98 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  4,  1897, 
Anemones  with  leaves  early  in  August.  The  leaves  generally  reveal  the 
proper  time  for  takiDg  up  by  turning  yellow  and  flagging.  If  put  in  a 
tray  or  drawer  they  may  be  propagated  by  division  of  tuber  or  they  may 
be  by  seed.  The  tuber  is  a  rough,  spreading,  irregular,  rather  flat  mass, 
full  of  gnarly-like  protuberances.  In  most  of  these  there  is  a  growing 
point,  though  neither  prominent  nor  conspicuous  ;  the  tuber  may  be  cut 
into  as  many  parts  as  eyes,  and  each  will  form  a  plant.  But  propagation 
by  seed  is  the  best  and  by  far  the  quickest  way  of  increasing  Anemones. 
The  seed  is  difficult  to  sow  by  reason  of  the  mass  of  cotton-like  down 
which  adheres  to  it,  being  a  sort  of  wings  to  carry  it  away.  These 
should  be  separated  by  rubbing  them  in  dry  sand  or  soil  until  it  is 
removed,  and  there  should  be  a  covering  of  about  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  of  dry  sandy  soil.” 
The  genus  Narcissus  now  comes  in  turn  before  us.  The  wild  Daffodil 
is  a  native  of  England,  and  it  is  found  abundantly  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  but  not  in  Scotland  or  Ireland.  Canon  Ellacombe  tells  us  that 
“  There  are  thirty-seven  distinct  species,  besides  many  varieties  and 
hybrids,  and  its  headquarters  are  in  the  South  of  Europe.  A  few,  how. 
ever,  are  found  in  Northern  and  Western  Asia,  one  in  Teneriffe,  aEd  a 
few  in  North  Africa.  None  of  the  family  is  found  wild  in  America.” 
Nurserymen’s  catalogues  have  become  perfectly  bewildering ;  so  many 
varieties  are  so  nearly  alike.  This  flower  has  always  been  a  favourite 
with  the  poets.  Thus  Keats  sings  : — 
“  A  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  for  ever ; 
It’s  loveliness  increases.  It  will  never 
Pass  into  nothingness. 
In  spite  of  all 
Some  shape  of  beauty  moves  away  the  pall 
Prom  our  dark  spirits.  Such  the'  sun,  the  moon, 
Trees  old  and  young,  sprouting,  a  shady  boon 
For  simple  sheep  ;  and  such  are  Daffodils, 
With  the  green  world  they  live  in.” 
And  Herrick  cannot  be  surpassed  : — 
“  Fair  Daffodils,  we  weep  to  see 
You  haste  away  so  soon. 
As  yet  the  rising  sun 
Has  not  attained  his  noon. 
Stay,  stay, 
Until  the  hasting  day  has  run 
But  to  the  evensong.” 
The  best  division  of  Narcissus  is  into  three  groups  (Baker'). 
I.  The  Large-crowned  or  Magni-coronati,  which  includes  those  in 
which  the  corona  equals  or  excels  in  length  the  divisions  of  the  perianth. 
Here  may  be  placed  the  Corbularias  and  the  Ajax  section,  and  such 
Daffodils  as  maximus,  obvallaris,  pallidus  praecox,  cernuus,  minimus,  &c., 
belong  to  it. 
II.  Medio-coronati,  of  which  the  crown  is  half  or  not  more  than 
three-quarters  as  long  as  the  divisions  of  the  perianth.  To  this  belong 
N.  incomparabilis,  Parkinson’s  Peerless  Daffodil,  N.  calathinus, 
N.  triandrus,  and  others. 
III.  N.  Parvi-coronati,  of  which  the  crown  is  less  than  half  as  long 
as  the  divisions  of  the  perianth.  In  some  it  is  little  more  than  a  raised 
line  ;  in  some  it  is  highly  coloured.  N.  orientalis  and  N.  papyraceun 
may  be  mentioned  here,  and  N.  poeticus  belongs  to  this  group,  which  is 
one  of  the  greatest  favourites  of  all. 
But  my  reason  for  saying  a  word  about  Narcissus  is  because  I  think 
it  is  especially  a  flower  which  loves  this  part  of  the  world.  Of  course 
there  are  difficulties  about  growing  some  of  them  well,  but  it  is  the 
exception  to  the  rule  when  any  special  trouble  occurs.  Even  the  little 
tender  N.  monophyllus  will  often  do  well  in  the  open,  and  I  have 
blossomed  it  here  several  times  with  nothing  more  than  a  little  bit  of 
glass  over  its  head  to  keep  off  frost  and  rain.  There  are  some  plants 
which  I  pre-eminently  regard  as  Isle  of  Wight  plants — by  which  I  mean 
that  while  they  certainly  refuse  to  do  well  in  many  gardens  on  tie 
mainland,  they  blossom  and  increase  here  in  a  most  free  and  satisfactory 
manner.  Of  such  I  consider  N.  triandrus  to  be  a  very  conspicuous 
example.  The  petals  are  reflexed  as  are  those  of  the  Cyclamen,  and  it 
is  without  doubt  one  of  the  mo9t  elegant  and  graceful  of  all  the  flowers 
by  which  the  month  of  April  is  adorned.  It  seems  to  have  been  intro¬ 
duced  into  this  country  about  300  years  ago,  and  then  it  was  lost  and 
afterwards  recovered.  The  bulb  is  very  small,  rather  thin  and  long  ; 
the  leaves,  generally  in  threes,  are  exceptionally  tender,  and  there  is 
everything  about  it  to  suggest  that  it  is  not  very  robust. 
N.  triandrus  loves  the  slight  attentions  which  it  receives,  and  it 
multiplies  in  this  garden  in  the  most  rapid  manner.  Only  last  year 
Messrs.  Burbidge  and  Barr  paid  me  a  flying  visit  in  the  spring,  and  Mr. 
Barr  very  soon  pitched  on  some  of  the  clumps  of  N.  triandrus,  with 
which  he  seemed  to  be  surprised.  Nor  is  this  all  which  might  be  said 
on  this  head.  I  fancy  that,  as  a  rule,  Narcissi  multiply  here  in  an 
exceptionally  rapid  degree,  and  I  am  quite  certain  that  they  blossom  here 
more  satisfactorily  than  they  do  in  many  other  places,  and  they  are  very 
highly  coloured.  Mr.  Boyd  of  Melrose,  N  B.,  told  me  some  years  ago 
that  be  was  very  much  surprised  with  the  performance  of  N.  maximus, 
both  as  to  freedom  and  colour,  and  that  he  had  nothing  like  it  in 
Scotland. 
A  very  long  list  might  be  given  of  the  Narcissi,  which  do  well  in  my 
hands,  but  these  remarks  must  be  cut  short.  I  would  merely  add  that 
Mr.  Fish  has  given  some  good  cultural  advice  to  those  who  have  diffi¬ 
culties  to  contend  against.  He  says,  “  That  the  utmost  care  should  be 
taken  of  the  leaves  till  they  are  ripe  ;  in  exposed  places  the  winds  are 
apt  to  twist  and  bruise  Narcissus  leaves  into  uselessness.  As  a  rule 
they  are  generally  quite  free  from  disease.  A  species  of  dry  rot  may  be 
sometimes  found  in  some  bulbs,  which  is  probably  the  result  of  exces¬ 
sive  drying  or  keeping  the  bulbs  too  long  out  of  the  ground.  Jaundice 
is  a  more  difficult  matter,  and  what  are  called  miffy  species  not  seldom 
go  off  in  this  way.  A  change  of  soil,  the  removal  of  the  flower  stems  as 
soon  as  they  appear,  are  the  best  palliatives  that  can  be  named.  Blind¬ 
ness  is  a  fault  rather  than  a  dipease,  and  is  generally  caused  by  over¬ 
crowding  or  starvation.”  The  Kev.  G.  Engleheart  presides  over  the 
genus  in  this  country,  and  with  very  conspicuous  success.  Some  of  his 
seedlings  show  a  marked  improvement  upon  anything  we  have  had  before. 
(To  be  eontiuued.) 
IN  A  GLOUCESTERSHIRE  APPLE  ORCHARD. 
I  WAS  much  interested  in  reading  the  article  under  the  above 
heading  by  Mr.  Alex,  Dean  which  appeared  in  the  Journal  of  the 
21st  inst.,  page  54. 
It  was  my  privilege  to  be  employed  for  ten  years  in  the  gardens  at 
Lydney  Park,  and  although  some  seventeen  years  have  elapsed  since,  I 
have  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  grand  crops  of  Apples  the  orchard  in 
question  used  to  produce  at  that  time,  haviDg  helped  year  after  year  to 
guther  and  store  the  fruit  which  was  required  for  use  of  the  family. 
Blenheim  Orange  and  King  of  the  Pippins  were  much  in  evidence,  with 
other  good  varieties  for  culinary  use.  Cider  being  the  working  man’s 
beverage  in  that  part  of  the  country,  a  good  deal  of  the  fruit  is  used  for 
that  purpose  and  a  certain  quantity  supplied  to  the  men  daily,  such 
fruit  realising  good  prices  for  the  purpose  named. 
It  is  pleasing  to  note  that  Mr.  Bathurst,  the  generous  and  popular 
owner  of  the  Lydney  Park  estate,  is  animated  with  a  desire  to  arouse 
interest  amongst  his  tenants  and  neighbours  in  the  matter  of  fruit 
growing,  which  no  doubt  will  stimulate  them  to  further  energy  in  the 
production  of  British-grown  fruit,  for  which  the  soil  and  situation  of  the 
locality  is  admirably  adapted  ;  and  after  Mr.  Dean’s  excellent  advice  it 
may  be  expected  that  more  of  the  better  varieties  will  be  planted  in  the 
future  than  has  been  in  the  past, — R.  Morse,  Berkley  House  Gardens, 
Frame. 
EXHIBITING  DAHLIAS. 
I  WISH  to  know  to  what  size  show  Dahlias  are  now  grown  for  exhi¬ 
bition,  and  the  size  of  stands  used  for  twelve  and  twenty-four  blooms 
respectively.  Also  I  wish  to  know  whether  good  medium-sized  blooms 
of  Cactus,  decorative,  and  single  Dahlias  weigh  more  in  the  estimation 
of  competent  judges,  other  points  being  equal,  than  very  large  blooms, 
as  some  remarks  in  a  report  of  the  Dahlia  exhibition  at  the  Crystal 
Palace  in  1892  led  me  to  infer  that  such  might  be  the  case. 
I  shall  esteem  it  a  favour  if  you  would  inform  me  the  breadth  and 
depth  of  a  good  exhibition  bloom  of  a  Show  Dahlia.  1  have  frequently 
seen  the  measurements  of  Chrysanthemums  in  the  Journal,  but  never 
remember  to  have  seen  any  of  Dahlias.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  Show 
Dahlia,  like  the  Chrysanthemum,  is  now  much  larger  than  those  I  as 
a  young  gardener  used  to  see  at  home. — H.  F.,  Uitenh  ge ,  Cape  Colony. 
\_Size  and  Qualities. — The  average  size  for  exhibition  of  a  double 
Dahliak  either  “  Show  ”  or  “  Fancy,”  is  5  to  6  inches  across,  and 
3|  to  4  inches  in  depth.  The  “  points  ”  of  a  Show  Dahlia  are  the  same 
now  as  twenty  years  ago — fair  size,  good  depth,  globular  shape,  petals 
well  cupped,  the  centre  full  and  high,  but  not  above  the  edges  of  the 
surrounding  petals,  and  the  colours  clear  and  good.  Mrs.  Gladstone  is 
still  the  most  perfect  Show  Dahlia. 
Size  of  S:ands. — For  twelve  blooms,  24  inches  long,  18  inches  wide, 
holes  6  inches  apart  from  centre  to  centre ;  legs  9  inches  high  at  the 
back,  3  inches  at  the  front.  For  twenty-four  blooms,  48  inches  long, 
and  other  measurements  as  before,  all  painted  dark  green  and  varnished. 
Cactus  Dahlias  are  sometimes  shown  in  this  way,  too,  as  single  blooms, 
but  most  fanciers  would  think  it  absurd  to  do  the  same  with  singles. 
Comparison  of  Qualities  of  Different  Sections — Cactus  and  s  ngle 
Dahlias  are  not  exhibited  together  or  against  doubles  in  this  country, 
except  in  groups  for  effect ;  but  if  they  were  shown  against  each  other 
in  stands  the  doubles,  if  perfect  blooms,  would  almost  certainly  win,  a 
well-grown  double  Dahlia  being  one  of  the  most  perfect  florist  flowers 
that  can  be  produced.  Single,  Cactus,  and  Pompon  flowers  are 
invariably  exhibi<ed  in  bunches  of  six  or  nine  flowers,  triangular  in 
shape.  The  qualities  of  a  Cactus  Dahlia  are  medium-sized  flowers, 
produced  on  long  stalks  well  above  the  foliage,  the  petals  well  twisted, 
curled,  and  pointed,  the  centre  full — that  is,  not  showing  an  “  eye,” 
and  the  colours  clear  and  distinct.  Fusilier  or  Mrs.  Wilson  Noble  are 
good  types. 
Decorative  Varieties  are  not  recognised  now  by  the  National  Dahlia 
Society,  but  the  good  qualities  consist  in  freedom  of  flowering,  and 
displaying  the  flowers  above  the  foliage  for  garden  decoration. 
The  points  of  a  good  single  for  exhibition  are  medium  size,  petals 
round  and  reflexed,  but  not  too  much  so,  and  the  colours  clear  and 
distinct.  Mrs.  Hensbaw  (scarlet)  is  a  good  example. 
The  Show  Dahlias,  unlike  the  Chrysanthemum,  have  not  progressed 
very  much  in  size  for  ten  years.  New  colours  and  form  are  the  greatest 
improvements.  Yellow  Globe,  John  Hickling,  Arthur  Ocock,  Duchets 
of  York,  Yirginale,  Chieftain,  Mabel  Stanton,  Shottesham  Hero,  and 
Penelope  are  amongst  the  most  notable  examples  of  the  introductions  of 
the  last  few  years  that  combine  size  and  the  other  good  qualities.  The 
chief  prizes  rarely  go  to  the  largest  blooms,  as  these  are  not  unfrequently 
coarse,  and  coarseness  is  a  defect.] 
