August 30, 1913. 
THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
655 
^mspicuus, thoiigh this variety out of doors 
considerably Jater. As a late trumpet 
variety Mdme. Plemp is decidedly good, 
the somewhat whorled perianth making it 
quite distinct ; Vanilla should be grown on 
account of its perfume. 
Jhe Leedsi variety Mrs. Langtry is also 
a good forcer, and, with the other varie¬ 
ties named, is cheap. Among the newer 
varieties that I have tried for pot culture 
are .Madame de Graaff, excellent, and a fine 
grower; King Alfred, one of the finest in 
form and colour, but still rather expensive; 
Whitewell, an incomparabilis, its bold, ex¬ 
panded cup, making it a very telling 
variety; Glory of Leiden, sometimes 
streaky in the perianth, but very fine for 
pots, its great size being sufficient to re¬ 
commend it; Gloria Mundi, Evangeline, 
Lucifer, Firebrand, Ariadne, White Lady, 
and l)air 3 unaid are all varieties that do 
well in pots, being particularly pleasing 
in form, and, when grouped with some of 
the more bold trumpet larieties, make a 
very pleasing contrast. One of the most 
striking varieties I noted last season (in 
quantity) was Dazzler, its very large orange 
scarlet cup providing colour rarely equalled 
in a narcissus. 
The double incomparabilis varieties, 
though somewdiat heavy, make good pot 
plants if carefully staked, and Sulphur 
Phoenix is probably the best. The newer 
Poetaz varieties I am quite pleased with 
as j)ot plants, the foliage and flowers stand¬ 
ing lip well under conditions where many of 
the other varieties w-ould be limp. Klon- 
dyke, .\lsace, Elvira, and Jaune a Mer- 
veille are about the best. 
Daffodils are probably growm more for 
cut flower ])urposes than as pot plants, but 
Srown under proper conditions they are 
iKjually as useful in pots, while for filling 
huge bowls, jardinieres, etc., I think they 
are iineqiiallwl, and if we could see more 
exhibits staged similar to those at the Sur- 
hdon show last spring, it w ould tend to still 
further popularise one of the most beautiful 
of spring-flowering bulbs. 
, T. Stevenson. 
INoburn Place Gardens. 
the TUPELO TREE. 
Wis North American tree is knowi 
m< er the scientific name of Nyssa sylvatica 
nil, although it was introduced into Euix> 
pean gardens about ninety years ago, i 
ifcfii uncommon. In America it ii 
between forty and sixt^ 
tha although when grown unde 
titn ^tisfactory conditions it some 
wi+r ^ a height of one hundred feet 
ihl ^ diameter of five feet. Belonging t^ 
its Ooriiacese, it is recognised 
are A ^ oblong or oval leaves, whicl 
inohftf 1 glossy, and up to fiv« 
are af three inches wide. The^ 
the l-i autumn, for toward, 
to week in August they commenci 
her throughout Septem 
hue. fl brilliant red or orange-soarle 
able f ' /""^l^bry the tree is only sui 
and U for ornamental purpose 
loamv satisfactorily in moi 
^serl ffY ’ • ^ America its wood 
of pui’poses, such as hub 
oiade to ’• An effort has be 
»fher of this ai 
^der of nyssa into this count 
®^t nniot of bay poplar, but wit 
poplar o. "hho wood of the yelh 
whi tree, Liriodendron tuli] 
’'PPearaml k sometimes a very simil 
^or the oonsidered a better wo 
^oodoftho^^^ purposes for w-hicb t 
the nyssa can be used. W. D. 
NARCISSUS ON HEAVY 
SOILS. 
The unfavourable character of my Essex 
clay for the cultivation of narcissus may Le 
gathered from the fact that bulbs of the old 
double daffodil cease to flower if not taken 
up and replanted after two or three years, 
and after the wet summer of 1909 most of 
them disappeared altogether. The soil in 
its unameliorated condition is a very tena¬ 
cious clay, and the top soil naturally very 
thin, clear yellow clay lieing found at a 
depth of two or three inches under the 
lawn. In the kitchen garden quarters, 
thirty years of good cultivation has resulted 
the second years flowering were lifted in 
late June or early July, with the exception 
of double Poetic us, and replanted in late 
August or early September in different soil, 
though in a similar position, this lifting and 
replanting being repeated each alternate 
3 ear afterwards. On each occasion the 
ground was well dresscnl before planting 
with basic slag or bone-meal, and sometimes 
some sulphatt' of potash or fish guano was 
hoed in l>etween the rows in Feliruary or 
.Miireh. In any ordinary soil they sliould 
have done splendidly, and though there 
were some goml average hlooms, both in 
size and texture, tliere w<‘re none of really 
first quality, and the in; reuse of bulbs, tak- 
in a considerable raising of the ground level, 
and made it pretty rich and fairly friable. 
It was on this latter, in a partially-shaded 
position, that an experiment was conducW 
with ten varieties of narcissus, extending 
over a period of six years with some and 
five years with others, twelve bulbs being 
planted of each variety. All of the bulbs 
were of the best quality, being obtained 
from one of the leading English narcissus 
specialists, and were very large and sound, 
the twelve bulbs of Sir Watkin weighing 
exactly six pounds. The bulbs were first 
planted the latter part of August, and after 
ing all varieties together, must be con¬ 
sidered very poor. The following table 
shows the number of blooms product each 
year; three varieties were not planted till 
1908. 
Planned. No. of bloorae. 
19C6 19C9 191C 19111912 1913 
Aug., UC7 14 15 
Henry Irving ... 
Golden Spur •• 
Hoirefleldi 
En-.peror . 
Envpree® . 
Grandis . 
Bouble Pcetioi:® 
Mre. Langtry ... 
Barri oonepieuus 
Sir Watkin ... 
23 9 10 
„ „ 24 29 34 
16 30 26 
„ 18 29 32 
,! „ 23 19 5 
2 3 10 
Aug., 1908 — 22 ^ 
26 53 46 
