848 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 30, 1891. 
Auricula hybrid (?).—Eev. A. Eawson of Tallbarrow, ‘Windermere, 
Bent two umbels. One was of the typical yellow form, the other being 
striped with crimson. The latter is a presumed hybrid by intercrossing 
with a crimson Polyanthus. Upon division of the plant in order to 
propagate it the stripe disappears, and the plant reverts to yellow. No 
plant taken from the yellow ever produces a striped flower. 
Grapes Grown in the Darh. —Messrs. T. Eivers & Son sent a portion 
of a "Vine bearing a well-shaped an-d good sized bunch of white Grapes. 
They were very pale coloured, and apparently unable to ripen. The 
rod appeared to have formed no leaves, the whole shoot having been 
developed in total darkness. 
Foliage Injured by Sulphuric Acid .—Professor Church exhibited 
leaves of various plants which were dried, shrivelled, and blotched, or 
streaked with red. They were taken from plants in a hothouse, and 
also from a second, the door of which faced that of the first. The 
injury resulted from the presence of free sulphuric acid, which, there 
was little doubt, arose from some small leakage in the flue. The subject 
of injury by gases will be found discussed by Herr L. Just and H. Heine 
(“ Landwirthsch. Versuchsstat.,” xxxvi., 1889). See also “ Bot. Cen- 
tralbl., xl., 1889, p. 290). The authors consider sulphurous acid to be 
the most injurious. “Vyhen taken into the tissues it is oxidised into 
sulphuric, which destroys the protoplasm, and ultimately causes the 
death of the plant. 
Keempferia Tubers, —Mr. Morris exhibited specimens of tuberous roots 
produced by a species of Krempferia at Trinidad, and used as food under 
the name of Toppee Tambo. Mr. J. H. Hart, F.L.S., the sender of the 
specimens, stated that the small tirbers are preferred, and these are 
boiled and eaten like a Potato with suet and butter. They have an 
agreeable nutty flavour, and are much liked by the people. Similar 
tuberous roots are used at Dominica under the name of Tohhee Tainbo. 
Mr. Morris added that this was an interesting record of the use of the 
swollen roots of a Scitamineae for purposes of food, and he suggested 
that they might be carefully investigated. Professor Church was 
good enough to undertake an examination of the specimens, and report 
the results at a subsequent meeting. 
DAFFODILS. 
Despite the fact that we have not yet lost the cold winds, we 
are at the present moment in the midst of the Daffodil harvest, 
the most useful of all hardy spring flowering bulbous plants, such 
as should be possessed by all who have a garden. For many years 
these charming flowers made but little progress, and it was thought 
the few specialists who fifteen or twenty years ago were devoting 
so much time to the improvement of the Daffodils were wasting 
time and energy. The plants now, however, have a popularity they 
justly deserve, due to the enthusiasm which spurred on the true 
lovers of the flower years ago. Even these in their most sanguine 
moments never perhaps dreamt that there would be Daffodil 
farms in many parts of the country, and not a few were inclined 
to the belief that the whole thing would soon be overdone. Yet 
we still find single bulbs of new varieties commanding five guineas 
each, and others proportionally high prices. Cheap Daffodils there 
are, of course, as well as cheap Orchids, still the high prices 
demanded for many, notwithstanding their rapid increase, point 
to their firmly established popularity. I do not think the present 
fancy for Daffodils a mere passing one, for year by year we are 
being strengthened in our experience of one of the most delightful 
groups of spring flowers. Who, having grown them and realising 
their merits, could spare them from his garden ? 
The Daffodils this year are naturally later than usual on 
account of the season, but many good varieties are fully expanded, 
and the earliest are on the wane. In early March we had the 
tiniest of all the Trumpet section battling with an unusually severe 
winter on the open rockery. A pigmy curiosity this, which satisfies 
a few, and is too short on the stem to be of any commercial 
value. For pots or pans, or given sheltered positions on the 
rockery, protecting the flowers from heavy pelting rains, the 
tiny Narcissus minimus is well deserving to be grown in patches 
here and there. The advent of this is but the forerunner of a rich 
harvest of gold and yellow flowers of sulphur and creamy tints 
with the lemon and white of the bicolors, the pure white drooping 
forms of cernuus and moschatus, all assisting to glorify a genus 
unparalleled either in endless varieties or beauty. Take for 
example the exquisitely delicate and varied forms of N. pallidus 
prtecox, mostly with pleasing sulphur trumpets and segments, some 
long and tubular, others bold and finely developed, with broadly 
expanding mouth, each and all charming ; unfortunately, however, 
it is not one of the most robust constitution, and can hardly make 
itself content under cultivation in English gardens, while in its 
Pyrenean home it grows, flowers, and seeds with remarkable 
freedom. 
Quite opposed to this one in these respects are the showy 
though common double forms of Telamonius, a plant we could ill 
afford to lose, notwithstanding the almost endless variety we at 
present possess. All these double forms are beautiful for 
naturalising in the woodland or for growing in pots for early 
work, for either of which purposes they are extremely useful. 
Then we have some delightful varieties in the Golden Trumpet 
Daffodils, and among these none stands out more conspicuously 
than Golden Spur, a bold and handsome form, wonderfully 
vigorous in constitution, and foliage even broader and more 
ample than in the double Daffodil. The intense golden tint of the 
trumpet in this kind, and the broadly expanded mouth, are points of 
importance in a Daffodil flower on a stem 15 inches high. By no 
means the least of its many good qualities is its free flowering, 
and those who would see one of the very best of all the Trumpet 
Daffodils in good condition should plant this one in rich loamy soil 
and let it remain undisturbed for three successive years. Another 
fine form is Henry Irving, but lighter both in the trumpet and 
perianth, and slightly earlier flowering than the last. 
The Tenby Daffodil (N. obvallaris) must not be omitted 
among the early varieties, and as one of the neatest, showiest,, 
sturdiest, and most compact it should be in all gardens where it 
will thrive. It does not do in all soils, however, though in others it 
grows and increases rapidly enough. N. spurius and several of its 
forms are much the same in these respects, and no ground seems to- 
suit these so well as a bit of maiden loam ; and on an equal footing 
is Ard Righ, an excellent Daffodil in suitable ground, always select¬ 
ing loam and avoiding hot sandy soils. N. princeps is excellerit, 
extremely free flowering, and increases freely ; this should be in 
all collections by reason of its grace and general beauty, while, 
as affording variety, the many forms of incomparabilis, such as- 
Stella, Glow, or even mixed strains of seedlings, are chaste when- 
arranged with others in vases. 
In speaking of this section we could not forget the giant 
Sir Watkin; this is exceedingly handsome, bold, and vigorous, 
possessing a fine constitution and freedom of growth as weU as 
flowering that fit it for any and every purpose—in the garden as an 
ornamental plant of sterling worth, or one of the noblest and best 
among cut flowers. It is such as these that are destined to figure 
as standard kinds for many years. All who engage in improving 
Daffodils should select those of vigorous constitution to work upon, 
and what is yet wanted among Trumpet Daffodils is the unique 
colouring which makes N. maximus famous in combination with 
the vigorous constitution and freedom of flowering of Golden Spur, 
and whoever is fortunate in obtaining such a one will have accom¬ 
plished a great work, and will have added a decided acquisition to 
an already long list of meritorious Daffodils.—J. H. E. 
THE NATIONAL AURICULA SOCIETY'S SHOW. 
It would hardly be correct to say that this was a disappointing' 
Exhibition, although it was doubtless inferior to many that had gone 
before ; but this was what all Auricula growers anticipated would be 
the case. A couple of months ago I ventured to hazard the opinion 
that we should have a bad Auricula season, and this I did, not from 
claiming any prophetic instinct, but simply on looking at past 
experiences. Since that time a long spell of cold north-easterly winds- 
has added another element of disappointment by retarding the bloom, 
so that when heating is not available it was quite impossible to get 
flowers on, and even where it was available it did not in the north 
avail, for Mr. Horner had nothing in flower to send up, althoirgh he can 
and does apply heat to his Auricula house. I myself, although so far 
in the south, had only one fully expanded truss on the .Show day. We 
have unquestionably had of late years much colder and later springs 
than we used to experience. Last year was not quite so late, but I can 
remember that we always used to count upon our Auriculas being at 
their best about the 20th of April ; but it never so happens now, unlesa 
when the grower can apply heat. 
The frost displayed its power in the distorted character of the pips, 
and in the “ out of character ” description of many flowers, and this 
whether they were from the centre of the truss or outside. There 
were plants in the Show, for instance, which it was very hard to believe 
were the sorts which their labels asserted them to be ; while there were 
numbers of pips where the eyes were crooked, the tirbe in some instances- 
being enlarged and the paste angular. This was noticeable, not only in 
second-rate varieties, but in the very best. I have always noticed this as- 
the effect of frost. 
The character of the season had also to do with two other short¬ 
comings which tended to injure the character of the Exhibition—the 
smallness of the truss, that is, the fewness of the pips which go to make- 
itup. Thus there were to be seen many Auriculas at the Show which 
had only three pips. This would delight an old Lancashire grower, but 
I do not think it can be considered a truss. I am n-p advocate for a 
crowded truss, and have never seen one with twelve or thirteen pips that 
would not have been a better truss if few of the pips had been taken out. 
The best and most symmetrical truss for an edged flower is one consisting 
of seven pips ; and an edged one with less than five or a self with less 
than seven I look upon as a defective truss. 
Another feature of this season has been the number of blind plants— 
i.e., plants which did not throw up any truss. This tells of course on an 
