426 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 23, 1891. 
“ W. T.” says I have failed to prove the identity of Bothwell Bank. 
I can only prove to what I have grown for it, and, as I have already 
said, it resemblei President too much to be distinguished from it. The 
stock from which my plants were taken was received from an Edinburgh 
firm the previous autumn. President was discarded for mildew, and 
I lifted the runners myself ; therefore there could be no mistake in my 
plants. 
Some time afterwards when talking to the head of the firm who 
suppliei the plants, I mentioned my doubt of the variety bein? distinct 
from President. His answer was, “ We supply Strawberries under what¬ 
ever name asked, whether they are distinct or no*'.” It is rather tanta¬ 
lizing when one gets what they suppose to be simething new to find it is 
only what they have been growing for years under another name. 
The Countess, a Strawberry largely grown in .some parts of Lanark¬ 
shire, is too much like what I have seen and grow as Garibaldi. The 
Countess I have grown is a large, midseason, round, conical berry, and 
takes long to colour to the point.—G. McD. 
[A firm who supplies Strawberries “ under whatever name asked, 
whether distinct or not,” should at least take care that their stocks are 
])ure and true to name. The Countess is perfectly distinct from 
Garibaldi (Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury), and in flavour is much 
superior to it. 
Relative to the Bothwell Bank Strawberry, the writer of the letter 
we have received is so competent as a judge of Strawberries, was so 
intimate with Mr. Chisholm, gives such a circumstantial account of the 
origin and preservation of the variety, also vouches for the fact that 
Mr. Chisholm “ never set foot as an employb in other than two gardens 
before he left Scotland ” and Camperdown, was not one of them, that 
we must admit him an authority on the subject in question. He was 
in close connection with Mr. Chisholm from the fiist moment of his 
gardening career till its close in this country, and goes on to say, “ I 
have forced the Strawberry Chisholm brought me from Bothwell Bank 
both early and late, and grown it in most parts of the garden with vary¬ 
ing success. It has failed to take first rank. That, however, may be 
.said of most other good Strawberi-ies here except Garibaldi (Vicomtesse 
Hericart de Thury), James Veitch. Keen’s Seedling, and Waterloo in the 
order named ; so the failure of Bothwell to rise to ‘ first rank’ is no 
disgrace. It is. however, too near to James Veitch in every point except 
bearing qualities to be worth growing here, and if it had not been for 
the way I got hold of it I would have condemned it to the rubbish heap 
years agi. I have no reason to doubt Chisholm’s statement that he 
found the original plant as a chance seedling at Bothwell Bank, and 
knowing his movements so well I do not see how he could have obtained 
it elsewhere.” 
Our correspondent desires us not to publ-sh his name, as he fears 
it wou'd bring him “inquiries from all parts of the universe,” and he 
w'ould not have time to attend to them. He will perceive that 
“G. McD.” was misled, and admit that his explanation and expres¬ 
sions are quite satisfactory.] 
CULTIVATION OF NARCISSI. 
Theoitgh the courtesy of Mr. Albert F. Upstone, Hon. Secretary 
of the Progressive Horticultural Club in East Anglia, together with the 
consent of Mr. T. C. Edmonds of Caistor, Great Yarmouth, we are 
enabled to submit to our readers the following purport of a paper on 
the “ Cultivation of Narcissi,” which was read by the latter gentleman 
at the monthly meeting of the Club held in Norwich on Wednesday, 
May 13th. The Hon. Secretary also read a paper on herbaceous plants, 
and for which we may find room another week. 
I have been asked to read a paper on the cultivation of this beautiful 
.spring flower, in my opinion second to none taking all things into con¬ 
sideration—viz., its hardihood, general adaptability to nearly all soils 
and situations, and the comparatively small amount of care required to 
ensure a fair amount of success. I shall not attempt any botanical 
classification of varieties, anyone who wish to do so will find ample 
means provided for them to do so by consulting the works of Herbert, 
Burbidge, Barr, Baker, and others. For my purpose this evening I shall 
for identification divide them into four or five classes—viz., first the 
Ajax or Daffodil type, of which )ou may take as examp'es Emperor, 
Maximus, the common L<=nt Lily, Captain Nelson, &c. Secondly, the 
bicolor section, perhaps the best for cutting purposes, and certainly the 
most sought after. Of th's c’ass you may take Empress, Grandi'^, and 
Horsefieldi, J. B. M. Camm, and others, as affording a fair illustration 
of their beauty and usefulness. Thirdly, the Incomparabilis section 
and its many sub-sections and varieties, of which we may take Sir 
Watkin as one of the largest and best, C. J. Backhouse, Princess Mary, 
Cynosure, Conspicuus, Maurice Vilmorin, Orange and Sulphur Phoenix, 
Ac. Fourthly, the white varieties of Leedsi, of which none are better 
in my collection than Minnie Hume and Katherine Spurrell. Of the white 
Ajax or Trumpet variet’e.s, there are Cernuus pulcher and William 
Goldring. They are good and distinct. The double form of Cernuus is 
very beautifirl, scarce, and dear. The varieties Nelsoni major and 
Aurantius are distinct and good. 
The fifth section I will call the true Narcissi—viz., the varieties of 
Burbidgei and Poeticus. Of the varieties of Burbidgei, Constance and 
Beatrice Hesseltine a''e very beautiful ; of the varieties of Poeticus there 
are many so much alike, and only worth growing as varieties. The best 
are unquestionably Ornatus and Poetarum. I might say, in pass'ng, 
that the double white, or Gardenia-flowered variety of Poeticus is not, 
as many persons suppose, the doub’e form of recurvus, but of patellaris, 
a distinct and by no means a common kind. Of all varieties of Narcissi 
that have come under my notice the common form of Poeticus (recurvus) 
is in proportion to the number of bulbs grown it gives the least number 
of flowers. The same remark applies, only perhaps in a less degree^ 
to the double form ; the flower stalk and spathe appears, but about 
25 to 30 per cent, never produce a flower. Various causes have been 
stated, but no definite conclusions have been arrived at. My experience 
points to the fact the lighter and drier the siil the less flowers, more so 
if hot weather sets in at blooming time. I noticed last year a very 
long single row of this variety planted near the margin of Ormesby 
Broad, one of the freshwater lakes near to me, where the soil was 
alluvial, and their roots must have been sueking up water. In that 
situation they bloomed abundantly, and of very large dimensions—in 
short, the finest I ever saw. 
Lastly, the Polj^antha, or Tazetta group ; these are not hardy in the 
strict sense of the term, as applied to the other varieties, although^ 1 
have managed to keep and flower them for upwards of twenty years in 
my garden. S ime few years ago I lost several thousand bulbs in the 
third week in March. They had speared through the ground and had 
cracked the soil considerably in the rows, when the frost came down, and 
we had near a week of it, and as a consequence 90 per cent, were 
killed, and the remainder were not worth keeping to recover. Last 
year I had the curiosity to measure some of the foliage of Grand 
Monarque (otherwise floribundus) — viz., 37^ inches long, IJ inch 
wide. Bazelman Major of the Dutch or Trewianus of botanists is the 
best of this section, shy of stock and de^r in price. Soleil d’Or and Grand 
Monarque are two useful kinds. 
I will suppose that the Narcissi have ceased flowering, and that it is 
the intention to take up such sorts as require to be lifted, either from 
their having stood long enough in one place or that they have become 
too thick, either in the clumps or rows. Some sorts require lifting- 
every year, some stand two and take no harm, but the majority will be- 
all the beHer removed at the end of the third season after planting. 
I am aware that much difference of opinion exists as to the removal 
and replanting of Narcissi, but I am giving the result of my experience, 
extending for upwards of twenty years. Do not wait until the foliage 
is dead, or until they have all died down ; they will not all be ready at 
the same time. As a general rule the most delicate kinds—notably the 
varieties of Cernuus and its near allies. Major, Maximus, Tenby, and 
many others of the same section—are better on my soil by being takei> 
up every year and replanted. 1 take mine up as they are ready, when 
the foliage is between green and yellow, and there is still a handhold 
above ground, by opening a trench at the end of the bed down to the 
base of the bulbs in the rows, so that I can see them all clearly before I 
lift them out of the ground, and so procesd row by row, taking a tray^ 
basket, or barrow to hold the bulbs of each variety according to 
quantity. I take them at once to my fruit room ; some I lay on the 
floor, some on the benches, small lots are left in baskets and trays, but 
all are housed at once from sun and rain, and allowed to gradually dry 
and ripen. I might say there are wooden louvres to this buildingv 
and it has a wooden floor, and I ventilate according to the weather. 
When the foliage has decayed so whereby it can be detr ched from the- 
bulb without any force being used to injure the neck of the bulb they 
are gone over, and it is removed, and the bulbs are from time to time- 
turned about. 
The division of the bulbs and the removal of offsets is deferred until- 
just before planting time. They have had time to ripen, and they 
separate with more ease and less injury. I am no advocate for removing, 
smalloffsets. I remove as much of the old rootstock as I can without injury 
to the base of the bulb. Just before, or at planting time, I divide the 
bulbs of each variety, of which I hold a large stock, into three sizes— 
viz., stock, saleable, and offsets, and plant each size by itself. For trade 
purposes this is imperative, but for amateurs not at all necessary. 
The next operation is getting the beds or quarters ready for plantin?. 
For the strong-growing kinds I trench my land, and as it has generally, 
been manured for some previous crop I do not use any manure for them. 
The more delicate growers, such as Cernuus audits near allies and some- 
others, are better grown in maiden soil if you can g t it. In my garden,, 
where the soil is of good stiff loam resting on a brick earth subsoil (not 
clay), they all seem to do fairly well. I think the majority of the 
family, in fact any that are worth growing, will thrive in almost any 
soil of fair quality. I like a situation that is well exposed to the sun 
and air, and sheltered from winds between north and east. I believe, 
winds spoil the flowers more than frost. I have seen them whipped and', 
spoiled by wind, whereas I have seen the flowers and stems frozen and 
they have not been injured to any great extent. I plant most of mine, 
in beds in rows across the beds a foot apart from row to row and 3 or 
I inches from bulb to bulb, more or less according to the growth of 
the variety. Some I plant in clump?; they are those I only retain a 
few for the sake of having the variety—six, nine, or twelve, according 
to size. 
Planting time with meisthe month of August, and finish the first week 
in September at the latest. Narcissi suffer in bulb and bloom by late 
planting—note too early rather than too la’^e. Much has been said andi 
written as to the proper depth for planting Narcissi. In this as in many 
other directions, no hard and fast lines can be laid down. My experience 
points to the fact of more evils attending shallow than deep planting on. 
my soil. I should not advise less than 4 inches from the bass of the 
bulb to the top of the soil as a medium depth for the majority; for the 
small and delicate kinds rather less, and for the strongest something 
