April 26, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
535 
take to new sweet soil, and the Vines show little effect 
of the change ; on the contrary, as the season advances 
they will show improvement. Not, however, till the 
following season will the real good done to the Vines he 
manifested. The outside borders which have done 
their work probably well and kept the Vines from being 
checked while the inside roots were disturbed, may be 
renewed if desirable, but it is better to let the inside 
ones be established a season or two before further dis¬ 
turbance of the roots is sustained. I have had much 
to do in this way for more than thirty years past, and 
have often done the work when the crop has just been 
removed, which allowed the roots to re-establish them¬ 
selves before their action was again in request to support 
the Vines. Of late years we have treated several vineries 
as above, and the operation has been attended with 
complete success.— C. E. S. 
-- 
PRIMULA OORTUSOIDES 
SIEBOLDI. 
When this beautiful Japanese variety of the Siberian 
P. cortusoides was first introduced it was at once 
hailed as a useful and highly ornamental subject for 
garden decoration. Latterly, however, and especially 
in the case of the new and improved garden forms, 
more attention has been given to their cultivation in 
pots under glass. Even under these conditions they 
have their uses, and prove exceedingly ornamental for 
the decoration of greenhouses. The aid of glass may 
be necessary in the case of some of the more delicate 
Primula cortusoides Sieboldi. 
varieties, but the typical P. c. Sieboldi with its deep 
rose and white-eyed flowers, succeeds perfectly in the 
open air some hundreds of miles north of the Tweed. 
There seems no reason why some of the more robust of 
the improved kinds should not succeed equally well in 
the open air without protection seeing that the leaves 
are thoroughly deciduous. We have now blue Primulas 
amongst the varieties of P. sinensis, P. vulgaris, and 
P. cortusoides Sieboldi. The latter species is better 
known in gardens under the names of Piimula cortu¬ 
soides amcena or P. amcena. 
-- 
LEEKS AND ONIONS. 
It is certain that the fine Leeks and Onions so often 
seen on exhibition tables only represent a small portion 
of the general stock, and one need not adduce that it 
would be profitless work to attempt the growing of the 
whole supply, not only from the vast amount of labour 
connected with the raising of them, but from the worth¬ 
lessness—of Onions, at least —of keeping up a supply 
till good ones come in again. I have never found it a 
great task to keep Onions in good useful condition 
till as late as the end of May. Last season we had them 
sound till June, and our stocks of both Leeks and 
Onions are yet in capital condition. 
Leeks are lifted and replanted closely under the shade 
of fruit bushes, while the Onions hang in bunches along 
the roof of an old building, where wind has had access 
on all sides since the crop was harvested. For keeping 
Onions late, we prefer to have them of a medium size, 
from 9 ins. to 12 ins. in circumference, rather than of 
larger dimensions, and the best we have for all purposes 
are Banbury and Veitch’s Main Crop. Many spoil 
their crops by unduly crowding them, and applying 
stimulants when the bulbs should be well ripened. 
We get plenty of large Onions from the autumn 
sowing, which last to the end of the year. 
A few seasons ago I tried a few Leeks of all the kinds 
I could purchase, and having the seeds from a reliable 
firm, they were distinct, and, I believe, true to name ; 
but the two which I chose for a supply all the season 
through were The Lyon and a good type of the old 
Musselburgh. The ground is thoroughly prepared by 
deep trenching and heavy manuring, deep drills being 
drawn for the plants, which are earthed up by drawing 
a drill between each row when the plants are strong 
enough to admit of it. Liquid manure is often useful, 
but I would prefer doing without it when the roots are 
well down in the soil.— Stirling. 
-•>*<-- 
DAFFODIL CONFERENCE AT 
CHISWICK. 
On Thursday, the 17th inst., the third day of the 
exhibition and the second of the conference, the chair 
was taken by Mr. J. G. Baker, F.R.S., who said that 
any remarks he might make would be from a botanical 
point of view. The botanical history of the Daffodil 
had been made out many years ago, and his ideas on 
the subject were embodied in a paper he wrote in 
1872. Since then the various forms and species had 
been taken up by the hybridist, and now there was 
every intermediate form between Narcissus Pseudo- 
Narcissus and N. Poeticus. Of the former there were 
now something between 200 and 300 named varieties 
in gardens, so that the Daffodils might now be con¬ 
sidered as entirely out of the botanist’s hand. He made 
some further remarks on the freedom with which the 
different forms could be made to hybridise with one 
another artificially. 
The Rev. C. Wolley-Dod, M.A., then spoke at con¬ 
siderable length on “ The Natural History and 
Cultivation of the Trumpet Daffodil and its hybrids.” 
Concerning the Hoop-petticoat Daffodils, he said that 
Narcissus Bulbocodium citrinus was the only one of its 
kind which proved perfectly hardy in his garden. The 
various forms of Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus had been 
divided by some into as many as thirty species ; but he 
considered it best not to divide, and preferred to 
consider all as forms of one type. He mentioned a 
number of forms which had been found naturalised in 
Ireland ; but their history was altogether unknown. 
He considered it most likely that they had been intro¬ 
duced by the monks of the middle ages, and further 
cultivated for medicinal purposes by the herbalists, who 
were the botanists of those days. As a species, he said, 
the Trumpet Daffodil was confined to western Europe ; 
but although Transylvania was one of its reputed 
localities, he failed to find it there. 
It was difficult to classify the different forms, because 
they were of all shapes, colours and sizes, nor could it 
be done by their geographical distribution. He 
classified them under five divisions—namely Discolor, 
Concolor, Pallidus, Albus, and Muticus. The first 
section included all those forms in which the two 
colours were obvious, as typified by the common wild 
Daffodil. Under Concolor he ranged all the golden 
yellow varieties, and Pallidus might be typified by 
N. pallidus prsecox, which was found in the south-west 
of France, extending into the north of Spain. Albus 
included all the forms of the N. mosehatus types. 
Forms had been cultivated in Ireland for the last 300 
years, but their original habitats were now unknown. 
Muticus he made to include N. bicolor of Haworth, 
not now known in a wild state, also N. b. Horsfieldi, 
Empress, and N. muticus, of which N. rugilobus was 
a form. He considered it probable that N. muticus 
might be the most ancient form of the Daffodil. In 
its native home the Daffodil varied within very narrow 
limits, but when N. Pseudo-Narcissus and N. muticus 
came together variations were then found. He thought 
that a white form might arise as a variety, but when 
travelling in their native habitats he failed to find any 
amongst the fields of yellow ones. N. Pseudo-Narcissus 
and N. mosehatus planted together had possibly 
produced white sorts. 
In speaking of natural hybrids, he exhibited a sort 
that was perfectly barren, and found in solitary clumps 
in company with N. Pseudo-Narcissus and N. jonquilla, 
which he considered the parents. N. Johnstoni he 
considered a hybrid between N. Pseudo-Narcissus and 
N, triandrus. Another form, named Mutico-juncifolius, 
was intermediate between the types indicated by the 
name. The wild Daffodil and the Poet’s Narcissus also 
formed crosses when they came together. He then 
gave a few cultural details. 
Mr. Baker, in discussing the new classification laid 
down by the Rev. C. Wolley-Dod, said that botanists 
were obliged to follow the originally given names, for 
however complicated the matter might be at the present 
day, they could not make a clean sweep of old names 
in order to substitute new ones, however convenient 
and more satisfactory they might prove. They had 
always strictly followed the binominal method of 
Linnaeus as the most satisfactory. Mr. James Walker 
followed with a paper on 
Daffodils for tiie London Markets. 
Mr. Walker said it was difficult to get the exact 
number of Daffodils cultivated for the market, 
but he reckoned about 200 named varieties. He 
was sorry to say that Daffodil growing was not so 
remunerative as formerly, inasmuch as there had been 
a fall of 50 per cent, in the prices offered for them 
between the year 1884 and 1890. The highest price 
he had received for Daffodils was 12s. per dozen bunches 
of twelve flowers each, and the smallest price for the 
same quantity was 9 d. ; but he considered it was better 
to take that as a minimum rather than nothing. 
He then went on to treat of the varieties best suited 
for market purposes, and said that the order of merit 
and commercial value stood pretty nearly as arranged in 
the schedule of the Daffodil Exhibition and Conference, 
commencing with the Hoop Petticoat Daffodils. 
Amongst yellow Daffodils, Emperor held the leading 
place for size, colour and constitution. To this he 
would add Countess of Annesley, Maximus, Tenby, 
Spurius, and others. Amongst the Bicolor Daffodils, 
Empress was the best, and J. B. M. Camm was also 
good. The white varieties of the N. mosehatus type 
were a drug in the market, because they did not stand 
well after being cut. The best of them were Mrs. F. 
W. Burbidge and Cernuus pulcher. There were many 
garden forms of N. ineomparabilis, but they required a 
great deal of sifting. The best was Sir Watkin, and 
Lady Watkin was smaller, but had a deeper yellow cup. 
Gloria Mundi and Princess Mary were also good. Only 
a few of the N. Barri type were worth growing, including 
N. Barri conspicuus. Duchess of Westminster and 
Gem were two of the best of the N. Leedsi strain. Of 
the dwarf Magnicoronate hybrids, N. Nelsoni was the 
only one of market value. A few of the N. Bur'oidgei 
type were worth growing, including Falstaff, Mary, 
F. M. Absolon, and John Bain. N. poeticus, and 
especially N. p. ornatus, were indispensable, and N. 
odorus was also good. All the double Daffodils were 
admissible and good, because they had long stems, 
decided colours, and carried well. 
All Daffodils could not be grown with equal success 
on the same piece of ground. Well-proved garden varie¬ 
ties he gave a liberal supply of stable mauure, while 
those which were not yet known to be garden varieties 
he kept by themselves for trial. Daffodils, he said, 
could always be grown cheaper on a large than on a small 
scale. With regard to the cutting of flowers, N. 
poeticus and its varieties might be cut while yet in bud 
and placed in water to open. By so doing they could 
always be had clean, whatever the weather might be out 
of doors. None of the Trumpet Daffodils should be 
cut till the perianth had burst quite clear of the spathe. 
The question had often been raised whether Narcissus 
could be grown in this country as well as abroad. 
After six years’ experience he would answer in the 
affirmative, provided the bulbs were lifted and replanted 
at the proper time. Early varieties required planting 
before the late ones. His practice was to start in 
August and have all the planting finished in September. 
Some discussion followed. Mr. C. R. Scrase-Dickins 
and Rev. C. Wolley-Dod spoke about N. poeticus flora 
pleno going blind. The latter thought that it was due 
to the state of the soil, and that the spathe itself might 
he assisted in opening. Mr. Jenkins, in comparing the 
merits of Bicolor Horsfieldi and Empress, said that the 
latter was the better of the two, because the former had 
a weak perianth and bad habit. Nobody had, he said, 
yet determined what was the cause of the double N. 
poeticus going blind. Mr. F. W. Burbidge and Mr. J. 
Fraser also took part in the discussion. Mr. Walker, 
in reply to several points which had been raised, said 
that weakness was the cause of the double N. poeticus 
going blind, and advocated the giving of plenty of 
manure. With regard to the time of planting he said 
the bulbs should be examined in October, or even 
before, and if they showed any signs of pushing out roots, 
then was the time to plant. Empress had done better 
with him than Bicolor Horsefieldi. The Tenby Daffodil 
did better in Wales, where the soil was free from manure, 
than in the neighbourhood of London. Mr. F. W. Bur¬ 
bidge said that the points to he considered in connection 
with the Tenby Daffodil was whether the soil was well or 
badly drained, independently of the manure question. 
The Rev. W. Wilks proposed’a vote of thanks to the 
readers of papers, and said that the papers would appear 
in the society’s journal. He had cultivated Daffodils 
for twelve or fourteen years, and a more representative 
lot he had never seen than that exhibited. 
