^September 30, 1906. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
771 
5 th.—Greenstreet and D. G. and Cott. S. 
(m.m.); Tibshelf Floral H. and Rose 
S. (m.m.); Woolton G.M.I.S. (m.m.); 
Westerham G. Am. and Cott. M.I.S. 
(bi-m.m.); Batley and D. Chy. and 
Paxton S. (m.m.). 
6th.—Oaterham H.S. (c.m.); Dundee H.S. 
(annual meeting) ; Stockport 
H.M.I.S. (hardy fruit conference). 
7th._Leeds Paxton S. (w.m.); Isle of Wight 
H.A. (m.m.); Huddersfield and D. 
Chy. S. (c.m.); Blackburn and D. 
H.S. (m.m.). 
•-♦-- 
A GROUP OF . • 
j ru/apft Daffodils. 
, . TYFRS OF BLOOMS. . • 
Under this heading we propose to give our 
readers some idea of the vast diffeience in 
size between the smallest and one of the 
largest Daffodils in cultivation. Most of these 
belong to the same group as the ordinary 
English Daffodil or Lent Lily, which grows 
wild in great profusion in some parts of Eng¬ 
land. 
We will take as the starting point the 
smallest known Trumpet Daffodil, namely, 
Narcissus minimus, sometimes named N. 
minor minimus by some authorities. Our 
readers will be able to follow our progress 
from the smallest to the largest by reference 
to the figures in the margin of the accompany¬ 
ing picture, where we happen to have a bloom 
representing the various types. Unfortu¬ 
nately, however, some of these are missing. 
The smallest Daffodil has flowers entirely of 
a light yellow. 
Proceeding from this to the next well- 
defined stage, we have N. minor, which has 
flowers of greater substance and at least twice 
as large as its tiny relative. Both of these 
Daffodils are yellow, and are natives of some 
part of Europe. They represent wild types 
that have been introduced to this country. 
N. minor is not represented on our picture. 
Two other stages of this progress of enlarge¬ 
ment in the Daffodil are also missing. One 
of these is the wild English Daffodil or Lent 
Lily (N. Pseudo-narcissus). This may be 
reckoned a Daffodil of small size, especially if 
picked up on an English meadow, and, unfor¬ 
tunately, most of the flowers will fiave to be 
got from those rare habitats, as the plant does 
not take kindly to cultivation in tilled soil. 
We think, however, that those who are fortu¬ 
nate enough to get hold of some bulbs might 
try to naturalise them in the grass for the 
sake not only of their beauty, but the interest 
attached to the plant as a native. 
We think that most of the garden improve¬ 
ments have been derived from the varieties 
known as N. P. major, N. P. obvallaris or 
Tenby Daffodil, and N. P. lobularis. There 
can be no question, however, that many of the 
large wholly yellow Daffodils in cultivation 
have been gathered in a wild state either in 
France or Spain and introduced in all their 
wild beauty, or in old-fashioned country 
gardens. Some of them are rather difficult 
to increase in gardens, and that gives us an 
idea that they have been introduced from 
their wild habitats. All of these intermediate 
forms, unfortunately, are not represented in 
our illustration, because few of them are culti¬ 
vated in commercial collections for the reason 
we have stated, and also because so many 
other larger and finer improvements have 
been made which captivate the regular or the 
casual cultivator. 
Fig. 2 represents N. maximus, popularly 
known as Trumpet Major. It was no doubt 
the largest wild Trumpet Daffodil when the 
botanist first named it, and certainly the 
largest among the yellow grounds. It may 
readily be known by its nearly uniform golden- 
yellow colour and the widely spreading, deeply 
fringed trumpet. It is very popular for bed¬ 
ding purposes and also for pot culture at the 
present day. 
No. 3 represents Emperor, a still larger 
flower of modern development, but, except in 
colour, we think it has scarcely a right to be 
placed in this group, although in everyday 
usage it is habitually placed among the yellow 
Daffodils. The segments are pale yellow, 
while the trumpet is of large size and deep 
yellow. The very broad, overlapping seg¬ 
ments show undoubtedly that it owes some of 
its fine qualities and broad segments to N. 
bicolor, in which section it would be placed 
provided the segments had been white instead 
of yellow. 
In our opinion No. 4, representing King 
Alfred, is the finest yellow Trumpet Daffodil 
in cultivation, both on account of it:- size, 
vigour, and kingly shape. The long fiower- 
stem holds the bloom head and shoulders 
above all other Daffodils amongst which it 
may be grown. The segments are very broad 
but oblong, thus showing their relationship tfi 
the English Daffodil or Lent Lily. The 
trumpet is very strongly revolute and plaited 
at the mouth, giving the bloom a finely 
finished appearance. It is of a uniform rich 
golden-yellow. 
From N. minimus to N. King Alfred is a 
vast jump in the evolution of the Daffodil, 
but although we have no doubt that the rela¬ 
tionship between one and the other is close, 
we prefer to think that the florist commenced 
amongst those of medium size rather than the 
4 
1 6 9 10 
A Group of Trumpet Daffodils 
Showing Relationships and Order of L>cedupmen 
