Septkmbku, 191G 
THE GARDEN M A (i A Z I N E 
51 
Seagull, very similar to Albatross, is white with 
a yellow cup tinged a pale orange 
Lucifer, incomparabilis. Large white 
perianth, cup glowing orange red 
Cassandra, a late poet. Cup rather 
small, edged quite deeply with red 
Albatross, a Barrii variety that is fairly durable 
but not overly vigorous 
Incognita I have had three seasons. It did 
not bloom this season. However, it divided 
into an average of four small bulbs for each of 
the parent bulbs; and, if they flourish, there 
should be a good crop of blooms another 
spring. It seems to have decided to live. It 
is one of the best of this class that I have tried. 
Armorel, an early variety, likewise seems to 
be healthy and likely to live after one season. 
It is one of the first to bloom. It is a big bloom 
with creamy white perianth segments which 
overlap and a flat eye, or cup, with a delicate 
edging of pale orange or apricot. It has made 
strong leaf growth. 
1 Blood Orange I can recommend. It is a 
showy Narcissus, cheap enough to plant in 
quantity and furnishes one of the red eyes that 
seems durable. It has pale lemon yellow per- 
ianth divisions and a deep orange cup. 
Circlet I regret to be forced to place upon 
the index expurga- 
torius so far as my 
garden is concerned. 
It won’t grow. 
Firebrand flour- 
ishes, but it is a weak 
ragged looking flower; 
the brilliancy of the 
cup being its chief at- 
traction. Lucifer has 
not done well with 
me. Robert Brotvning 
is a vigorous grower 
and gives a wealth of 
handsome blooms. It 
is creamy white with 
a peculiar tone of 
I terra cotta suffusing 
the cup. It is a cheap 
I Barrii. 
f Seagull and Alba- 
j, frorr are fairly durable 
I but not overly vigor- 
i ous. They are very 
j much alike, coming 
from the same seed- 
li pod. I'hey are white 
with yellow cups 
. tinged orange in the 
It case of Albatross and 
' paler in Seagull. 
Barrii conspicuus, the old standby, is the 
hardiest, most prolific, most floriferous of all 
the Narcissus. It never fails. It is a pity so 
few of the Barrii section have its constitution. 
However, it inclines more to the poeticus side 
which accounts for it. 
THE LEEDSIIS 
.^mong the Leedsii, a collection of selected 
hybrids between Madame de Graaff and 
Minnie Hume furnished a particularly in- 
teresting display. This cross furnishes most 
of the so-called Giant Leedsii. In this col- 
lection were some bulbs that very closely ap- 
proached Mme. de Graaff in general appear- 
ance, the shortening of the trumpet being the 
principal difference with a paler shade in the 
cup. Others were wide and flaring. The 
various forms were all very fine. These w'ere 
known as the Copeland Leedsii, being the out- 
put of an English bulb breeder. 
HOW THE I’OETICUS NARCISSUS VARY 
There are occult distinctions among the 
numerous poeticus varieties but no very great 
differences. In fact, the poeticus Narcissus 
being turned out by English clergymen in 
numerous varieties seem to me to be too theo- 
logical and spiritual in their divergence to be 
easily understood by a material, mundane gar- 
dener like myself. I have been forced to take 
much of the divergence as a matter of faith, 
file newer varieties are improvements in that 
the perianth sections are wider and more over- 
lapping, tending to regularity in the flower, 
and the blooms are larger all around. 
Some have all-red eyes; some are rim eyed, 
and in this class I find some of the finest. 
Cassandra is a late poet of substantial pro- 
portions with a rather small cup or eye edged 
rather deeply with red. Homer is a midseason 
variety with the red of the cup merging into 
orange toward the centre. Horace has a bril- 
liant red flat eye and is one of the largest of the 
poet class. Glory is a cheap rim eye that will 
furnish magnificent cut flowers. Almira or as 
it is also known, King Edward VII, is a beauti- 
ful variety with very substantial perianth and 
a wide eye deeply edged with a rich red. 
Any poeticus is a good poeticus. The differ- 
ence between those selling for four cents and 
those at four dollars per bulb is so little that 
only an expert, connoisseur, dillettante, or 
plain “bug” could or would be deeply im- 
pressed by it. There is little chance of failure 
with poeticus Narcissus in any situation. 
It may seem like painting the Rose or gilding 
the Lily to speak of companion planting for 
Daffodils and Narcissus, yet I think the beauty 
of my Daffodil garden was doubled by a carpet- 
ing of Phlox divari- 
cata and Bluehell 
(Mertensia). The 
Bluebells and Barrii 
conspicuus Narcissus 
seem specially 
planned for each 
other. I'he pale Leed- 
sii waving above a 
mass of the lavender 
Phlox offer a rare gar- 
den picture. T h e 
Phlox does not inter- 
fere in the least with 
the Daffodils and pro- 
longs the season of 
bloom for two weeks 
after the Daffodils 
have gone, d he Blue- 
bell, being of coarser 
growth, must not be 
allowed to encroach 
too closely upon the 
Narcissus territory. 
My main Daffodil 
colony is limited to a 
space of eighty-five 
by fifteen feet. I his 
space includes nothing 
but Daffodils. I have 
given up trying to 
plant anything else where Daffodils grow. 
Both the bulbs and the plants will suffer. 
Screen plantings are the best that can be done. 
Phen cultivate the space after the Daffodil 
leaves disappear, hoe in bonemeal, and if de- 
sired place potted plants here and there to 
cover the bare earth. 
Plant in September if possible, and mulch 
the bed over winter because a frozen Daffodil 
bulb will not jiroduce a first class flower. 
Typical of the modern progress in the Narcissus. On the right is the well known Poet's Narcissus; on the left, a new and 
much improved large form. King Edward VII 
