574 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
M >y 4, 1901. 
chalice is surrounded by very broad white segments. two-thirds as long as the segments, being very 
The king of this section, Sir WatbiD, with its huge distinct in this respect. 
chalice, is grown in great quantity at Long Ditton. It Sundry types. 
is a medium early variety. Gloria Mundi, with its N. Burbidgei John Bain is one of the most vigor- 
widely bell-shaped orange chalice, still remains a ous of its class, having large, pure white flowers, 
standard sort for bedding purposes. Beauty, another with the exception of the yellow cup. It is largely 
Narcissus Glory of LeideM. 
grand variety of equal size, differs from the last by 
having a yellow chalice. The large starry flowers of 
Frank Miles make it a popular sort for bedding. One 
of the most charming of this group is Princess Mary, 
with creamy white segments and a remarkably wide, 
golden chalice of beautiful contour. 
Varieties of N. Leedsii. 
These are reckoned intermediate between N. 
poculiformis and N. incomparabilis; and are 
characterised by having white segments and a lemon 
chalice, fading with age, almost white, in most cases. 
Duchess of Westminster is a good bedding variety of 
vigorous constitution that answers to this description. 
While inspecting the collection we noted how well 
the colour of this harmonises with that of Madame 
de Graaff, the one showing off the beauty of the 
other by contrast in form. The two are therefore 
admirably adapted for cutting for vases in table 
decoration, the combination being lovely. Grand 
Duch-ss, having a short, wide chalice, was nearly 
over, being rather early. One of the boldest and 
most handsome of this group is Catherine Spurrell, 
having a wide lemon chalice that retains its colour 
to the last. The very wide chalice of M. M. de 
Graaff also retains its lemon colour. Mrs. Langtry 
is one of the prettiest and most distinct of all the 
Leedsii types, inasmuch as it has a deep yellow rim to 
the chalice, all the rest of the flower being white. 
Practically it is a Picotee-edged Daffodil. Beatrice 
is remarkably pure white with a slight lemon tint to 
the chalice. Seedling No, 122, belonging to this 
group, has a short and very wide lemon chalice. On 
the contrary the lemon chalice of Maggie May is 
planted. The wide cup of N. B. Sequin is golden- 
yellow, and the white segments spread in a starry 
way. Of the two parents of the race the forms of 
Burbidgei come nearer poeticus than incompara¬ 
bilis. 
N. Barrii conspicuus is one of the most vigor¬ 
ous and free flowering of the race, and is largely 
planted. N. B. Sensation is an early sort, defined 
by the orange rim to the cup. Dorothy Wemyss has 
white segments and a yellow cup, edged with orange, 
and is large for this.type. Crown Prince differs 
chiefly from the last named by having a very wide 
yellow cup, edged, as in that case, with orange. The 
Barrii race is considered to consist of hybrids 
between incomparabilis and poeticus, being nearer 
the former parent than the latter. 
The forms of N. tridymus are dwarf little 
Daffodils having two or three flowers on a stem, and 
a chalice of medium length. S. A. de Graaff has 
sulphur segments and a golden chalice. A. Rawson 
has a white perianth and yellow chalice. 
N. Nelsoni William Backhouse has white seg¬ 
ments and a yellow chalice, the whole flower 
nodding as in the Swan’s Neck amongst the large 
trumpet Daffodils. The sulphur Hoop Petticoat 
Daffodil was in good form, but the varieties of 
N. triandrus or Angel's Tears were getting past their 
best. The above is only a selection of the great 
Daffodil family grown by Messrs. Barr & Sons, at 
Long Ditton. 
—- ■ . .11 , 11. 
A Bog Oak, 80 ft. lcng, has been dug up near 
Peterborough. 
SPRING FLOWEBS AT KEW. 
Winter has at last left us, although it seemed very 
loth to go, and we have now the new life of spring 
bursting on us after the mysterious winter sleep, 
when Nature lies dormant. But while some of the 
trees, &c., remain in this quiescent state and appar¬ 
ently lifeless, there are active yet minute chemical 
and molecular changes proceeding within them 
which no man can follow. 
In every part of the gardens things are bursting 
into growth. The Chestnuts and many others are 
already cohered with bright green foliage, which 
soon must lose its freshness in this unfortunate 
locality, and become coated with a carbonaceous 
deposit from London’s smoke-laden atmosphere. 
Springtime is a most interesting time at Kew, for 
the mounds are covered with their wealth of bulbs 
in full bloom, and many of the early flowering trees 
and shrubs are now at their best. Here and there, 
clumps of that free flowering shrub, Forsythia sus- 
pensa, are making a grand display with their bright 
yellow flowers. The beautiful clumps of Magnolia 
stellata also are conspicuous features, with their 
abundance of Nymphaea-like flowers. Various 
species of Prunus also are to be seen in bloom in all 
directions, Prunus triloba var. flore pleno coming in 
for a large amount of admiration, as usual. 
The rock garden is always interesting at this time 
of the year. There is something fascinating in its 
miniature flora which appeals to everyone, whether 
they are plant lovers or not. The collection of 
alpines, &c., that is to be seen in the rockery at 
Kew is surprising, when we compare their environ¬ 
ment here with that of their native habitats, especi¬ 
ally the true alpines. Their natural conditions are 
bright and coniinued sunshine for the time they are 
exposed, which is only for a very few months, as 
they are soon covered again with the beautiful 
mantle of alpine snow, which protects them from 
the severe frosts. Here they are subjected to all 
sorts of weather, especially during the winter. One 
day it may be mild and spring-like, tempting them 
to push their buds, while the next may be as keen 
as an arctic winter, with sharp frosts and no cover¬ 
ing of snow to protect them. What they seem to 
suffer from the most in winter is excessive moisture. 
With all these evils to militate against their welfare, 
npwhere can a more representative collection be 
found in Britain than here. 
It is to be hoped that now these miniature plants, 
together with their larger herbaceous brethren, are 
under the eyes of fashion, and the rockery and well- 
filled herbaceous border are considered indispensable 
in every well-appointed garden, that floriculture will 
be lifted up from the degradation into which it has 
fallen; and soon the Brussels carpet designs will 
become a thing of the past, and the Lobelias and 
Pelargoniums, &c , will have to share their room 
with plants of far greater beauty. 
Some of the most conspicuous that are now in 
bloom are Saxifraga ligulata, S. Camposii, S. cae- 
spitosa compacta, S. saqcta, S. opposiiifolia, 
Primula variablis, P. denticulata cashmeriana, a 
very pretty variety; P. marginal, P. Polinuri, P. 
uralensis, P. rosea, a most handsome little plant, 
delighting in a moist situation ; P. discolor, P. clusi- 
ana, P. Facchinii, Anemone Hepatica fl. pi., A. 
nemerosa var. bracteata, A. apennina, Erica carnea, 
Draba bruniaefolia, D. aizoides, Aubrietia deltoidea 
grandiflora, Doronicum Columnae, Alyssum mont- 
anum, Sanguinaria canadensis, Salix ripens, Carda- 
mine polyphylla, Omphalodes verna, a very pretty 
little light blue flower; Brodiaea uniflora, Uvularia 
grandiflora, Daphne blagayana, Synthyris reni- 
formis, Mertensia pulmonarioides, Iris attica, Fritil- 
larias and Muscari in variety, Iberis sempervirens 
garrexiana, Hacquetia Epipactus, &c. 
The little house in the herbaceous ground, known 
as the alpine house, is stocked with a collection of 
these and other rock plants. There is a handsome 
collection of Primulas to be seen in bloom here— 
Primula commutata, P. pubescens alba, P. discolor, 
P. coronata, P. viscosa and P. frondosa being some 
of the best. There are also a few pots of that excel¬ 
lent dark Auricula, Pearl of the East. Other pretty 
and interesting plants to be found in bloom here are 
Shortia galacifolia, Androsace Laggeri, Erythro- 
niums in variety, Lewisia Tweedei and Morisia 
hypogaea, which should be grown in almost pure 
sand, as shown by its beautiful and healthy condi¬ 
tion as grown here under that treatment. Saxifraga 
