April 21, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
293 
and fruit also. In the case of heavy soil it is far more important than 
many seem to think that the roots should be close to the surface.— 
E, Molyneux, 
DAFFODILS AND NARCISSI. 
At the last sessional meeting of the Devon and Exeter Gardeners 
Association a large number of gardeners met at the Guildhall, Exeter. 
During the brief existence of the Society the members have had an 
opportunity of listening to most interesting and instructive lectures by 
several of the most practical gardeners in the district, as well as joining 
in the discussions. The evening’s essay was by Mr. Andrew Hope, 
manager for Messrs. Veitch & Son, and the subject was “ Daffodils and 
Narcissi,” illustrated with typical specimens. Mr. C. T. K. Roberts, 
President of the Association, occupied the chair. The Chairman having 
called upon the essayist, Mr. Hope read his paper, which was as 
follows :— 
Who, that loves flowers for their own sake, does not keep a warm 
corner in his heart for the Daffodil of the English meadows ? And where 
is the flower, excepting the Rose, that has been such a favourite theme 
in poetry and prose as the Daffodil 1 That 
“ Perfumed amber cup, which when March comes. 
Gems the dry woods and windy wolds, 
And speaks the resurrection.” 
From Ovid to Tennyson, the sweet singers of the world have stooped in 
their loftiest flights to caress and fondle with a loving phrase the flower 
which Keats truly called “a thing of beauty and a joy for ever.” 
“ How sweet they show to weary eyes 
These hardy, yellow blooms that rise 
On slender, fluted stalks 1 
They need no culture, thought, or care. 
But spring with Spring time free and fair 
O’er all our common walks. 
On meadow green, by leafy hedge. 
In woodland shade, and rushy sedge. 
By little lowly rills ; 
While yet the north wind blows his blast. 
Before the storm and sleet are past, 
Laugh out the Daffodils.” 
Then there are Herrick’s beautiful lines lamenting the hastening away 
of this goddess of the spring. Wordsworth has in imperishable verse 
sung the praises of the Daffodil; Shakespeare and the minor poets again 
and again refer to it; and the present Poet Laureate has often told its beauty. 
It may, indeed, with much truth be said that the Daffodil has become 
indelibly fixed in the affections of the English people, grafted on English 
sentiment, and deeply embedded in the imperishable literature of this 
country. Wherein, then, lies the great charm of this flower 1 Not 
because of aggressive gaudiness of hue, for it can never be charged with 
that. Not because of rarity or proud reserve, for it unfolds its bewitching 
beauty to the peasant as freely as to the peer. Nor does it steal the 
heart away by the subtilty of perfume which many of its coquettish 
sisters of the floral world employ to draw admirers. The charm of the 
Daffodil lies in its quiet, latent beauty, which grows upon those who 
love it, its dignity of form, its graceful maidenly demeanour, and its ever- 
smiling face under its crown of gold. In a country walk in spring what 
more beautiful sight is there than that of a fresh English meadow, 
revealing 
“ A host of golden Daffodils 
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” 
What applies to the Daffodils of the meadows applies with equal force 
to their more refined sisters of the gardens. All Daffodils are lovely. 
Derivation op Name and Country of Origin. 
Daffodil is the popular and Narcissus is the proper name. All 
Daffodils are Narcissi, or Pseudo-Narcissi, but there are many kinds of 
Narcissi that are not Daffodils in any sense whatever, the Poet’s or 
Pheasant-eyed Narcissi, for instance. The name “Daffodil ” is altogether 
English in its association and in its application, and it is very probably 
a corruption of the word Asphodel (from as])hodelus'). Spenser, an 
early English poet, writes of 
“ Thy sommer prowde with Diffadillies dight,” 
And in another passage he calls them “ Daffodowndillies.” Shakespeare 
speaks of the 
“ Daffodils 
That come before the swallow dares, 
And take the winds of March with beauty : ” 
while Tennyson calls it the “April Daffodilly.” There is little doubt but 
that the word originally came from Asphodel, the transition being both 
easy and natural. There is an old English word “ affodii” or “ affodyle,” 
which means “ an early flower,” which would exactly apply to this 
flower. The name “ Lent Lily ” is still more obvious, the plant flowering 
about the time of Lent. It is in some parts of Devonshire called “ Bell 
Rose,” a by no means far-fetched name if you take the trumpet to 
represent the bell and the pistil and stamens to represent the clapper. 
They are called “ Grade Daisies ” in some parts. 
The name Narcissus carries us into the higher walks of literature. 
According to classical mythology, Narcissus was a beautiful youth, 
who one day saw his image reflected in the waters of a fountain, and 
thinking it was the nymph or goddess of the place, fell in love with 
it. But then, as now, the course of true love did not run smooth, 
so, after vainly attempting to embrace the object of his love, he, in 
a fit of aespair, took his life. His blood was changed into a flower. 
The nymphs raised a funeral pile to burn his body, according to the 
ideas of cremation then prevailing, and from the ashes arose the 
beautiful flower now known to us as the Poet’s Narcissus, because of 
the Greek poets having so faithfully preserved this authorised version 
of the tragedy. Another story, equally well vouched for, is that 
Narcissus awakened a responsive chord in the heart of the nymph 
Echo, but he unfeelingly permitted her to feel the pangs of unrequited 
love. Nemesis, in order to punish him for this, changed him into 
this flower. The Narcissus was held to he a flower of the gods, and 
was used to make coronets for the Grecian goddesses. An ancient 
writer says :—“ Ever day by day, the Narcissus, with its beauteous 
clusters, the ancient coronet of the mighty goddesses, bursts into 
bloom by heaven’s dew.” A less loveable association is given in the 
legend that the flower was consecrated to the Furies, and was used 
by them to stupefy their victims by causing them to inhale the odour 
of masses of these flowers until they fainted. In an old manuscript 
in Lincoln Cathedral Library occurs the following : “ Flour of Daffodil 
is a cure for madness.” This, taken in conjunction with the idea that 
the odour of Narcissi caused stupor, is perhaps an illustration of the 
old belief that “like cured like.” Then, again, it has been contended 
that the Narcissus is identical with the biblical Rose of Sharon, from 
the fact that the Narcissus grows plentifully in the Valley of Sharon, 
and that the Hebrew word is equivalent to the current Arabic name 
for the Narcissus. 
Daffodils and Narcissi in their wild state are mainly European, 
although one of the Trumpet varieties—the old-fashioned Hoop Petticoat 
Daffodil is found wild in North Africa, and the Narcissus Tazetta, or 
Bunch-flowered Narcissus, grows wild in the Canary Islands, Cashmere, 
China, and Japan. Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus, our common Lent Lily, 
is said to be the only truly wild variety found in this country. Of 
course, now and again one comes across other varieties growing wild; 
but they are, when careful inquiry is made, found to be escapes from 
cultivation or cultivated roots that have become naturalised. Some 
time ago it was stated that the giant Sir Watkin, though discovered in 
a Welsh garden, was of Devonian origin, and had been carried from 
Bideford by a mining captain named Byers, who settled in Wales and 
took the bulbs with him. I fear the evidence is insufficient. When the 
assertion was made it was challenged, and with a view of helping to un¬ 
ravel the tangled skein I wrote to the Devonshire newspapers asking if 
anyone could find out anything about it. Although that was two years 
ago I have had no reply or communication upon the subject. I asked 
an enthusiastic gardening amateur in the Bideford district to inquire 
about it, but his research is also fruitless. Queen Anne’s Daffodil 
(Narcissus Capax) was supposed to be'of Devonian birth also, but that 
cannot be proved. Although I do not think it the least likely that any 
other species will be found wild in Devonshire than the one to which 
I refer, it is by no means improbable that a diligent search might reveal 
some varieties not hitherto considered indigenous. The Tenby Daffodil 
(Narcissus obvallaris) is a naturalised variety. The most widely spread 
of the family is the Bunch-flowered or Polyanthus Narcissus (N. Tazetta) 
so called from the Italian word tazetta, meaning a little cup, and refer¬ 
ring to the shape of its flowers. Early writers referred to it as the 
Narcissus of Constantinople. It is, however, found in many parts of 
the world, especially in the East. No new kinds of Polyanthus Narcissi 
have been introduced lately, unless the so-called Sacred Lily of China be 
considered one. On the other hand, many new trumpet varieties have 
been added from Spain and the valleys of the Pyrenees. Only this 
spring a new bicolor variety of Narcissus Johnstoni has been found near 
Oporto, and it is said to be very distinct. 
(To be continued.) 
SNOWDROPS. 
I HAVE observed the remarks of Mr. S. Arnott on the varieties of 
Galanthus. These are humble but charming and universally loved 
flowers. I quite agree with him that, by paying attention to cross-fer¬ 
tilising, in addition to the immediate pleasure to be derived, improved 
varieties would be produced, the season of flowering would be prolonged, 
a greater interest would be taken in them, and more grace given to our 
spring flowers. 
I have many seedlings, and although the majority cannot be called 
improvements, still many of them show a departure from the original 
typo. I fear the very early one is gone, but another season may surprise 
me. The first Snowdrop opened its petals on the 10th of February, and 
I have still many in the bloom of youth. I have forwarded the most 
remarkable one to Mr. Arnott. It is dwarf and a late bloomer. That 
gentleman will probably describe it. 
I never was pleased with Galanthus plicatus, which I have grown 
since 1862. Its petals were too narrow, and the flowers altogether dis¬ 
appointing ; but both the crossed and haphazard seedlings are greatly 
improved, being more globular in shape, with deeper green markings. 
Although, individually, the flowers of any variety or genus are not 
improved, if we can produce earlier and later varieties to prolong the 
flowering season a good point will have been made, and exerting our¬ 
selves to accomplish something in that direction will be means to a 
good end.—VV. Thomson, 
