872 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 9, 1901. 
they have had with Mr. Barr on the sub¬ 
ject of Daffodils, at length conceived the 
idea of embodying the general history of 
the subject in the form of a pamphlet, so 
that the information imparted should not 
slip into the limbo of forgetfulness and 
obscurity. This has been done and copies 
offered to all the Horticultural Societies and 
Gardeners’ Associations of Australia, New 
Zealand, and to the public generally. Any 
profit that may accrue from the printing 
and sale of this brochure will.be spent in 
adding to the library of the Gardeners’ 
Association, which is open not only to its 
members, but to members of all horticul¬ 
tural societies and kindred associations 
throughout Australasia, who may visit 
Sydney. Here also horticulturists from 
every part of the King’s dominions, as well 
as from every other part of the world, have 
the right hand of fellowship extended to 
them, when on a journey to study horticul¬ 
ture in that part of the globe (Sydney) ; and 
arrangements will be made at any of their 
weekly or monthly meetings to call together 
the members of the association, to meet a 
brother from a distance, provided he be 
disposed to honour the association with an 
address. Should this brochure meet with 
success at the hands of those for whom it is 
intended, the association may undertake 
other hand-books for the benefit of the 
gardening fraternity. 
Possibly this idea caught up from the 
labours of Mr. Barr may be the beginning 
of a career of gardening literature for this 
young association and community at the 
south-eastern point of the globe. To return 
to the Daffodil, the brochure in question 
reminds us that Gerard in his Herbal men¬ 
tions only one Daffodil, Pseudo-narcissus 
of English Meadows. In 1578, that is, long 
before Gerard’s time, we have a description 
as well as an illustration of Narcissus luteus 
or Pseudo-narcissus in The New Herbal of 
the learned D. Rembert Dodoens. This 
work is only a translation of a German 
book, but evidently the Daffodil there men¬ 
tioned was well known in this country, for 
it had Bastard Narcissus, Yellow Crowbels 
and Yellow Narcissus as English names, 
evidently indicating that it was well known 
to the people of this country before that 
time. The Poet’s Narcissus, some of the 
varieties of Narcissus Tazetta, and N.junci- 
folius are also figured by Dodoens, although 
it is probable that the last named figure 
really represents N. Jonquilla. Early in 
the seventeenth century Parkinson described 
about 100 varieties, though some are now 
admitted not to be Daffodils or Narcissus. 
Even after these have been removed, there 
remain sixty to eighty Daffodils, which JNlr. 
Barr says are still in cultivation. From 
Parkinson’s day until the beginning of the 
last century little or no addition had been 
made to the public knowledge on the sub¬ 
ject of Daffodils. Early in the nineteenth 
century, interest in Daffodils greatly revived 
when the subject was taken up in succession 
by Salisbury, Ellicomb, Sweet, Haworth, 
Herbert, &c. Sweet died in a lunatic 
asylum some time after having paid a visit 
to his friend Ellicomb, at Bitten, when the 
Daffodils were in bloom. It was said that 
he got so confused with the number and 
variety of Daffodils that he had to be put 
under restraint when he returned to London. 
Even in Parkinson’s time it seems that “ no 
two catalogues agreed as to names,” and 
amateurs were as much at sea amongst 
them as to-day with all our botanists, books 
and general enlightenment. 
With the advent of Dean Herbeit, of 
Manchester, came the era of artificial hybrid¬ 
isation amongst Daffodils ; for it is here 
recorded by Mr. Barr that to Dean Herbert 
we are indebted for all the beautiful new 
Daffodils raised up to 1884. Something 
like general order amongst the various 
members of the genus was restored by Mr. 
John Gilbert Baker in his monograph of 
Narcissus, given in brief form in his Hand 
Booh of the Amaryllideae. The collections of 
Daffodils raised by Backhouse, of Darling¬ 
ton, and Leeds of Manchester, prior to 1884, 
had passed into Mr. Barr’s hands who 
classified and named them. Then came 
the Daffodil Conference of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, at South Kensington, in the 
spring of 1884. After the conference a 
committee was appointed to put the new 
classification on its trial, and the outcome 
was that Mr. Barr’s classification was 
adopted, and all the hybrids and forms since 
raised have been put under the leading 
divisions then formed. 
An article is devoted to the culture of the 
Daffodil, in which Mr. Barr advises his 
southern audienceto select a position having 
a cool bottom, failing which they were to 
select the coolest part of the garden and 
annually lift and replant the bulbs. So 
long as he could get good flowers he would 
leave the bulbs undisturbed. In a hot 
climate like Australia he thought that deep 
planting would be advisable. Fresh stable 
manure was very objectionable, but in order 
to give the ground holding power he would 
use farmyard manure at the rate of 40 to 
50 loads per acre, and then crop the ground 
with Potatos, Cabbages or other vegetables, 
which would take the stimulus out of the 
manure and the humus would remain as a 
holder of moisture. A light soi^ would have 
to be more sharply looked after than a heavy 
or medium one, and mulching in summer, 
where the bulbs were left undisturbed, was 
recommended. 
-a * -- 
Orchards.—When an Apple orchard is being 
planted different varieties ought to be mixed together 
in adjacent rows to insure cross-fertilisation of the 
blossoms by bees. (See our issue for December 29th, 
1900, page 285.) 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit and 
flower show of the Royal Horticultural Society will 
take place on Tuesday, February 12th, in the Drill 
Hall, Buckingham Gate, S.W. The various com¬ 
mittees will assemble at noon as usual, and at 3 
o’clock the annual general meeting of the society 
will be held at the society's offices, 117, Victoria 
Street, Westminster, S.W. 
The Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. — The 
annual general meeting of the subscribers to this 
fund will be" held at the Essex Hall, Essex Street, 
Strand, London, W.C., on Friday next, February 
15th, for the purpose of receiving the report of the 
committee and statement of accounts for the past 
year; to elect officers for the ensuing year; to elect 
twelve children to the benefits of the fund ; and to 
transact such other business as may arise. The chair 
will be taken at 3 p.m., and the poll will close at 
4.30 p.m. At 6 p.m. the annual friendly dinner of 
the committee and friends will take place at Carr's 
Restaurant, 265, Strand, under the presidency of 
Mr. Herbert J. Cutbush. 
Wych Elm Root.—I enclose a drawing of a Wych 
Elm root which we pulled out of the tennis court 
while we were relaying it, without breaking the root. 
It is 16 yds. long, and was cut off 6 yds. from the 
trunk of the tree, so that makes the whole length 
22 yds. Have you heard of one root being got out of 
the ground the same length without having been 
broken ? — IV. Walker, Purston Hall, Pontefract, 
Yorks. 
[We have seen some very long roots, but cannot 
remember having seen one taken out of such an enor¬ 
mous length. Usually it would cost a great deal of 
labour to take out such a root entire as it would go 
down to some depth and get interlaced with other 
roots. In your case the root, we should imagine, had 
run under the surface of the soil owing to the softness 
of the ground there, or its richness in plant food. If 
you had given particulars it might have thrown some 
light on the case. Ed.J 
Mr. George Macdonald, general foreman to the 
Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, at Bowhill 
Gardens, Selkirk, N.B , has been appointed gardener 
to H Viiliers Stuart, Esq., of Dromana, Cappoquin, 
Co. Waterford, Ireland. He entered on his duties 
early in January. 
Araucaria imbricata Seed. —A correspondent 
writes that he has some seed of this noble tree 
gathered from unique specimens last season. He 
would be pleased o dispose of the same at a reason¬ 
able price, so tha anyone desirous of raising trees 
from home saved seed should apply stating “ what 
offer ” he would be prepared to make, to " A. B.," 
Gardening World Office, 5 and 6, Clement’s Inn, 
Strand, London, W.C. 
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland.—Last 
week a meeting of the Irish R.H.S. was held at the 
society’s offices in Dawson Street, Dublin. After 
some discussion the following resolution, proposed 
by Mr. Ross and seconded by Mr. Bewley, was 
carried by seven to four :—“ That the resolution 
passed by the council on December 20th last (to 
the effect that unless the members and general 
public guaraniesd the sum of ^,100, the spring show 
should not be held) be rescinded, and that the spring 
show with the present guarantee of £64 be held." 
Accordingly, the show will be held on Friday, April 
12th. 
Trinity Grove, Edinburgh.—This pretty suburban 
residence on the north side of Edinburgh, looking 
out upon the Firth of Forth and the coast of Fife, 
has, we are informed, passed into the possession of 
Provost Mackie, of Leith. We believe Trinity 
Grove is within the burgh of Leith, and we are 
pleased to think the old place has fallen the property 
of so respected a gentleman as the Provost. Until 
recently the residence belonged to the late Alex. 
Thomson, Esq , brother to ex-Lord Provost Thom¬ 
son, of Edinburgh. Mr. Alexander M’Kenzie, who 
has managed the gardens so ably for nigh ten years, 
retains his position as heretofore. 
Royal Recognition.—Amidst the multifarious 
duties in connection with his exalted position at the 
present solemn time, it is a pleasure to record that 
his Majesty King Edward VII. has had the grace to 
remember those who have served him and our 
lamented Queen in their various humble responsi¬ 
bilities. On the morning of the removal of the 
mortal remains of our late Sovereign, his Majesty 
personally presented Mr. G. Nobbs, head gardener 
at Osborne, with a gold breast pin in recognition of 
services rendered in connection with the obsequies 
of his late royal mistress. The pin is a crown of 
sapphires surmounting the interwoven letters V.R.I. 
in pearls. Mr. Nobbs has had the management of 
the floral arrangements of the Chappelle Ardente. 
It is such marks as this royal recognition that endear 
the Royal Family to those who have the honour of 
serving under them.— C. Orchard. 
Ealing Gardeners’ Society.—" Stove and Green¬ 
house Flowering PlaDts for Exhibition ” was the 
subject of the meeting of this society on the 29th 
ult. Mr. C. Long introduced it, while the chair was 
occupied by Mr. C. Edwards. Both are well known 
as local exhibitors, and have often been in opposition 
at the annual shows. A very pleasing feature, how¬ 
ever, is the bonhomie which has always existed 
between them—a state of things not always apparent 
when premier places have to be stubbornly con¬ 
tested. Mr. Long, however, dealt with his subject 
suggestively rather than exhaustively, his idea being 
to create discussion, in which he succeeded 
admirably. Of stove plants the Allamanda received 
a good deal of notice ; grandi flora, Hendersonii, and 
Williamsii being much discussed. Bougainvillea 
glabra, Clerodendron Balfouri, Dipladenia amab- 
ilis, Stephanotis floribunda Elvaston var., and many 
others were brought under notice, and several 
interesting points both as to culture and training 
duly emphasised. The greenhouse plants, round 
which discussion centred, were Plumbago capensis, 
Hydrangea hortensis — especially the blue var.— 
Kalosanthes coccinea, Lagerstroemia indica (which 
Mr. LoDg does very well), Brugmansia Knightii, and 
such-like favourites. Soils, propagation, culture, 
&c., were suggestively dealt with, Mr. Long and the 
chairman receiving the usual cordial votes of thanks 
from a well-attended meeting and an appreciative 
audience. 
