26 8 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Oc'cber 6 I88T. 
of the commonest of all the race, I mean the old double 
Daffodil of gardens, N. Telemonius fl.-pl. The great 
demand for this variety alone is in itself sufficient proof 
of the growing taste for flowers, and how eagerly even the 
most commonplace plants are sought after when it is 
found that they may be produced much earlier than is 
their wont by growing them in slight warmth. The reason 
probably why this particular variety has so quickly gained 
the favour of the flower-loving public is on account of 
its noble flower and rich colour, a colour, too, which 
seems to find many admirers at the present time; and 
since it is readily produced in quantity early in the year, 
when flowers are so much needed, there is every pro¬ 
bability of it proving serviceable, and well managed it may 
be had for weeks in succession. 
Leaving the gold and yellow forms we will just take 
a glance at some of the most prominent of the N. bicolor 
group. Collectively this is a grand section and one always 
-admired, and that deservedly. The whole of this group 
is distinguished by having a white and sometimes a 
sulphur or primrose-coloured perianth ai'ound a golden 
cup or crown, and it is not saying too much when I state 
that all are good. The best to be found in the type 
are N. bicolor, and such varieties as N. b. Horsefieldi, 
N. b. Emp ress. All of these are most telling flowers, 
Last in flower of this section is N. b. grandis (maximus), 
an immense flower with pure white well imbricated 
perianth and bold yellow trumpet; but the most useful, 
perhaps, is Horsefieldi, which is not only one of the best 
of its kind, but also one of the best in the whole 
army of spring bulbs. This may readily be flowered in 
March if potted early and placed in cold frames till the 
end of January, and thus treated it will not be likely to 
suffer, as it will then come on sufficiently fast in an 
ordinary greenhouse. In the N. lorifolius group we have 
good well-known varieties in Emperor and rugilobus, and 
well suited to pots. 
Large numbers of varieties are also found in the 
N. incomparabilis section, but taken as a whole, while 
it includes many valuable forms and pleasing tints, it is 
perhaps the least suited to pot culture under glass. This 
is perhaps mainly due to the general want of substance in 
the perianth segments, as these when brought on in heat 
quickly shrivel when used as cut flowers; therefore 
1 do not recommend them. They may, however, be grown 
in cold frames or in sheltered positions out of doors, and 
especially so the mixed seedlings of the commoner forms, 
and thus grown they are very useful, and as a whole freely 
flowered. 
Amongst the true Narcissi, of which portions may be 
regarded as typical, we have some of the most useful of 
all, admired alike for their fragrance as well as for their 
general decorative value. In the first place they may be 
divided into early and late groups, the best of the former 
being N. p. ornatus, which flower naturally in March and 
April, while in the latter we find N. poeticus and N. 
poeticus recurvus, both single forms, and the double 
white Gardenia-flowered Narcissus, N. poeticus fl.-pl., 
which flower in May. To select an individual from these 
no one having previous experience would do other than 
name ornatus, for of this hundreds of thousands are 
annually distributed from Covent Garden Market alone. 
The pure white perianth is of good substance and well 
formed, in some flowers they are somewhat imbricated, 
the cup being narrowly margined with scarlet. With 
good and careful treatment this may be had in flower 
from January onwards, and it well repays good culture. 
Of the Double White I cannot say much as to its forcing 
properties, for I have not given it sufficient trial in 
quantity. One thing is certain, well established bulbs, 
must be had or the buds will go blind in the scape prior 
to expansion. It is, however, excellent out of doors when 
established, and to those already named, which include- 
some of each group suited to the above named purpose, 
may be added a selection of the forms of N. Tazetta, all 
of which are useful, and have in the great majority of 
instances powerfully fragrant flowers.— Narcissophile. 
PLUMS UNDER GLASS. 
Through the vicissitudes of our climate the cultivation of the 
choicer Plums outdoors is uncertain. There is the danger of loss 
of crop from frost or prolonged cold, sunless, and it may be, wet 
weather at the flowering period, which so interferes with the 
development of the blossom as to result in imperfect fertilisation. 
There is also the liability of the fruit to crack when ripening,, 
especially if rain follow a period of prolonged dry weather, which 
so mars the appearance of the fruit and invites the attacks of 
wasps and bluebottle flies as to render it unfit for dessert. There 
are other conditions, as, for instance, a cold, wet, sunless season, 
which prevents that perfection so much coveted alike for the 
fruit of the current season and in the wood and buds for the 
succeeding year’s crop. The fruit will fall through the imperfect- 
fertilisation in the early stages of swelling. 
I consider Plums are much richer and more desirable than 
Apricots, Peaches, and Nectarines. The choicer Plums are simply 
“ sweetmeats,” but they never attain to as great a certainty of 
perfection of crop, size, and quality outdoors as under glass. True, 
very much finer fruits are had from trees against walls, and much 
can be done by protecting the blossom in an unfavourable spring, 
or by the use of glass copings when the fruit is ripening, yet there 
is a great difference even between that grown against walls and 
that grown entirely under glass, even in a season like the one 
drawing to a close. There is no reason why Plums should not be 
grown much more extensively under glass, but it is very desirable 
that only the finest, alike in appearance and quality, be grown. 
Select those of the very best quality only. I have charge of a 
case 100 feet long erected against a wall with a south-east by south 
aspect. The wall is 12 feet high, and the case is 6 feet wide, having 
3 feet upright front lights and those open for ventilation, as well 
as a similar width of top-lights, and the roof or sloping lights are 
moveable, so that the trees can be exposed to the winter’s enriching 
influence of rain and snow, the border getting thoroughly moistened, 
and by keeping off until the buds are moving there is less reason 
to apprehend damage from spring frosts. The trees are trained to 
the back wall only, but up the front to a height of about 6 feet. 
Tomatoes are planted about 18 inches apart, and trained single 
cordon style, on which the fruit hangs like “ ropes of Onions.”" 
Acme, Hackwood Park, and Excelsior are the sorts grown, and my 
opinion of them in merit is in the order named. Only a few 
varieties of Plums are grown ; indeed the trees are fan-trained, so- 
that there is not room for many trees. Green Gage is the earliest, 
followed by Jefferson, then Transparent Gage, Coe’s Golden Drop, 
and Guthrie’s Late. There is anoiher variety, probably Decaisne, 
which ripens in advance of Coe’s Golden Drop, otherwise the 
similarity is strong. The trees occupy the whole of the back wall 
of the case. 
The soil is a rather strong loam interspersed with flints, the 
subsoil clay, the “ formation ” chalk. As regards cultivation, it 
does not differ materially from that afforded trees against walls- 
outdoors, only there is the necessity of watering and syringing to 
keep aphides and red spider in check. Feeding can be carried out 
to any extent, and mulching will save much watering, besides- 
encouraging surface roots. When ripening, water must be kept 
from the fruit, and the house freely ventilated, as a moist stagnant 
atmosphere is fatal to perfect finish. What I wish particularly to 
note is the greater firmness of flesh Plums assume when grown 
under glass as compared with similar varieties grown outdoors, and. 
their increased richness.—A Gardener. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
I WOULD suggest that you find room, under this heading, for any 
notes sent you from this time forward, as in former years. No two- 
seasons are alike, and even the same variety will differ from year 
to year. The present should have been a capital year for ripening 
the wood, which—all things else being satisfactory—is generally 
considered the forerunner of superior blooms. Yet many growers 
both for show and decorative purposes complain of insects and other 
