534 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 15, 1893. 
The Primrose is associated with poetry, politics, 
and science ; but it is 
"The weak and soft-eyed Primrose" 
which obtains with all these groups. The poets, we 
know, loved it for its own sweet sake ; the politicians 
love it for the principles it implies, and the scientists 
regard it with feelings of pleasure for the lessons it 
affords. So whether it be Wordsworth, Beacons- 
field, or Darwin, matters not to us just now, as we 
are concerned rather with its wonderful develop¬ 
ments than with the 
"Pale Primroses, 
That die unmarried, ere they can behold. 
Bright Phoebus in his strength." 
Without entering here into the merits of the 
"thrum-eyed” versus the "pin-eyed,” it is enough 
for us to observe that both are necessary where the 
highest fertility is desired, and that it has been found 
by experiment and research, that a transference of 
the pollen from the long stamens to the long style, 
or the short stamens to the short style, or in other 
words, cross fertilisation, is absolutely necessary, if 
the most perfect and most robust flowers are desired, 
therefore Nature wants both forms, even if the 
florist does not. 
As gratitude is not a silent virtue, I trust that this 
exposition of my views will give as much pleasure to 
the reader as to the writer, and that this record of 
a visit to Falkland Park will induce others to take up 
this floriferous subject with as much advantage. 
—C. B. G., Acton, W. 
-- 
DAFFODILS AT LONG 
DITTON. 
Some of the earliest flowering Daffodils, even of the 
ordinary Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus type, are 
practically over for the season, having been in bloom 
in the open ground for some time past; but in the 
nursery of Messrs. Barr & Son, Long Ditton, Surrey, 
there is now a wealth of blossom of all kinds, and 
which will be continued for weeks to come, as the 
late varieties, only yet pushing up their flow'er buds 
will prolong the succession. The long continued 
spell of dry weather has made itself felt by the 
Daffodils as by many other kinds of vegetation. The 
result is that the flowers are not so large as they 
ought to be, and the plants are very dwarf. This 
would not in itself be matter for particular regret, 
but the flowers themselves do not last so long in the 
cut state as they would had the ground been con¬ 
genially moist so as to supply the roots with a 
sufficiency of moisture. In connection with the 
prevalence of cold east winds a striking phenomenon 
presents itself throughout the three fields of the 
nursery. All the flowers face the west, and by this 
means no doubt the more tender organs are protected 
from the injurious influences of the cold and desi- 
cating winds. 
Some of the golden yellow early flowering and 
choice forms of the type are Golden Spur, Princeps, 
and Narcissus obvallaris. All three are grown in 
quantity, a fact in itself ample evidence of their 
general utility. A few flowers still remain, and late 
planted remnants of the last-named, as well as 
Pallidus Praecox, are now at their best. A grand 
Daffodil is M. J. Berkeley in the way of M. maxi- 
mus, with a wide mouthed and deeply lobed trumpet, 
all golden yellow. Her Majesty is a paler coloured 
flow’er of similar form. One of the Daffodils of the 
future is Glory of Leyden, notable for its broad 
glaucous leaves, and huge, bright yellow trumpet 
widening up.varas to the lobed mouth. Monarch 
may be put in the same category for size, but its 
ovate sulphur yellow segments and deep yellow 
trumpet show an affinity with those of Emperor. 
The same may be said of P. R. Barr, a magnificent 
Daffodil of the Emperor type.' The segments of 
Mrs. J. G. Baker are small and sulphur coloured, 
and the huge trumpet is of the palest lemon. 
Emperor itself has stood the dry weather admirably 
and is now in grand form as it is in quantity. The 
form of the flowers of the last four mentioned 
Daffodils shows that they belong to the bicolor 
section, differing merely in the pale yellow colour 
of the segments instead of being white. Achilles 
is a bold and free flowering golden yellow form of 
the common Daffodil, No collection of Daffodils 
would be complete without some patches or clumps 
of the Queen of Spain, a form of N. Johnstoni, with 
moderate sized and charming lemon yellow flowers. 
The dry weather, however, has been more prejudicial 
to its welfare than we have ever seen before. All 
the double forms of the common Daffodil are grown 
here, so that we shall only mention Capax plenus, 
otherwise known as Eystettensis and Queen Anne’s 
Daffodil, the sulphur yellow segments of which are 
piled over one another in six series. 
The bicolor section is well represented by large 
quantities of Bicolor Horsfieldi, Empress, and 
Grandis, the last being only yet in bud. Their 
broad white segments and long, bright yellow trum¬ 
pets render them highly popular with all classes of 
people. J. B. M. Camm belongs to the same group, 
and has a long trumpet of a pale lemon, fading 
almost to white with age. It is not yet so plentiful 
as the others. 
Many varieties of N. moschatus are now at their 
best and all agree in their white segments and pale 
lemon trumpet, ultimately fading almost white. 
N. m. tortuosus is characterised by its twisted seg¬ 
ments, and F. W. Burbridge has large flowers with a 
long trumpet. The Swan’s Neck or Wm. Goldring 
has its segments longer than the trumpet and the 
flower stalk very much curved at the top. Some¬ 
thing in the same way is Cernuus pulcher, but the 
segments are shorter and sulphur-white. The dis¬ 
tinction of Mrs. Thompson seems to be its large 
flowers and wide-mouthed corona. A vigorous but 
dwarf variety is Colleen Bawn, an Irish form of 
N. moschatus with large flowers and twisted seg¬ 
ments. The double form of this type, namely, Cer- 
nuns plenus is very choice. The trumpet is 
perfectly full inside, but not split up, and the tips of 
segments are seen to alternate with the supernu¬ 
merary trumpets arranged one within the other. 
The segments are white and the double trumpet 
palest lemon. 
The varaties of N. incomparabilis, for which 
Messrs. Barr & Son are noted, are still very 
numerous and varied. It is impossible here to do 
more than note a few of the more striking and choice 
sorts, particularly such as find favour with planters 
generally. It is scarcely necessary to state that Sir 
Watkin has not yet been beaten for size and effect. 
It is grown in quantity, and although the flowers are 
smaller than usual, this will all be forgotten in more 
favourable seasons. A bold variety of this type is 
Gloria Mundi with a large, plaited crown of an 
orange colour on the outer half. A beautiful con¬ 
trast is offered to this by the white segments and 
pale lemon crown of Queen Bess. Good also is 
Gwyther with a golden-yellow crown. One of the 
choicest, as far as colour is concerned, is J. C. Back¬ 
house with with a long orange-scarlet crown. The 
fault of this, as well as others having orange- 
colouring matter in them, is that they are liable to 
burn with the sun before others of their class fade 
naturally with age. A vigorous kind that stands the 
weather well is Beauty, having a large wide¬ 
mouthed crown of a golden yellow with an orange 
rim. 
Closely allied to the N. incomparabilis group is 
N. Barrii, the type of a section of Daffodils of sup¬ 
posed natural hybrid origin. It is generally accepted 
that N. Barrii Conspicuous is the best of them. The 
broad segments are sulphur yellow, and the yellow- 
crown has an orange rim. It is a vigorous grower, 
well adapted for planting on the grass, and we noted 
ten long beds of it here. Barrii Sensation has a 
longer corona and nearly white segments. Another 
pretty form is Crown Prince, with a bright orange 
rim to the crown. Much paler is General Murray, 
with broad, palest sulphur segments and a soft 
yellow crown with a golden edge. Alongside of the 
above we have another group of Daffodils classed 
under N. Leedsii. They are more slender in their 
growth than those of the N. Barrii type, and have 
milk-white segments with a crown of variable length 
and colour, but generally pale sulphur or lemon. 
Some of the varieties are very choice and pretty, but 
for general purposes a few of them only are 
necessary, such as N. L. Amabilis, N. L. Gem, and 
N. L. Flora. The latter has a long, pale, lemon 
yellow crown, w'hich in many cases is cup-shaped. 
None of the Narcissi are more popular than N. 
Poeticus and several of its finer forms. The pure 
white colour and the broad segments of N. p. 
ornatus make this variety conspicuous in the nursery 
at present. It is the best of the early flowering 
varieties of this species. A succession will be kept 
up till the double N. p. patellaris, and N. p. recurvus 
flower towards the end of May or even in June. 
Closely allied to N. Poeticus is N. Burbidgei with 
its forms. The crown is longer than that of N. 
Poeticus, and has an orange rim. N. B. John Bain 
has a yellow cup and rather broad white segments. 
The varieties are all very pretty, and as fragrant as 
N. Poeticus. 
PAST AND PRESENT—A REVIEW. 
(Concluded from p. 498.) 
Tomatos. 
The Tomato was introduced to this country from 
South America in 1596. It corresponded to the sort 
still cultivated under the name of Large Red, and 
was then only known in a state of cultivation. Ruiz 
and Pavon in their “ Flora Peruviana ” state that 
the Cherry Red Tomato grows abundantly in waste 
places near the sea in Peru, and Joseph Sabine on 
that account considered the Cherry Red to be the 
wild type from which all the varieties of Lycopersi- 
cum esculentum have been derived. 
In 1818 only six varieties of Tomatos were known 
to exist in Europe, namely, Large Red, Small Red, 
Cherry Red, Pear Shaped, Large Yellow, and Small 
or Cherry Yellow, the two latter not being very 
highly esteemed. All were of some antiquity by 
that time, and in addition a White Tomato was 
known to exist in 1613, but had been lost, as several 
others were believed to be. All these old sorts are 
cultivated at the present day, wdth exception of the 
white variety and possibly the Small Red. Judging 
from description, the latter closely resembled Hors- 
ford's Prelude. 
As early as 1818, at least, considerable advance 
had been made in the outdoor culture of Tomatos in 
the vicinity of London. That year having been a 
favourable one in the matter of sunshine, John 
Wilmot, of Isleworth, obtained over 3J tons of fruit 
from 600 plants. The latter were planted 4 ft. apart 
at the foot of a sloping bank of soil, which was con¬ 
sidered the best place for them.- They were pegged 
against the bank into which they sometimes rooted, 
and all the laterals were topped w’hen they met. All 
other growths were also removed as they appeared 
and the leaves thinned out. The plants bore on an 
average 20 lbs. of fruit, and some of them 40 lbs. 
The larger fruits weighed 12 oz. The variety grown 
was Large Red, which cannot yet be beaten for out¬ 
door cropping, as far as weight of crop is concerned, 
and perhaps only equalled by Earliest of All and 
Laxton’s Open Air, which are closely allied sorts. 
The cheapening of glass has enabled the cultiva¬ 
tion of Tomatos to be more independent of climate. 
Popular favour has also encouraged the production 
of varieties with a smooth outline. Their names are 
legion, but it is difficult to find a distinction for many 
of them. This refining of the fruits generally means 
a reduction in the number of carpels and their 
enlargment. Champion, however, is rather a notable 
exception, for it has many carpels. Scarlet, crimson, 
and crimson-red are the most popular colours; but 
the objection to dull red, or coral red as it is some¬ 
times called, of Dedham Favourite, and to yellow is 
mere prejudice, for, where 1 lb. of a yellow variety 
was sold a few- years ago, 20 lbs. can now be sold. 
Fruits of medium size are greatlj' preferred by the 
public, and are now- largely cultivated for commercial 
purposes. Such things as President Garfield and 
Royal Sovereign (six fruits of the latter sometimes 
weighing 10J lbs.) may please the curious, but their 
admirers will not be numerous. 
Carnations. 
We have no evidence to show that the Carnation was 
known to the ancient Romans, so that various waiters 
are inclined to consider it of relatively recent origin 
as a florists' flower. Notwithstanding this we know' 
that Carnations or Double Clove Gillofers (as they 
were called) existed more than three hundred years 
ago, for a figure in " Dodoen’s Herbal," of 157S, 
might well be considered as representative of some¬ 
thing closely allied to the old Clove still in existence. 
The names Coronations, Cornations, and the old 
Latin Vetonicam coronariam w’ould lead us to sus¬ 
pect that Carnation is merely a corruption for 
Coronation flower ; and we are also told that the 
greatest and bravest were used for making crowns 
and garlands. The fact that double flowers of 
various colours then existed would seem to refute 
the idea that the name Carnation was applied on 
account of the flesh colour of the flowers. 
In 1759 Philip Miller stated that the single wild 
Carnation had " long been cast out of gardens." 
Even then the florists divided them into four classes, 
namely, Flakes, of two colours with the stripes large; 
