April 11, 1903. 
THE GARDEN/NG WORLD. 
313 
Round the Nurseries. 
Daffodils at Long Ditton. 
Annually, as the season comes round, we, like many others, 
make a pilgrimage to see the Daffodils in the Long Ditton 
Nurseries of Messrs, Barr & Sons, King Street, Covent Garden. 
On one of the finest days of this month we paid our accus¬ 
tomed i isit, and found that many others had chosen the same 
day, but that is likely to happen every day now till the Daffo¬ 
dils have passed out of bloom. Last year our visit was made 
just three weeks later, which would represent the relative 
earliness of this season as compared with the last. 
On arrival there we found that the early varieties had 
passed out of bloom, or were fast, preparing to do- so, while 
the mid-season ones were practically at their best, and waved 
joyously in the April bi'eezes. March, however, had been a 
cruel month for the Daffodils, many of which were tom to 
shreds by the boisterous showers of hail. At a little distance 
the damage was not perceptible, and the mischief cannot be 
leahsed until one begins to pick flowers to place in water in¬ 
doors. Those, however, which were still in bud were not 
harmed, and a fair harvest of flowers may yet be reckoned 
upon. 
TRUMPET DAFFODILS. 
Fiist of all we shall discuss some of the giant new varieties 
that have made tlieir appearance within recent years 1 , and are 
yet very scarce. These belong to the various sections known 
as lellow Trumpet, Bicolor, and White Trumpet Daffodils. In 
our opinion, these three respective sections have been well 
sustained in the creation of new varieties by cross breeding 
and selection. The new varieties which we shall first discuss 
aie giants by comparison with those which we greatly admired 
and marvelled at about two decades ago. 
Taking the tricolors first, we may describe Mme. Plemp as 
having huge yellow trumpet, wide open at the month, and 
surrounded by creamy white segments. Another beauty is 
ilrs. Morland Crossfield, with a golden trumpet revolute at 
the mouth. The flowers of this variety stand boldly above 
the foliage, and are veiy effective even when seen from a dis¬ 
tance. Weardale Perfection is better known, though not yet 
a common Daffodil. At first the segments are creamy, later 
on, ©coining as whit© as those of Empress. The trumpet is 
of gieat length and funnel-shaped. The leaves of this variety 
assume a peculiar drooping habit at the tips. The golden 
trumpet of Hulda is very widely expanded and revolute at the 
! “° uth > while the segments are broad and white, as in the- 
others above mentioned. Victoria is a very early variety, 
though sufficient were present to recall the form of the flowers 
winch were practically past their best, Duke of Bedford is 
even earlier ; in fact, the earliest of the bicolors; so that this 
and the preceding one take the lead amongst the giants when 
typnng is advancing. The old N. bicolor Horsfieldi, Empress, 
an others ol that stamp have no chance of competing with 
the above for exhibition varieties, and we should be pleased 
ien . e y become sufficiently common for every cultivator to 
p ay vita. Of more recent origin is Mrs. Walter Ware, similar 
im size to the last named. 
The giant white trumpets are not so numerous, and the 
leading place a few years ago was taken by the celebrated N. 
I* nie - ue Graaff, which is not likely to be discarded for many 
years to come, but it certainly has a dangerous rival in Peter 
an, which has a remarkably long pale yellow trumpet, fading 
ultimately nearly to white, and very broad, slightly twisted 
w. ite segments. It is yet a. scarce variety, and many admirers 
will lock upon it longingly for years to come until the bulbs 
ecome sufficiently numerous for everybody to get a share 1 . A 
ffia ei flower, but very pretty, is Capernia, with twisted white 
egments like a giant N. Pseudonarcissus moschatus, with a 
my piettily funnel-shaped lemon trumpet. It may be said 
o belong to the SwanVneck race, of which William Goldring 
s le P®> an d still holds its own. Close by was another of 
the same race, known as Albicans, having long white segments 
equal in length to the lemon trumpet. 
The giant yellow trumpets were originally heralded by Em¬ 
peror, characterised by a golden trumpet, and veiy broad over¬ 
lapping segments, showing that, genealogically, it belongs more 
properly to 1 the bicolor than to the old Pseudonarcissus type, 
notwithstanding its colour. Emperor is. still veiy extensively 
grown, and, for commercial purposes, as a cut flower, it will be 
many years before it is superseded by the giants now coming 
along, because increase is slow relatively to the demand of the 
British public at the present day. We also noted many seed¬ 
lings of the Empress type which have not yet been honoured 
with a mime. If height is any recommendation, King Alfred 
stands* head and shoulders above its relatives, and is otherwise 
OSTROWSKIA MAGNIFICA (See p. 316.) 
a magnificent Daffodil of splendid proportions, with a widely 
revolute trumpet. Lord Roberts is a more recent addition 
to this section, and is certainly a splendid Daffodil, with widely- 
expanded golden-yellow trumpet, light yellow segments, and 
broad, glaucous leaves. At present it -is an expensive DaftV 
dil, and cultivators-will long for it some years before the bulbs 
are sufficiently numerous to satisfy the wants of all. Another 
giant of this section is Monarch, of dwarfer habit and darker 
colour than the last named. The' dark glaucous green leaves 
are self-supporting, standing up boldly. 
Big Ben is not so large as the previous two, though'still a 
big Daffodil, with a bright yellow trumpet and primrose seg¬ 
ments. A very charming: Daffodil is that named Apricot, the 
trumpet being of a pale apricot colour, and remarkably dis¬ 
tinct from any other trumpet Daffodil which we have noted. 
It may be described as graceful and pretty. In this same 
category we might place Sprightly, the flowers of which are of 
the Pseudonarcissus type, but golden-yellow, and support 
