May 10, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
385 
or three years’ time this farm will probably be almost as interesting 
for its fruit as its flower production. 
Tulips. —Just now, however, we are most concerned with the 
flowers, and the Tulips afford such a brilliant display that they 
merit first attention. A series of parallel beds, 6 feet wide and 
300 yards long, are planted with Tulips, several rows or a whole 
bed being devoted to one variety. Each bed contains six or seven 
rows according to the strength of the plants, and in this “little 
plot of Tulips," as their owner terms it, there must be between 
200.000 and 300,000 bulbs. The effect of such a number of plants 
in flower under a bright sun was dazzling in the extreme, and such 
large masses of brilliant colours could not be seen anywhere but in 
what is considered the special home of bulbs in Europe—Holland. 
The varieties grown are not very numerous, but are selected for 
the possession of certain important qualities, such as good habit, 
substantial flowers, clear, well marked, or effective colours, and 
■durability. For example, the early Due Van Thols are found to 
be too unreliable for culture on a large scale, and several other well 
known varieties have been discarded. A great favourite is the 
handsome Keyzers Kroon with its bright red yellow edged flowers, 
and one bed of this was grand last week. Another good variety 
is Thomas Moore, of sturdy habit, with well formed bronzy 
red flowers, a colour much in demand just now. Duchessse de 
Parme is a useful Tulip, very hardy and bearing flowers of capital 
substance, rich scarlet edged with yellow. Rosa Mundi is white, 
edged with rose ; Rose Gris de Lin, dwarf, sturdy, of a soft rosy 
tint ; L’lmmaculee, compact, free and useful, one of the best pure 
white varieties, White Pottebakker being also useful but much 
stronger and taller than this. Proserpine, deep rose, is a well 
known excellent bedding variety, and is similarly useful for cutting; 
Artis, deep rich red, is another capital variety of fine habit; Sun¬ 
beam, very dark scarlet, is showy and even ; Yellow Rose, Canary 
Bird, Yellow Pottebakker, and Yellow Prince are the principal 
yellow varieties, all good, of slightly differing shades ; Double 
Rose being a good double of a pale yellow tint ; Princess of Austria 
is a very late variety with vivid scarlet flowers, compact in habit, 
and comes in well after the others, leading up to the Gesneriana 
varieties. In a favourable season a succession of flowers extending 
over a month is obtained, the Due Van Thols commencing the 
period, but this season the buds were destroyed by larks, and owing 
to the delicate texture of their flowers they are soon damaged in 
bad weather. A keen strong wind soon spoils a large stock of 
flowers, and hailstorms also cause much injury, as every flower in 
the slightest degree defective is rigidly rejected when cutting for 
market. The flowers are gathered before they are fairly expanded, 
and placed in pots of water in cool sheds, where they will last for 
several days if necessary, but usually they are transferred imme 
diately to the Whitton Farm, where they are tied in bunches of a 
dozen flowers each, and dispatched to Covent Garden Market the 
same night or early the following morning. 
It might be added that the beds are slightly raised with alleys 
between, and the bulbs are all lifted at the end of June, planting 
being done in October when the weather is suitable. No protec¬ 
tion is provided beyond that afforded by a hedge on one side of the 
quarter devoted to the beds, but the most tender are planted near 
to this, and the others in succession according to their respective 
hardiness. 
Daffodils.- —^The numerous forms of Narcissi that are adapted 
for culture on a large scale and which yield abundant flowers for 
cutting constitute Mr. Walker’s great specialty, and the Tulips are 
only a kind of by crop. The Daffodils are grown hy millions, two 
or three acres of one variety, and some idea can be gained of the 
stock when it is said that in the height of the season 2000 dozen 
bunches of twelve flowers each can be cut in one week, and as many 
as seventy dozen bunches of the beautiful N. obvallaris have been 
taken into market in one morning, cat from eight beds each 200 
yards long. The beds are the same width as those for Tulips— 
namely, 6 feet, and formed in a similar way, with seven rows in a 
bed of all the stronger growing varieties, but they are planted close 
together in the rows. About one-half of the bulbs are lifted as 
soon as the foliage turns yellow-;^nan*ely, towards the end of July ; 
they are immediately conveyed to sheds, sorted, allowed to dry 
gradually, and replanted at the end of August. Some varieties will 
succeed if left in the beds three years, but others require lifting 
■every year ; in fact Mr. AValker advocates annual lifting for all, and 
it is only the labour and expense that deter him from cariying 
this out as part of his system. The strongest varieties are planted 
3 inches beneath the surface, and the weakest IJ or 2 inches. The 
flowers are alw'ays cut with as long a stalk as possible, and a good 
indication of the respective strength of the bulbs can be afterwards 
detected in the growth of the portion of flowerstalk remaining ; in 
the strongest bulbs it will extend to 5 or 6 inches, while on the 
weakest it will scaicely lengthen an inch. 
In growing such a large quantity of plants the selection of 
varieties is an important matter to ensure a succession of flowers 
over as long a period as possible. This is accomphshed at Ham in 
a remarkable manner in fine seasons. N. paUidus priecox (fig. 49). 
commences flowering in February, though this year its flow'ers 
were not cut until late in March. Then follows the Tenby 
Daffodil, N. obvallaris (fig. 50), which is J a more reliable 
early variety though a little later than pallidus pnecox. 
It is more hardy, and many persons prefer its bright golden 
flowers to the paler tints of the other. Of N. obvallaris 
it has already been noted there are eight beds 200 yards 
long, aU the plants wonderfully strong and evidently thoroughly at 
home. They are two very useful varieties, but pallidus pnecox is 
distinct in one respect—it produces a larger succession of flowers 
than any other. The large trumpet Daffodils follow those named ; 
then come the incomparabilis varieties, which at the present time 
are so beautiful. The poeticus varieties, such as ornatus, are also in 
flower now, the later poeticus recurvus will be in flower in a fort¬ 
night, and the season is concluded in June with the double poeticus, 
the handsome fragrant “ Gardenia flowered Narciss," which is so 
popular. The trumpet Daffodils comprise the stately bicolor 
Horsefieldi, and Empress, Emperor, Princeps, spurius, maximus, 
FIG. 50.->-Ai:CISSUS OBVALLARIS. 
and many others, some of which will be noted in referring to the 
Whitton Farm. Two very beautiful varieties of N. incomparabilis 
now being cut in large quantities are Cynosure and Stella, the 
former with a pale yellow perianth with a rich gold crown, the 
latter with white perianth and delicate yellow crown. Both are 
very graceful, and for arranging in large vases they are admirable. 
The double forms of incomparabilis. Sulphur Crown and Orange 
Phoenix, are also in great demand, and corresponding space is 
devoted to them. The Campernelle and the double N. odorus are 
grown extensively, and the vigorous plants are now yielding these 
delightfully fragrant flowers in thousands. One bed of the Cam¬ 
pernelle is very i emarkable, the bulbs have been planted two years, 
and have ten to thirteen flowers to a root. Several Tazetta 
varieties are included, but they are not in such favour as the other 
sections. 
The graceful Poet’s Narciss, or Pheasant’s Eye, as it is popularly 
styled in the market, is in most demand, and a large space is devoted 
to its best varieties. N. poeticus ornatus, which is distinguished 
by its broad round pure white perianth lobes and orange or red 
tinted crown, is in its best condition at the present time ; some 
thousands of flowers are being gathered every day from the twelve 
beds 200 yards long which are filled exclusively with this variety. 
Then of the later N. poeticus recurvus there are between two and 
three acres, the plants being readily distinguished at a glance from 
the other poeticus varieties by the slightly glaucous and drooping 
or recurving foliage. The flowers will not be expanded for a week 
or two yet, but they come as a most useful succession to the 
ornatus. About two acres are occupied with the double poeticus, 
and these will afford a fine June display and supply of flowers. 
In a sheltered portion of the farm beneath the young fruit 
