34 
prophetic prescience, have issued a little green covered book called 
“ The Latest Hobby,” but which is really a pamphlet which might 
well be dubbed “ Seedling Raising Explained and Made Easy for 
Ordinary F'olk.’’ What to do and what not to do is made clear. The 
best seed bearers and pollen parents are indicated, and full cultural 
details are given, from the time of sowing the seed till, after the 
lapse of from five to seven years, the sower is rewarded by a flower. 
In olden days men in humble spheres of life took a deep and often 
a successful interest in this cult. John Horsfield, a Lancashire weaver, 
it must not be forgotten, raised Horsfieldii (and this is still one of our 
best bicolors) in the ’fifties of last century with but slender resources. 
What he accomplished then can be done to-day in the smallest of 
gardens, provided, of course, the necessary requisites of knowledge 
and patience are among the owner’s stock in trade. 
Joseph Jacob. 
“THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE,” May 8th, 1909. 
WORCESTERSHIRE DAFFODILS. 
A few days after the Birmingham Daffodil show, I was afforded 
an opportunity of inspecting Mr. Arthur Goodwin’s Narcissi, which 
are grown in a garden on the high ground near Kidderminster, com- 
manding an extensive view over the Severn Valley, and situated at an 
altitude of 500 feet above sea-level. The soil, which is of fertile loam 
interspersed with small nodules of sandstone, is excellently adapted 
to Daffodil culture, as the plants were all in the most perfect health 
and bore flowers of very large size. Messrs. Cartwright and Goodwin 
were very successful at Birmingham, winning the Champion prize 
for the greatest number of points and exhibiting several remarkable 
flowers, among which were Giraffe, Scarlet Gem, a new seedling 
between Horace and Jaune A. Merveille, and the double Red and Gold, 
all of which received Awards of Merit, as well as Chloe, Lemon Star, 
Inga and Evangeline. Mr. Goodwin must, at the present moment, 
have fully 50,000 seedlings raised from the best varieties, that have 
not yet flowered. M. J. Berkeley, a variety that sometimes proves 
difficult to grow, was in the best of health with deep blue-green 
foliage, and was bearing seed ; Golden Spur, fertilised with special 
pollen, had the seed-pods well formed. A batch of Lucifer seedlings 
were flowering for the first time, some being very brilliant in the 
colouring of their cups. Glory of Noordwijk, Weardale Perfection, 
and Emperor were bearing enormous flowers, and Lady Margaret 
Boscawen was exceptionally fine; a seedling between the last-named 
variety and N. calathinus bearing three flowers on a stem, was very 
pretty. A cross between Madame de Graaff and Minnie Ilume showed 
a distinct break in having the trumpet edged with apricot. A very 
beautiful picture was presented by thousands of the delicate white 
Waterwitch with drooping blossoms swaying in the breeze. Madame 
de Graaff was doing very well, and Princess Ena (Award of 
Merit, R.H.S.I was very similar in appearance. A beautiful flower 
with a flat, white perianth and green-centred cup edged with glowing 
orange, was a hybrid between N. Bernardii, from the Pyrenees, and a 
variety of N. Poeticus. Circlet, which obtained an Award of Merit 
