250 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 27, 1884. 
Expet iments in Protecting Potatoes from the Disease. —A sub-Committee 
was nominated to superintend the experiments to be carried out at Chiswick, 
consisting of Sir J. D. Hooker, Messrs. Plowright, W. G. Smith, G. Murray, 
S. Hibberd, Dr. Masters, Mr. Maclachlan, Mr. Bower, and Rev. Gr. Henslow. 
Apples Attached by Fungi. —Mr. Maclachlan exhibited Apples showing 
cup-like depressions. They were referred to Mr. Murray for examination. 
Rhododendron Wightii. —Mr. Mangles exhibited a truss of this species, 
and traced the history of its occurrence and descriptions as follows :— 
Gardeners' Chronicle , 1856, p. 213, “ R. Wightii bloomed at Standish’s, not 
equal to the description by Hooker in 1 Himalayan Rhododendrons ; ’ it turned 
white when open, of a good shape, was 3 inches across, and petals singularly 
transparent. Hooker figured it as yellow with red spots. In the Kew 
Herbarium is a sheet of R. Wightii, signed ‘ J. D. H. Lachen, 12,000 feet,’ and 
labelled flowers white.” Another ref. was from Combe Roya 1 , where it also 
blossomed.white. Herr Otto Foster, of Austria, writes :—‘‘Years ago I had 
R. Wightii \\i h flowers.” The bud scales showed the same rich chestnut 
colour as in Hooker’s figure. 
Primula elatior. —Mr. Boulger showed an extremely dwarfed specimen 
as grown in a London atmosphere, the corolla being about half an inch 
across. 
Proliferous Cardamine. —Mr. Houston showed a specimen haying a bud 
growing between the petal and pistil. 
Flowers for Open Ground. —Mr. G. F. Wilson exhibited several specimens— 
•c.g., a Camellia (planted out in October from a cool house) was in full bloom. 
Sir J. D. Hooker remarked upon the various degrees of hardiness of this 
plant. Primula denticulata with very fine trusses, &c. 
Plants Exhibited. —Mr. Loder brought Scilla italica var. alba, a rare form ; 
Muscari lutea, very sweet-scented ; Chionodoxa nana, <fcc. Dr. Low brought 
two species of Chciranthus, longifolia and mutabilis, which are usually cut 
by frost, but were not at all injured in the past winter; also a Richardia 
with leaf and undeveloped spadix. A Cerinthe major, which for six or seven 
years had borne yellow flowers, reverted to brown, the normal colour. 
“ Blach Spot ” Fungus on Orchids. —Mr. W. G. Smith exhibited leaves 
belonging to Yanda and Cattleya, as forwarded by a correspondent of 
Garden, covered with black disease pustles. Mr. Smith said the sporangia, 
the fungus described under Protomyces concomitans, B., were very distinct 
in the discoloured patches. 
Blach Fungus Patches on Oranges. —Mr. Smith also exhibited blackened 
Oranges, the sooty patches being caused by the fungus known as Capnodium 
citri. 
“Bunt" Disease of Wheat. —Mr. Smith pointed out the fact that the Rev. 
M. J. Berkeley in 1847 described and illustrated the secondary spores of 
germinating Bunt as distinctly septate, like a Fusisporium. Since then, and 
especially after the publication of Tulasne’s memoir in 1854, the spores have 
been invariably described and illustrated as non-septate. Dr. Oscar Brefeld, 
however, in his recent magnificent work on Smuts and Bunt illustrates a 
series of these spores as distinctly septate, and precisely agreeing with the 
original description and illustration published by Mr. Berkeley. 
Corn Mildew and Barberry Blight. —Mr. Smith said in reference to thi3 
subject that the Puccinia of mildew of corn was perennial and hereditary. 
It was, however, not so easy to prove that the fungus of Barberry Blight 
was perennial, as the bush, as well as the fungus, was rare. M\ Plowright 
was, however, good enough last spring to send a collection of Mahonia berries 
on to Mr. Smith, many of which were invaded by .ZEcidium berberidis, Pers. 
Mr. Smith planted three series of these berries, giving each series three 
months for germination. Not a single berry germinated or appeared above 
the ground. Twelve berries, each invaded by HDcidium, were also sent on to 
Mr. B. S. Williams, of Holloway, who planted them under favourable condi¬ 
tions as a test experiment, and not one seed came up in Air. Williams’s pots. 
Mr. Smith has since sent a series to Chiswick, where Mr. Barron is trying 
them. Mr. Smith thought the Barberry blight disease, like the mildew of 
corn, was probably perennial; if so, all the deductions made from experiments 
with plants saturated with hereditary disease should be received with very 
great caution. 
Lecture. —The Rev. George Henslow took the Narcissus as the subject 
of his lecture, which was illustrated by many specimens from Mr. Barr’s 
beautiful collection. 
With reference to the origin of the name, he explained how in Greek 
mythology the son of Cephissus and Liriope, slighting the nymph Echo, fell 
so desperately in love with his own shadow in the stream instead, that death 
alone could release him from the anguish of such unrequited love. The 
Naiads mourned for him, and on searching for his body discovered nothing 
but a beautiful flower instead, which henceforth bore his name. 
Coming to more prosaic matters, the genus, though abounding in “ forms,” 
is, according to Mr. G. Baker, a limited one. That botanist groups them 
under three heads—viz., those with long trumpet-shaped crowns or coronas, 
as the Daffodil; those with crowns of a medium length, as in the incompara- 
bilis group ; and those with a mere rim, as the Poet’s Narcissus. 
Describing the structure of the flower, he pointed out the difference 
between the family Amaryllidese, to which this genus belongs, and that of 
Lilies, which it resembles, the former being known by all its members having 
the ovary inferior, or below the perianth. 
The crown he explained as being a mere outgrowth from the perianth, 
and would seem to correspond to the rim seen in the corollas of the Primrose 
and Forget-me-not. It is not at all characteristic of the majority of the 
genera in the family, the Amaryllis and Snowdrop, for example, being 
entirely without it. 
Double flowers are frequent, and are of different kinds:—1, The corona 
may be filled with a mass of petals, this being derived from weaker bulbs. 
2; The perianth and corona may be broken up and repeated many times, so as 
to form an irregular mass of petals, such arising from stronger bulbs. 
3, The petals may be piled up in front of each other, as in a Rose. This 
occurs in the var. Eystettensis, first figured by Lobelius in 1581. 
With reference to the physiological properties, the Narcissus is more or 
less poisonous, the Daffodil and the Poet’s being especially so, and have been 
used in medicine as emetics. Other members of the family are poisonous, as 
Brunsvigia toxicaria, which is U3ed by the natives of South Africa to poison 
fish. It was this which accidentally poisoned Dr. Pattison, though he fortu 
nately recovered. 
The Narcissus has been long cultivated in England. Gerard, in his 
“ Herbal],” a.d. 1597, described seventeen kinds; and Parkinson, m his 
“ Paradisus ” (1629) figures many and describes ninety-two kinds. 
Selecting a few for illustration, Mr. Henslow first alluded to the Hoop 
Petticoat,” N. Bulbocodium, from the W. Mediterranean regions, and which 
is remarkable for the shape of the crown and the declinate stamens. It is 
recorded that a bulb of this species having been in an herbarium for twenty 
years, subsequently revived, was planted and flowered. The Daffodil, or 
N. pseudo-Narcissus, is probably the only native species of Great Britain, 
though N. poeticus, &c., are naturalised. It is very variable, especially under 
cultivation. The size of the flowers quite justifies the terms maximus, 
major, minor, minimus applied to as many varieties. The colour may be all 
yellow,or the perianth may be white while the crown alone is yellow (eg., 
bicolor), or all white ( e.g ., cernuus), such as are the Spanish forms. 
Double flowers of the larger sorts are common, though that of the true wild 
Daffodil is not. The great double Daffodil first appeared in the garden of 
Yincent Sion of Flandres in 1620. Of the second group with shorter crowns 
the most important is the form incomparabilis, with its many vars. This is 
now considered to be a hybrid between the Poet’s Narcissus and the Daffodil, 
although it occurs wild in France and Spain, for Dean Herbert and others 
have raised it from such a cross ; indeed, he thought that by using the pollen 
of N. poeticus successively for two or three generations the Daffodil could 
be converted into N. poeticus. A new form with a pale rosy tint and witha 
strong scent of Yiolets was exhibited by Mr. Barr, about the size of the 
common Daffodil, but entirely pale yellow in tint. It is remarkable that the 
purple rim of the cup of N. poeticus, with the golden yellow of the Daffodil, 
give rise to an orange tint in the cup of imperialis, just as a purple and 
chrome yellow when mixed on a palette produce a similar orange. 
Another important species is * N. odorus, the Campernelle, of a pure 
yellow colour, with a six-lobed corona, and is very sweetly scented. This is 
intermediate between the Jonquil and incomparabilis. Its native home is 
S. France, Italy, and Dalmatia. 
Of the third or short-crowned section, N. Tazetta is perhaps the most 
variable. The Dutch, even in 1800 cultivated as many as 300 forms. It has 
apparently the widest geographical range ; for if not truly wild there, it is 
at least very largely cultivated in China. All other species appear to be 
limited between Great Britain and the Caucasus. It is the common Poly¬ 
anthus Narcissus, as it bears many flowers on the scape. 
The typical form has a white perianth and a yellow cup; but varies in 
colour like the Daffodil, and may be double as well. The true Narcissus of 
the ancient poets appears to be N. poeticus or N. biflorus, especially the 
former, as it is described by Yirgil as “ purpureus ”—doubtless in allusion to 
the purple rim to the crown, which colour is wanting in N. biflorus. Its 
double form, resembling Gardenia florida, is much cultivated for decorative 
purposes. _ . 
Mr. Henslow also exhibited a dried specimen of the Hyacinth as wild in 
S. Europe, to show the great advance made in 300 years. It is not mentioned 
by Turner, 1548, though Gerarde in 1597 bad both single and double kinds. 
He called attention to two remarkable Orchids, A. Cirrhopetalum, in which 
two sepals were coherent to form a false labellum (see Dot. Mag., 1849, tab. 
4422), and Eriopsis rutidobulbon, first introduced to Kew, where it flowered 
in 1868, but has rarely flowered since. It was found in New Grenada 
“ growing on the smooth stem of a Palm fully exposed to the sun.” See 
Bot. Mag., 1849, tab. 4437. 
SPRING SHOW. 
fGROUPS.—The conservatory was most attractively furnished with groups 
of plants, Hyacinths occupying the greater portion of the space, and presenting 
an array of rich colours that was most imposing. Throughout these were 
remarkable for their fine quality, and very rarely have so many been shown 
so equal in merit as on this occasion. Polyanthuses, Daffodils, and the 
miscellaneous plants shown for certificates before the Committee rendered 
the meeting one of unusual beauty. 
Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, staged the largest group of Hyacinths 
in the Show, which included a very fine selection of varieties, most being 
represented by plants with substantial evenly developed spikes. Light 
colours such as cream, pink, yellow, pale blue, and white were largely shown 
in this collection, but with sufficient dark blues and reds to render the dis¬ 
play attractive. Lord Derby was in strong force, and mostly with spikes of 
considerable size. Grand Blue, King of the Blues, and Madame Yan der 
Hoop were similarly noteworthy. 
The following varieties were among the most striking and noteworthy 
in this collection :— Single Reds. —Solfaterre, rich orange crimson, with a large 
spike; Roi des Beiges, crimson, a magnificent colour, but small truss; Von 
Schiller, well known and very effective; Lady Palmerston, splendid truss 
with large pink bells ; and Vuurbaak, sparkling crimson with large spike. 
Single Blues. —Grand Maitre, light blue with enormous spike and fine bells; 
Marie, fine dark blue ; and General Havelock, rich purple with a good truss. 
Single Whites. —Grandeur 5 Merveille, blush, splendid spike ; La Grandesse, 
charming pure white with very large bells ; Mont Blanc. Single Yellows. — 
Ida, charming canary yellow with a good spike ; Obelisk,rich yellow, and Bird 
of Paradise. Amongst the double varieties Koh-i-noor, a semi-double pink 
sort with splendid spikes, was conspicuous, as also were Garrick and Laurens 
Koster, double blues. 
A group of profusely flowered plants of Azalea mollis, yellow, salmon, 
and rose, contributed to the attraction of the Holloway exhibit, together with 
some richly coloured Amaryllis. A dozen la ge pots of Lilies of the Valley 
with two or three dozen spikes of large bells each, about the same number 
of Narcissuses and sixty pots of Tulips, including such well-known and 
beautiful varieties as the following :—Vermillion Brilliant, scarlet; Ophir 
d’Or, yellow ; Adeline, rose ; Joost Van Vondel, crimson ; Fabiola rose, white- 
flaked ; White Pottebakker, white; Rose Luisante, rose; Van der Neer, 
purple; Proserpine, rose; and Keizer Kroon, crimson and white, formed 
another important portion of this group, while sixty pots of dwarf Cyclamens 
and some large seedling Imantophyllums completed a display of great beauty 
and extent, by far the most imposing in the conservatory, and well deserved 
the gold medal which was awarded to it. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, contributed a very large and handsome 
group of well-grown Hyacinths, the spikes being distinguished by their 
great size, compactness, and large well-developed bells. The colours also 
