May ti, 189L ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
427 
more. Begin with the earliest flowering and finish with the late. All 
my Polyanthus Narcissi ate not less tlian 6 inches nndergr und. One 
bed of Bicolor Maximus (now Grandee) that I took up last summer, 
which had stood three years, in which there were about 1000 bulbs, 
I planted and took them up myself. They grew well, and flowered each 
year to my entire satisfaction, and they were rather over than under 
fi inches underground. Locality, sail, and circumstances must be eon- 
sidered, and act accordingly. A wet or waterlogged soil is very bad 
for them, and a very dry or sandy is not to be desired. 
When the soil has fairly settled from rains after planning, some time 
during the early autumn months I run the hoe and rake over the beds 
once or twice, according to weeds and weather. During the winter 
months I look through all the beds of my choicest kinds, and if I find 
any of them speared through the soil I cover them over with a little 
hillock of dry loose earth. As soon as I can in February or March, 
according to season and weather, I put the hoe and rake through the 
rows, and as soon as the soil is dry enough I press the soil down firm by 
the sides of the bulbs, and if the land is very spongy from frost I tread 
the soil with my feet, setting the top soil free again by hoe and rake 
the first favourable opportunity. And bear this in mind : Get your beds 
thoroughly cleaned before the plants flower. You cannot do it so well 
afterwards, as by the expansion of the leaf growth they are all over 
the beds. 
At the flowering time (March, April, and May) 1 proceed, note-book 
in hand, every few days, recording any facts of any variety of which 
I wish to be reminded at any future time. I generaPy discard some 
every year, and try to keep the best I can for furnishing a continuous 
supply of cut blooms, beginning with Ard Righ and finishing with 
Double White. I find by my note-book that I have eighty-five varieties 
under number ; I have also many kinds in large quantities without any 
numbers. For all useful purposes I might, with some degree of reason, 
considerably reduce the number of varieties ; but variety is charming, 
and I find the sorts do not succeed alike year by year. 
The period for cutting Narcissi blooms has been laid down by some 
to be the bud stage. This may do for some kinds, but it is inadmissible in 
others. Most of them lose colour and substance as soon as taken indoors— 
when I say so, I mean for some few days. I like mine to be fairly expanded 
before cutting, and with a little attention they may be kept for at least 
ten days in very fair condition. Narcissi need no staking, insect pests 
do not trouble them, slugs and snails leave them alone, they require no 
shading, and the first shower of rain will not spoil them, or a slight frost 
ruin all your hopes. They are the most accommodating hardy bulls 
known to me. I have had some bulbs lying in my garden on the top 
of the soil for eighteen months, and to all appearances they are alive. 
I have had some bulbs on one of my windows inside my dwelling house 
for a like period, and they are as sound as acorns ; but experience has 
proved that it takes a like period of time, or perhaps longer, for the bulb 
to regain its normal condition. 
I am afraid that I have said more than is necessary, and have 
somewhat exhausted your very patient hearing; however, if you wish 
for my experience as to the best sorts to cultivate I will give it you in 
very few words. Taking the Ajax or Trumpet section, first and 
foremost of which stands Emperor, Golden Spur, John Nelson, Countess 
of Annesley, Maximus, Captain Nelson, and Tenby. Very many of this 
section are bad growers, notably all the varieties of Spurius; Major, 
Maximus, and eeveral others are the better for change of soil and 
situation. 
Of the varieties of the bicolor section, so far as the flower is 
concerned, there is a very slight difference between Horsofieldi, Empress, 
and what is now called Grandee. Horsefieldi is the earliest to flower, 
closely followed by Empress, wiih a longer flower stalk. Grandee is the 
latest, and taking all points into consideration I am decidedly of opinion 
that it is the best of all the bicolors. J. M. B. Camm is a very 
beautiful flower, and distinct. There are several other varieties very 
much alike to each other. 
I grow but very few kinds of the Trumpet or Ajax section, with 
white or sulphur-coloured flowers. Of the many so-called varieties of 
Cernuus I only grow Cernuus, Fulcher, the double form of Cernuus, 
and William Goldring. 
Incompai-abilis embraces a large number of very good kinds ; first 
and best. Sir Watkin, C. J. Backhouse, Cynosure, Princess Mary, Stella, 
Conspicuus, and Maurice Vilmorin. 
Amongst the white Leeds! varieties there are several very good kinds. 
Of those that I have grown, all points considered, there is not one equal 
to Minnie Hume. Gem, Katherine Spurrell, and Duchess of Westminster 
are good. 
Many of the varieties of Burbidgei are not equal to the better forms 
of Poeticus. Amongst the best are Constance and Beatrice Hesseltine, 
the latter one of the most beautiful flowers in cultivation. Nelson! 
major is distinct and useful and of good constitution. Nelson! aurantius 
is very beautiful, shy of stock, and uncertain in its orange tube. 
In the Poeticus section Ornatus is the most useful, Poetarum the 
most beautiful, and Grandiflora the largest. Amongst the doubles Orange 
and Sulphur Phoenix and Double White must not be omitted with those 
who like them, but they do not find much favour, except the later 
Double White. 
Of the Polyanthus varieties the best is Trewianus. Grand Monarque 
and Soleil d’Or are good and useful. 
The few remarks I have made are the results and outcome of my own 
practice, and such as have given me much pleasure and satisfaction 
extending over a considerable period of time. There may be, and per¬ 
haps are, better varieties than I have named, but I wish you to under¬ 
stand that I have grown all the varieties that I have recommended. 
One word more as to the number of varieties. 1 find by my note 
book I did not put up in my stands at the Norwich Spring Show a single 
bloom of any variety that I exhibited in the year previous. The reps )n 
is obvious—they were not in bloom, the season being late and the Shiw 
early. Only the early varieties were in, whereas last year the Show bjing 
held on the 1st May, it was the latest only that could be obtained 
in condition. So it would appear that for exhibition purposes you mutt 
grow a larger number of varieties than one would think necessary. 
Jottings. 
Orchids have been exceedingly well represented at each of the 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Temple Shows, but the display on 
Thursday and Fiiday this week far surpasses in extent and variety 
those of previous years. The Orchid Conference at South Ken¬ 
sington in 1885 brought together the largest numbm of specks 
ever publicly exhibited, and there were also some hundreds of 
fine plants ; but it is quite likely, when the comparison can be 
made, it will be found that the Temple Show of 1891 has beaten 
even that record. It may be well to recall the chief fac s as 
regards the stat sties of the 1885 Conference. The total number 
of genera represented was fifty-seven, the species and varieties 
number 348. Of the larger genera there were the following 
species ;—Odontoglossum, sixty-six ; Masdevallia, forty-eight ; 
Dendrobium, thirty-four ; Cattleya, twenty-seven ; Oncidium, 
nineteen ; and Laelia, eleven. It will be interesting to s^eo how 
these figures stand with regard to the present Show at the Temple, 
and I shall endeavour to obtain a full list for that purpose. 
Few plants are so naturally adapted for etfec'.ive grouping as 
Orchids, especially when associated with Palms and Fern®, but 
much might be done to render such groups still more attractiv--. 
Examples of the natural style, which at the same time is the mos-t 
artistic, have been afforded by several amateurs and nurserymen ; 
for instance, at Penllergare some years ago there was rockery, Fern, 
and Orchid house of a most tasteful design ; in Mr Smee’s garden 
FIG. 78.—ONCIDIUM LAEKINIANDM. 
at Carsbalton is a house of a similar character at the present time. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sors have a comparatively new house in some¬ 
what the same style, and very beautiful effects are produced. 
Messrs. Sander & Co. also have shown excellent taste in th:s way, 
both by their house at one of the South Kensington Exhibitions 
and at St. Albans, while Messrs. B. S. Williams and Mr. W. Bull 
have furnished similar examples in their respective home exhibi¬ 
tions. A reminder of what can be effected by a little attention to 
the natural ha' its of plants was recently afforded at one of Messrs. 
Protheroe’s meetings, when the branching stem of a tree was sent 
