September 1 , 1900 . 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
3 
9 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man "— Bacon. 
ijMti 
yp ‘('he Most Jot/ely 
of all Sluing Floulees 
SPECIAL OFFER OF . . 
FIVF GRAND DAFFODILS; 
Edited by J. FRASER. F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER ist, igoo. 
NEXT WEEK'S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Friday, September 7th.—National Dahlia Society's Show at 
Crystal Palace (a days). 
he Flowers that Bloom in Spring.— 
Under this heading we propose to deal 
with all those bulbs and their allies which 
bloom in winter and spring, and which may 
be at the same time claimed as popular to 
some extent amongst the wide circle of 
lovers of flowers. At a fair computation 
we reckon about twenty-three genera of 
bulbous or tuberous plants that would 
come into this category. Something like 
fourteen of them belong to the Lily family, 
namely, Hyacinths, Tulips, Lily of the 
Valley, Solomon’s Seal, Lily, Lachenalia, 
Grape Hyacinths, Squills, Glory of the 
Snow, Allium neapolitanum, Brodiaea 
uniflora, Ornithogalum arabicum, Fritil- 
laria, and Dog’s-tooth Violet. The above 
order may not represent their exact 
sequence in popularity, but very nearly so. 
Next in order come the members of the 
Amaryllis family that may be regarded as 
popular spring flowering bulbous plants, 
namely, the Narcissi, Snowdrops, Hippeas- 
trum, and Urceolina pendula. The Iris 
family supplies Crocuses, Freesias, Gladioli, 
and Iris; while the Crowfoot family certainly 
supplies a widely cultivated plant in Winter 
Aconite (Eranthis). We do not advance 
the fact that all ot the above are bulbs, but 
that a certain proportion are merely asso¬ 
ciates on account of their habit, time of 
flowering, and amenability to the same or 
similar cultural treatment under artificial 
conditions. For instance, the rootstock of 
Lily of the Valley, Solomon’s Seal, and 
Winter Aconite is an underground rhizome ; 
while that of a Crocus is a corm. Supposing 
we were to reduce the above number of the 
more popular genera to a dozen, they would 
include Hyacinths, Narcissi, Tulips, 
Crocuses, Snowdrops, Freesias, Hippeas- 
trums, Lily of the Valley, Solomon’s Seal, 
Lilium Harrisii, Winter Aconite, and 
Lachenalia. 
Most cultivators have their favourites, but 
all of the above enjoy a very wide popularity 
in these islands, many of the most popular 
being amongst the oldest of cultivated 
plants. This is one of the most pleasing 
facts concerning them, and shows that, as 
the world never grows old, because young 
people are always growing up to take the 
place of the old ones, so Nature renews the 
green lap of earth every spring in all tem¬ 
perate countries, and bulbous plants are as 
fresh as ever when their annual flowering 
period anives each succeeding year. 
Writers are wont every now and again to 
recall the Tulip mania as an instance of 
great popularity, the like of which we are 
never likely to see again ; but we regard 
the matter in quite a different light, 
because the Tulips were not loved for their 
own particular sakes, but for the money 
they fetched. Many of the Tulips bought 
and sold did not even exist, so that this 
Suitable for Flower Beds and Borde s, for Pot-culture, to grow 
for Cut Bloom cr to naturalise in Grass, Woodlands, &c. 
Of the following five HANDSOME D ffodils we have 
cultivated large stocks, knowing how highly they will be 
appreciated by buyers when obtainable at a price which 
will alloiv of their being planted in quantity either tor 
effect or for cutting. All are very strong growers and par¬ 
ticularly adapted for permanent beds and borders, and for 
naturalising. The flowers are bold and showy, of good 
substance, and as they last long in water and have long 
stems they will be found valuable for cutting. 
EMPEROR, perianth deep primrose, trumpet rich full yellow, 
very large flower. 
Strong Flowering Bulbs, per 1,000, 140/-; per 100, 
15 /-; per dor., 2 ,-. 
Extra Large Bulbs, per i.ooo, 190/-; per 100 , 21/-; 
per doz., 3/-. 
BARRII CONSPICUUS, a flower of grrat beauty and re¬ 
finement, having broad rich yellow petals and a short cup 
witn a deep margin of orange-scarlet; profuse bloomer 
and strong grower. 
Strong Flowering Bulbs, per 1,000, 90/-; per 100, 
10/8 ; per doz., 1/6. 
Extra Strong Selected Bulbs, per 1,000, 120/- ; per 
100, 13/6 ; per doz., 1/9. 
SIR WATKIN, perianth rich sulphur, cup yellow, slightly 
tinged with orange, very large flower. 
Strong Flowering Bulbs, per i.coo, 120/-; per 100, 
13 /- ; per doz , 1/9. 
Extra Strong Selected Bulbs, per i,ooo, 160/-; per 
ioo,l 7 / 6 ; per doz., 2 / 6 . 
P. R. BARR, a handsome golden-yellow trumpet Daflodii 0. 
stiff, sturdy habit, very free blooming, and of refined 
elegant form. 
Strong Flowering Bulbs, per 1,000, 110/-; per 100, 
12 / 6 ; per doz., 1 / 9 . 
Extra Strong Selected Bulbs, per 1,000, 160/-; per 
100, 17/6 : per doz., 2 / 6 . 
■ BICOLOR GRANDIS, petals snowy white, large and broad, 
trumpet large and full yellow ; late flowering. 
Strong Flowering Bulbe, per 1,000, 120 /- ; per 100, 
13 /-; per doz., 1 / 9 . 
Extra Strong Selected Bulbs, per 1,000, 190/-; per 
100, 21 /- ; per doz., 3 /-. 
BARR’S DAFFODIL CATAL0CUE contains a full descriptive 
List of all the finest Daffodils ia cultivation, including 'he 
latest Novelties c f 19 0. Free on Application. 
BARR & SONS, II, 12 & 13 King St., Covent Carden, London. 
fact alone would prove our contention. 
Tulips at the present day in one strain or 
another are more extensively cultivated 
than ever they were before, their popularity 
being determined by their beauty and utility 
for decorative purposes. 
Beauty, hardiness, and easy culture are 
no doubt three of the strongest or most 
potent factors in determining the popularity 
of spring-flowering bulbs. Recollections and 
old time associations cannot be ignored 
when searching for other causes at work. 
Taken altogether, but more particularly 
for pot culture and indoor service generally, 
the Hyacinth would would lead the way as 
the most popular and most universally culti¬ 
vated race of bulbs. For outdoor work the 
Narcissi would no doubt take the lead for 
numbers and general utility; but who can tell 
us whether Tulips, Crocuses, or Snowdrops 
take any particular prominence, the one 
over the other in popular estimation. For 
bedding purposes or outdoor display 
generally, the Tulips, in their multifarious 
forms, are the most effective. 
There are several species of Hyacinth in 
cultivation, but Hyacinthus orientals, a 
native of the Mediterranean Region, stands 
head and shoulders above all others as the 
showiest, most variable and most widely 
cultivated species. It has undergone no 
hybridisation at the hands of cultivators 
and raisers, but is, pure and simple, the 
result of cross-breeding, seed-sowing, and 
selection through a long roll of years and 
generations. The Roman Hyacinth of 
commerce, so-called, is merely an early 
flowering variety of the Oriental Hyacinth. 
Hyacinthus romanus is quite a different 
thing, being a small flowered and unpre¬ 
tentious-looking species that seldom shows 
its face outside of botanic gardens. There 
are, however, two tiny but lovely blue- 
FOR 
EARLY FORCING. 
Veitch’sHyacinths 
FOR 
POT CULTURE. 
Veitch’s Tulips 
FOR 
POT CULTURE. 
UNEQUALLED FOR QUALITY. 
LOWEST PRICES. 
For details see Catalogue, forwarded gratis and 
tost free on applicafi n. 
flowered species that cultivators ought not 
to overlook. These are Hyacinthus ame- 
thystinus and H. azureus, the specific names 
of which indicate the colour of the tiny 
bell-shaped flowers. The last-named is 
often classed amongst the Grape Hyacinths 
(Muscari), but it is a true Hyacinth, 
because the corolla is not contracted at the 
mouth as in Muscari. 
The Narcissi include several species, 
many varieties and hybrids, even if we 
confine the list to the truly popular sorts. 
All the trumpet Daffodils are regarded by 
many good botanists as forms of N. Pseudo¬ 
narcissus. Then we have Peerless 
Daffodils, Jonquils, Campernelles, Polyan¬ 
thus Narcissi, Poet’s Narcissi, and others, 
all very distinct in their way. For general 
utility and extensive cultivation in several 
well-marked garden races Tulipagesneriana 
takes the lead amongst Tulips, as it is the 
oldest, and has always been the most 
popular species. There are many garden 
forms or sub species of it, however, whose 
pedigree no man can unravel or relate. 
Many other true and distinct species, how¬ 
ever, have been.collected and brought home 
from their native wilds to do duty in garden 
decoration. Some of the most handsome of 
them are exceedingly difficult to cultivate 
and preserve for any length of time in 
gardens, and have frequently to be re-im¬ 
ported. Others, however, have evidently 
come to stay, and cultivators would do well 
to affect improvements upon them. The 
raising of garden forms has much to recom¬ 
mend it, because by such means r.ew and 
beautiful races may be developed that will 
take a permanent place in gardens, 
Plants so raised are often of more easy 
culture and more durable than their 
parents. Tulipa Greigi, T.. Eichleri, T.. 
kolpakowMfiana, and T. strangulata are 
