April 3, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
263 
them would afford its owner beauty of a most satisfying kind, even if it did 
not prove a “ joy for ever.” 
POETRY OF THE NARCISSUS. 
Of this I shall say nothing more, since in the first place I am sure it is in 
your hearts, or at least you may find it in your libraries. But I have a few 
words to say in conclusion on the cultivation of these beautiful flowers. 
CULTURE. 
The culture of all the Daffodils and of nearly all the Narcissus is not 
difficult. Most of them are robust enough to increase in beauty from year to 
year if planted at the proper season in well-tilled soil. Some of the dwarf 
and tender species, as N. triandrus, N. juncifolius, N. Bulbocodium (especially 
the paler forms), N. viridiflorus, N. elegans, and N. serotinus, succeed best in 
pots in a cool house or frame. The white race of Daffodils also do best on a 
warm sunny border, but the yellow and bicolor Daffodils, and nearly all the 
hybrid kinds, will luxuriate in the open air border almost anywhere. The 
proper time to transplant your Narcissus generally is in June, July, or 
August. They may be dug up as soon as the foliage has withered away, and 
if replanted immediately in good well-drained soil they do not suffer much, 
if any, by removal. It is a good plan to mulch well with rotten manure just 
before flowering time ; and if you want very fine fresh flowers for show or 
decorative uses cut them whilst they are in the bud stage, and place them in 
water indoors to expand. 
If you post flowers to your friends pack them in the bud stage. You can 
thus send many buds, which will each and all open fresh and fair if placed in 
water immediately on their arrival. It only remains for me, Mr. Chairman, 
and ladies and gentlemen, to thank you for the kind attention you have 
given me. 
An International Exhibition is announced to be opened at 
Antwerp in May, 1885, which will include contributions of plants and 
other horticultural productions, besides the ordinary commercial ex¬ 
hibits and examples of art. It is under the patronage of King Leopold. 
- The charming little rock plant, Primula floribunda, is no 
much known at present, but well desetves attention ; for though dwarf 
in habit and its flowers very diminutive, their colour is such a bright 
shade of yellow, they are so numerous, and are produced in succession 
over so long a period, that it is certain to become a general favourite, 
ft is readily increased by seeds, and is attractive when grown in pots for 
a cool house. 
-The Wimbledon and District Horticultural Society 
will hold their twelfth annual Exhibition in the grounds of Wimbledon 
House, on Wednesday, July 2nd. A large number of special prizes are 
offered by local supporters of the Society, in addition to those provided 
in the schedule, which enumerates eighty-five classes. 
- Ajesa refens purpurea. — An advertisement in a con¬ 
temporary has been brought to our notice in which a plant for carpet 
tedding is described under the above remarkable name. It is quite new 
to us, and we should be glad to have further information about it. Is it 
possible that Aj uga reptans is the plant intended ? 
-The Croydon Horticultural Society’s Shows for the 
present year are announced for June 25th and November 11th and 12th. 
The former to be held in the grounds of Wellesley House, and the latter 
in the small Public Hall, Croydon. At both the classes are numerous 
.and the prizes of good value, especially in the open classes. 
- A correspondent writes “ In the report upon Liverpool 
Spring Show, page 245 of your last issue, a mistake occurs as to the 
number of collections of herbaceous and bulbous plants staged. It is 
there stated that ‘ only two collections were staged,’ whereas there were 
three. Amongst the plants credited to the Chester collection were 
Primula Sieboldi, P. rosea, Narcissus Trumpet major, and Iris 
Beauty, none of which belonged to that collection ; and while 
N. Trumpet major is adopted as a variety of N. odorus, there is still room 
for great improvement.” 
- The Bath Floral Fete Committee announce the following 
■exhibitions for the present year :—A spring show, May 14th ; Rose 
show, July 3rd ; autumn show, September 3rd and 4th ; and Chrysan¬ 
themum show, November 12th and 13th. Liberal prizes are offered in 
all the leading classes at each exhibition ; plants, flowers, fruit, and 
vegetables being duly provided for. 
- Messrs. S. Mahood & Son, Putney, send us a collection of 
SPRING flowers, including pretty specimens of Chionodoxa Lucilise, 
with flowers large and bright blue ; Anemone Robinsoniana, early, 
flowers of good colour ; Muscari pallens, really a pale blue variety of 
M. botryoides ; the Nodding Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum nutans ; 
Triteleia uniflora and lilacina, white and lilac ; the Caucasian Leopard’s 
Bane, Doronicum caucasicum, large and bright yellow ; Anemone 
fulgens, single and double, most brilliant and handsome ; the Spring 
Snowflake, Lencoium vernum ; Iris reticulata, and Fumaria officinalis. 
-The Northamptonshire Chrysanthemum Society’s Thir¬ 
teenth Annual Show will be held in the Corn Exchange, Northampton, 
on November 19th and 20th of the present year, when prizes ranging in 
value from four guineas to one shilling will be offered in sixty-six classes 
for Chrysanthemum blooms, specimen plants, and vegetables. 
- Gardening Appointment. — Mr. John Wyke, formerly 
gardener to J. P. Kidston, Esq., Nym Park, Barnet, Herts, has been 
appointed gardener to Captain Alcock, Henley Grove, Westbury-on-Trym, 
near Bristol. 
- We have received the schedule of prizes of the Caterham 
Horticultural Society, the sixth annual show of which is to be 
held on July 23rd. The report states that the Society has two objects— 
the improvement of the gardeners of the district and the development 
of practical gardening among cottagers. Both these are good objects, 
and we wish the Society success. 
- Mr. W. J. Carville, of Lewes, instances as evidence of the 
earliness OF the SEASON the circumstance of his cutting a bunch of 
Asparagus from the open ground on April 1st. 
- The largest producers of Tobacco are the American States 
of Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The pro¬ 
duction for 1882 was 513,077,588 lbs., grown on 671,522 acres, or 
about 1000 square miles, and valued at 43,189,951 dollars. The 
average value was 64 - 32 dollars per acre. This is more profitable 
than Wheat or corn-growing would be in the same districts. In 
1883 America exported Tobacco to the value of 22,095,229 dollars^ 
and imported to the value of 11,775,596 dollars, or over 50 per cent, 
of our exports. 
- The value of cow manure as a stimulant for plants has 
been long known in gardens, but never until recent years has it been so 
largely and generally employed for plants that have previously been 
considered independent of such assistance. A man who some years ago 
might have suggested giving it to Orchids or Nepenthes would have been 
almost regarded as insane, yet some of the best-grown Pitcher-plants that 
we have seen are greatly aided by cow manure administered in a mild 
diluted form, while most of the stronger-growing Orchids, such as Den- 
drobes, are similarly treated with proportionate advantage. Water 
Lilies are much benefited by a liberal admixture of this manure with the 
compost, and we have heard of one experienced cultivator who is very 
successful with the queen of Water Lilies—the Victoria regia—employ¬ 
ing one cartload of cow manure to three of loam as soil, this apparently 
large proportion resulting in foliage of astonishing vigour and large flowers. 
_ In the Palm house at Kew a fine specimen of Coffea ARABICA 
is now fruiting well, and has a remarkably handsome appearance. The 
tree is 12 feet high, furnished with branches to near the base, and these 
are thickly studded with the bright crimson oval fruits, the total number 
being about 400. Very rarely is a Coffee plant seen in such good 
condition in England, and its horticultural value cannot be over¬ 
estimated when fruiting so freely as this one is. 
_ The old Lily house in the same establishment is being 
reorganised, and it is now disconnected from the Palm house in the 
heating arrangements. A great difficulty has long been experienced in 
insuring a full command of heat for the smaller house owing to the 
distance the pipes had to be taken underground, and this was particularly 
felt when the Victoria regia was grown there. Now a new boiler has 
been placed at the back, and it is intended to keep the house attractive 
throughout the year, instead of having it closed for several months, as 
has hitherto been the custom. Nympbaeas will receive especial attention, 
and the roof will be clothed with climbing plants of rich Ipommas. 
_ New Gardening Book.— We hear that, under the title of 
« The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening,” an elaborate work on 
gardening is being issued in serial form from 170, Strand, London. 
