10 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 3, 1808. 
flower stems show themselves fairly well up. 
Messrs. John Peed & Sons, Roupell Park Nurseries, 
West Norwood, placed the accompanying illustration 
at our services. 
- m*. - 
NARCISSUS LEEDSII AMABILIS. 
The Leedsii type of Narcissus is a hybrid between 
N. poculiformis (otherwise known as N. montanus) 
and N. incomparabilis. About ten years ago or more 
about fifty different varieties of N. Leedsii had been 
raised and distinguished by varietal names. Since 
then there has been a considerable amount of weed¬ 
ing out. and only the finest and choicest remain. 
They bear much the same relation to N. incompara¬ 
bilis, as N. moschatus does to N. Pseudo-narcissus, 
except that the Leedsii race has been artificially 
raised. N. Leedsii amabilis has spreading white 
segments and a long, silvery-white corona, occasion¬ 
ally edged with lemon when the flowers first expand, 
but when fully developed the whole flower is pure 
white and delicately pretty. The several varieties in 
cultivation are well adapted for mixing with cut 
flowers in vases, or separately. Several of them are 
sweetly scented. N. Leedsii amabilis, which is one 
of the finest of its section, is rendered more con¬ 
spicuous when brought into contrast with the more 
massive and highly coloured trumpet Daffodils in the 
cut state. For bedding purposes it should be used 
alone or as an edging to some of the early flowering 
yellow Daffodils. The accompanying illustration of 
this variety has been placed at our disposal by 
Messrs. J. Peed & Sons, Roupell Park, West 
Norwood, S.E. 
" -* —• . - 
• "VK;/ J 
NARCISSUS MOZART ORIENTALS. 
The oldest introduction, F. refracta has a long, 
gradually tapering, funnel-shaped tube, and horizon¬ 
tally spreading segments, which are white, with some 
yellow or orange blotches at the base of the three 
lower ones, and sometimes lightly striped with violet. 
F. refracta alba (see illustration) is the pure white, 
most popular, and most generally cultivated of all 
the Freesias on account of its purity, delicious 
fragrance, and general utility as pot plants for con¬ 
servatory and greenhouse decoration, and for cut 
flower purposes. F. Leicbtlini has creamy white 
flowers generally blotched with orange on the lower 
segments, and the segments are more erect and 
abruptly narrowed into the throat. 
August and September are the months when 
Freesias are repotted in this country, though some 
of the growers for market in the Channel Islands 
plant the bulbs in the borders of early vineries so as 
to get the earliest supplies of flowers for cutting. 
A good compost should consist of fibrous loam, leaf 
mould or a little peat, a fair quantity of thoroughly 
decayed cow manure, and sufficient sharp sand to 
render the whole porous and open. Pots of 5 in. or 
6 in. in diameter are selected and about six bulbs 
placed in each. Some cultivators distribute them 
equally over the pot; others place them near the 
edges. Occasionally large pots are used, and more 
bulbs planted in them. Some growers who pique 
themselves on the strength of their plants put three 
bulbs in a 5-in. or 6-in. pot, and feed them well with 
liquid manure during growth. The result is branch¬ 
ing plants, with a vigour almost rivalling that of 
Gladiolus The Bride. 
When potting is accomplished the pots are plunged 
in cocoanut fibre on a warm south border, a sunny 
position, or in frames, and leave them there till the 
foliage begins to shoot above the soil. The pots are 
then removed to a greenhouse and placed near the 
glass, often, in fact, upon a shelf close to the glass, 
where the plants can get plenty of air at all times. 
Forcing should never be attempted ; nor should the 
lights be kept close in order to hasten the growth of 
the plants, for by so doing they will get irretrievably 
damaged. Allow them to come along slowly and 
sturdily. Watering must on no account be neglected, 
though care must be exercised if the drainage should 
at any time get faulty, as the foliage soon loses 
colour, becoming sickly if the roots are in a stagnant, 
moisture-laden soil. Liquid manure or weak guano 
water may be given twice a week from the time the 
Why this exceedingly beautiful Daffodil has not 
been more extensively cultivated has long been a 
puzzle to us. There would seem to be some little 
doubt about its exact origin, but Narcissi growers 
and experts seem to be agreed that it is a hybrid, of 
which N. poeticus is one of the parents, while we 
should suggest that N. Tazetta was the other. The 
flower stems have the stature and freedom of 
blooming characteristic of N. poeticus, while the 
segments also correspond in size, shape and colour 
to those of the last-named. The corona is larger, 
however, spread out nearly flat, and of a rich orange 
colour. The strongest distinction is doubtless 
to be found in the presence of a cluster of large 
floweis instead of a single bloom normally produced 
by N. poeticus. The segments are pure white, so 
that the bold contrast between segments and corona 
is strongly marked. The variety or hybrid is well 
adapted either for planting in the open ground by 
way of spring bedding, or for forcing in pots for in¬ 
door decoration. The variety ought certainly to 
find its way into a much larger number of gardens. 
The sweet-scented flowers recommend themselves 
for cutting purposes 
Freesia refracta alba. 
Narcissus Lef.dsii amabilis. 
