from September to 
Christmas. The late plantings give beautiful flowers in May. To flower in January or February in pots or 
boxes the bulbs should be put in as early in the season as possible. 
Out-of-doors the various kinds of Daffodils form a natural succession. In mild seasons, N. Pallidus 
preecox and N. Obvallaris flower early in February, and are followed by others in succession. 
Amongst the new handsome Daffodils found by Mr. Barr, in Spain, N. Santa Maria is the richest orange- 
yellow known, and Johnstoni Queen of Spain is a great beauty, being exceptionally elegant in form, and of a 
pleasing soft yellow. 
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, but noticed 
here to show which groups flower together. First, the earliest are the Trumpet Daffodils, Karly-Howerin<* 
Corbularias, and Triandrus varieties. Second, flowering together— Incomparabilis, Barrii, Leedsii, Odorus 
Early-flowering Poeticus, and Early-flowering Burbidgeis. Third, Nelsoni, Tridymus, Backhousei, Bernardi,’ 
and Jonquils. Fourth, Biflorus, late-flowering Poeticus, late-flowering Burbidgeis, Schizanthes orientalis and 
Gracilis. In the middle season, representatives from all the groups may be found in bloom at the same time 
therefore, those wishing to see our collection, and can only make one visit, should do so in April. 
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, but protected front north 
or north-east winds. In planting, the top of the bulb should be about three inches below the surface, according to 
its size ; but when grown in permanent beds, &c., where summer flowers are cultivated over the bulbs, plant an 
inch or two deeper, and use only the strongest growing Daffodils for such purposes, taking care the’drainao-o, 
natural or artificial, is perfect. F'or beds, the large-flowering Trumpet and Incomparabilis varieties of Daffodils 
are charming, and for edgings, the dwarf-growing kinds, such as Cyclamineus, Minor, Nanus, Minimus, Nelsoni 
minor, Triandrus albus, Juncifolius, and all the Corbularias. The Corbularias, lift injulyand replant in October. 
CULTURE AND ADAPTATION IN DOORS.— Use three to six bulbs of strong-growing sorts, according to size 
of bulb, in a 4 or 5-inch pot ; of 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 
species are most charming in pots. If Daffodils are grown for cutting early in the season, plant thickly, in boxes 
15 inches by 10, and 5 to 6 inches deep, using ordinary potting soil. The pots or boxes s/uiuld 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. 
Let the pots or boxes remain out of doors till full of roots, and top growth has commenced. Portions may then 
be removed indoors, in succession, placed in a moist forcing-house, and plentifully supplied with water, 
care being taken that the plants do not get drawn, from an insufficient supply of air. 
CULTURE FOR NATURALIZATION. — The Daffodil in a wild state is invariably found growing amongst 
grass, and it is our opinion all collected Daffodils and all cultivated Daffodils which resent garden culture will 
succeed in Orchards, Lawns, grass banks, shady walks, and those charming grassy nooks so common in " English 
Homes.” The small Daffodils, such as Nanus, Minimus, Cyclamineus, Juncifolius, Triandrus, and Hoop 
Petticoats, for these make holes 6 inches deep with a dibber, and drop in 4 inches of fresh sandy loam, then 
three or more bulbs, and fill up with the same soil. Larger bulbs, such as Moschatus, Pallidus Preecox, John- 
stoni varieties, Santa Maria, etc., drop in 3 inches of fresh sandy loam, and three bulbs, then fill up. Where 
larger groups are wanted, the turf should be removed, the soil forked up and pulverized before planting, and if 
the soil is deficient in loam add a liberal quantity, but avoid manure; plant 6 inches apart and replace the turf 
In after years if the bulbs show indications of becoming weak, top dress in the Autumn with spent manure 
from an old hot bed. 
Cut blooms of Daffodils are always acceptable, and are in abundance at a season when other flowers are 
scarce. They supplement and associate admirably with hot-house flowers. For between twenty and thirty years 
for three months in Spring, collections of Barr's cut Daffodil flowers have been exhibited at all the London 
Flower Shows and Meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society, also at the Spring Flower Shows at 
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Crystal Palace, Royal Aquarium, and other places in town and country. 
[Barr and Son, 
