April  16,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
357 
greater  substance  ;  a  golden  flower  of  the  calibre  of  N.  maximus  that 
grows  and  flowers  freely ;  a  large  white  starry  Narcissus  like  the  Euch&ris 
Lily,  for  instance  ;  a  variety  of  Cyclamineus  with  several  flowers  on  a 
stalk;  and  tricolors  as  well  as  bicolora.  The  purest  varieties  are  obtained 
from  N.  princeps  and  N.  poetarum,  but  good  forms  and  colour  may  be 
obtained  by  crossing  the  wild  Daffodils  of  France  and  Spain  with  our 
cultivated  Narcissus  poeticus. 
The  experiments  made  in  crossing  the  best  of  the  garden  varieties 
have  been  attended  with  poor  results,  whilst  the  tendency  of  wild 
flowers  is  to  improve  under  garden  cultivation.  There  is  a  threefold 
object  to  be  attained  by  those  engaged  in  the  hybridisation  of  Narcissi, 
and  raising  new  varieties  ;  firstly,  it  is  an  interesting  and  highly 
delightful  occupation  ;  secondly,  it  is  a  great  aid  in  advancing  the 
science  and  art  of  horticulture  ;  and  thirdly,  it  is  a  study  which  is 
financially  remunerative.  Mr.  Burbidge  then  went  on  to  deal  with 
the  various  systems  of  hybridisation,  and  in  conclusion  called 
the  attention  of  the  audience  to  the  long  and  varied  programme 
that  lay  before  them  respecting  the  papers  that  were  to  follow.  British 
gardens,  the  essayist  fitly  concluded,  are  full  of  Daffodil  beauty,  and 
make  living  pictures  worthy  of  any  painter’s  brush,  while  at  such 
places  as  Kew  and  our  public  parks,  we  have  displays  of  these  popular 
flowers  presented  to  us  that  make  our  country  more  beautiful  to  see. 
At  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Burbidge’s  paper  the  Chairman  made  a  few 
supplementary  remarks,  stating  that  with  regard  to  the  past  history  of 
the  Narcissus  there  was  no  book  at  present  which  dealt  adequately 
with  it,  and  as  no  one  was  better  acquainted  with  the  past  of  the 
Narcissus  than  Mr.  Burbidge,  he  would  suggest  that  in  the  event  of  his 
bringing  out  a  new  edition  of  his  book  on  the  Narcissus,  he  would  add 
to  it  by  giving  a  more  complete  and  detailed  account  of  the  past  history 
of  the  family.  He  thought  Mr.  Burbidge  was  drawing  it  rather  fine 
when  he  said  there  were  only  three  of  the  species  of  the  Narcissus 
worthy  of  extensive  cultivation,  as  N.  odorus  was  a  very  fine  one,  and 
he  would  like  to  call  attention  to  the  striking  mass  of  it  now  in  flower 
at  Kew  ;  then,  again,  there  was  N.  jonquilla,  which  he  thought  was 
also  worthy  of  extensive  cultivation. 
The  Rev.  E.  S.  Bourne  then  followed  with  an  instructive  paper  on 
“The  Cultivation  of  Narcissi  by  an  Amateur.”  He  commenced  by 
stating  that  his  paper  was  only  intended  for  beginners,  to  whom  he 
intended  imparting  an  account  of  his  own  experience.  There  were 
five  main  points  connected  with  successful  culture — namely,  soil  and 
situation,  time  of  planting,  supply  of  nourishment,  time  of  lifting,  and 
the  choice  of  varieties.  In  dealing  with  the  first,  the  essayist  said  that 
a  good  drainage  was  absolutely  necessary,  for  though  Narcissi  like 
plenty  of  moisture,  they  resented  a  stagnant  wet  condition. 
In  regard  to  soil,  though  a  strong  loam  was  suitable  for  some 
varieties,  generally  speaking  a  medium  compost  was  the  best,  with  a 
good  admixture  of  gritty  matter.  He  then  gave  in  detail  his  method  of 
making  the  beds,  which  he  said  were  long,  about  4  feet  wide  and  2£  to 
3  feet  deep.  The  situation,  generally  speaking,  should  be  one  that  is 
shaded  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  day,  and  should  have  a  slope  of 
3  or  4  inches  towards  the  sun.  He  found  that  the  white  trumpet 
section  does  best  where  the  roots  have  to  fight  for  their  maintenance,  a 
position  near  shrubberies,  where  there  is  an  abundance  of  tree  roots,  being 
suitable  for  them. 
As  to  the  time  of  planting  all  the  small-crowned  varieties  should  be 
in  the  ground  early  in  August,  and  all  should  be  got  in  before  the  end  of 
that  month.  Narcissi  do  not  like  a  loose  soil,  so  that  if  the  beds  are 
newly  made  the  compost  should  be  pressed  firmly  down,  and  be  in  a 
moist  though  not  sodden  condition  at  planting  time.  He  generally 
covered  the  bulbs  with  2|  or  3  inches  of  soil,  and  in  the  case  of  the 
choicest  varieties  placed  a  little  coarse  silver  sand  under  and  above  each 
bulb.  The  bulbs  generally  should  be  placed  wide  enough  apart  to  allow 
for  hoeing  between  them.  The  question  of  supplying  nourishment  was 
one  that  required  much  consideration,  and  he  should  advise  beginners  to 
be  very  careful  in  the  use  of  manure.  Strong  growing  kinds  are  benefited 
by  manure,  which  should  take  the  form  of  thoroughly  decayed  horse 
manure  applied  as  a  mulch  in  the  autumn.  He  found  that  Narcissus 
maximus  thrived  best  if  planted  deeply,  and  he  always  covered  the 
bulbs  to  a  depth  of  6  inches.  Generally  speaking  white  Daffodils 
do  not  appreciate  manure,  and  if  a  good  yellow  loam  is  used  none  is 
required. 
Narcissi  of  good  constitution,  he  continued,  may  be  left  two  or  three 
years  undisturbed,  but  those  weaker  and  uncertain  are  benefited  by 
being  lifted  year  by  year.  It  is  better  to  perform  this  operation  a  little 
too  early  than  too  late,  because  if  the  bulbs  are  lifted  after  the  new 
roots  are  emitted  these  die,  much  to  the  detriment  of  the  plant,  while  if 
lifted  rather  too  early  they  are  little  the  worse.  Mr.  Bourne  brought 
his  very  practical  paper  to  a  close  by  reading  several  lists  of  varieties, 
classified  according  to  constitution  and  price,  and  most  useful  to 
beginners,  also  adding  a  few  notes  on  the  culture  of  Narcissi  in  cold 
frames. 
Mr.  M.  J.  Caparn  dealt  with  the  Narcissus  from  an  artist’s  point  of 
view,  tracing  the  history  of  the  flower  (in  illustration  of  which  he 
showed  numerous  diagrams)  from  so  early  a  date  as  1480,  taken 
from  a  work  published  at  Rome  about  that  time,  where  the  Daffodil 
was  treated  as  a  thing  of  medicine.  He  followed  by  showing 
fac-similes  of  illustrations  of  the  flower  from  books  dated  1543,  1570, 
to  “  Gerarde’s  Herbal  ”  in  1597,  John  Parkinson’s  work  in  1629,  and 
from  then  to  modern  times.  There  was  a  period,  said  the  essayist,  about 
the  years  1837  to  1840,  when  no  mention  of  the  Daffodil  was  made  or 
drawing  given  in  any  magazine.  There  appears  to  have  been  a  time 
when  they  had  the  Art  without  the  Daffodils,  followed  by  a  period  when 
the  flowers  were  forthcoming,  and  the  Art  was  absent.  After  dwelling 
at  some  length  on  the  Narcissus  in  the  hands  of  the  artist,  both  painter, 
engraver,  and  colour  printer,  Mr.  Caparn  concluded  by  saying  that  the 
Daffodil  in  Art  is  no  success  from  an  artist’s  point  of  view. 
Mr.  J.  D.  Pearson  contributed  a  paper  on  the  Daffodil  as  an  exhibi¬ 
tion  and  decorative  flower,  giving  notes  on  method  of  treatment  of 
exhibition  blooms,  cutting,  picking,  and  arrangement,  suitable  vases, 
house  decoration,  and  the  pleasures  and  pains  of  colour  to  the  aesthetic 
mind.  For  exhibition  purposes,  Mr.  Pearson  said  that  flowers  might  be 
out  when  the  buds  are  opening  four  or  five  days  before  the  show,  and 
kept  in  a  cool  room,  shaded  if  necessary.  He  found  that  flowers  are 
much  better  if  cut  and  placed  in  water  a  short  time  before  they  are 
packed.  They  should  be  arranged  in  as  natural  and  “  nodding  ”  a  form 
as  possible,  though  flowers  were  often  seen  in  an  upright  and  stiff  condi¬ 
tion,  and  no  one,  said  Mr.  Pearson,  who  shows  Daffodils  should  consider 
trouble. 
As  a  cut  flower  he  thought  the  sameness  in  colour  was  an  advantage, 
as  there  could  be  no  erroneous  clashing,  and  he  considered  plain  earthen¬ 
ware  vases  to  be  better  than  glass  for  the  purpose  of  decoration.  The 
flowers  should  be  placed  in  loosely  and  artistically,  and  arranged  only 
with  their  own  foliage.  Mr.  Pearson  dealt  exhaustively  with  the 
Narcissus  as  a  decorative  flower,  and  concluded  by  speaking  highly  of 
them  for  the  personal  adornment  of  ladies,  for  which  purpose  he  said  no 
placing  or  making  up  is  necessary. 
Miss  Marie  Lowe  spoke  of  the  Daffodil  in  decoration,  illustrated  by 
flowers  and  paintings.  She  said  she  had  been  struck,  iu  looking  over 
old  pictures,  to  find  so  few  Daffodils  portrayed,  and  she  could  not  under¬ 
stand  why  the  flower  had  been  left  out  in  the  past  and  so  desecrated  in 
the  present ;  further,  she  said,  the  history  of  the  Daffodil  in  design 
has  yet  to  be  created,  as,  so  far  as  she  had  been  able  to  ascertain, 
no  design  of  the  flower  is  used  by  manufacturers  of  wall  papers,  lace 
curtains,  or  silk  patterns,  and  she  thought  the  departure  might  be  taken 
up  to  advantage. 
Flowers  generally,  said  Miss  Lowe,  are  often  badly  arranged,  and 
Daffodils  are  no  exception.  Flowers  should  ferm  a  part  of  the  furniture 
of  the  room  they  are  meant  to  adorn,  and  Daffodils  should  be  used  only 
with  their  own  foliage.  She  said  everyone  was  aware  that  decorative 
arrangements  in  this  country  are  much  inferior  to  those  of  the  Continent, 
and  added  that  Daffodils  should  always  be  placed  in  plain  vases,  and 
never  in  those  having  flowers  painted  on  them,  as  this  detracted  much 
from  the  effect. 
In  the  absence  of  Mr.  W,  Robinson  his  paper  on  the  Narcissi  and 
their  artistic  use  for  planting  in  grass  was  read  by  the  Secretary, 
Mr.  J.  B.  Sowerby.  The  essayist  contended  that  the  Narcissus  was  not 
only  a  garden  flower  but  one  that  gives  beauty  to  wooda,  and  there  are 
numerous  ways  of  growing  them  besides  in  gardens.  In  many  places 
Narcissi  grow  well  in  grass,  their  hardiness  making  them  well  able  to 
take  care  of  themselves.  Eight  years  ago  he,  Mr.  Robinson,  planted  a 
number  of  Narcissi  in  grass,  and  tbese  have  far  exceeded  his  expectations. 
They  are  admirably  adapted  for  planting  on  lawns,  as  the  leaves  ripen 
and  disappear  before  mowing  time.  The  little  Tenby  Daffodil  is  sturdy, 
pretty,  and  never  fails,  but  as  to  kinds,  those  we  may  naturalise  are 
almost  without  limit.  The  thing  to  fear,  however,  is  overdoing  it,  as 
it  is  as  easy  to  plant  in  ugly  ways  as  in  pretty  ways.  The  regular 
garden  way  of  planting  is  no  doubt  all  right  in  the  garden  but  useless  in 
the  grass,  for  the  latter  wide  breadths  of  grass  should  be  left  without 
any  flowers.  The  above  are  but  a  few  of  the  interesting  points 
contained  in  Mr.  Robinson’s  able  contribution. 
Mr.  Sowerby  also  read  Dr.  Crawford’s  paper  on  basal  rot  and  the 
conditions  necessary  for  healthy  culture  of  the  Daffodil.  This  disease, 
said  the  essayist,  was  one  of  the  greatest  difficulties  in  Narcissus  culture, 
and  the  cause  of  the  loss  of  many  plants.  The  first  sign  of  the  disease 
was  brown  markings  on  the  bulbs,  stunting  and  clubbing  of  the  foliage, 
which  dies  down  before  the  leaves  of  unaffected  bulbs.  He  had  deter¬ 
mined  that  a  microbe  caused  the  disease  in  all  bulbs  affected  with  basal 
rot.  These  microbes  are  absent  at  a  depth  below  the  range  of  cultivation, 
and  the  conclusion  is  that  deep  planting  and  annual  lifting  are  the 
best  preventives  ;  soils  that  have  lain  a  long  time  unused  are  preferable 
for  planting  ;  and  the  beds  in  the  winter  should  be  sprinkled  with 
sulphate  of  potash.  In  planting  in  grass  the  grass  seeds  should  be 
Bown  one  season  and  the  bulbs  planted  the  next,  this  being  an  antidote 
against  the  disease.  If  bulbs  are  allowed  to  lie  in  heavily  manured 
ground  throughout  the  summer  the  results  would  be  disastrous.  The 
disease  is  caused  by  an  active  microbe  called  Pensillium  and  all  injurious 
agencies  cause  the  plants  to  fall  a  prey  to  it.  As  a  preventive  grass  is 
considered  to  be  the  best  crop  for  bulbs,  deep  planting  is  advised  and 
phosphate  with  potash  should  be  used  as  a  plant  food. 
As  lack  of  time  prohibited  the  reading  of  the  papers  compiled  by 
Messrs.  C.  W.  Cowan,  C.  Stuart,  and  J.  Allen,  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks 
to  the  Chairman  for  presiding  brought  the  Conference  to  a  close. 
SPRING  SHOWS. 
LIVERPOOL.— April  8th  and  9th. 
Although  the  Committee  had  been  unfortunate  in  only  being  able 
to  secure  St.  George’s  Hall  on  the  above  dates  for  their  spring  show, 
which  was  considered  late,  yet  visitors  were  more  than  agreeably 
surprised  at  the  large  number  of  entries,  and  the  bright  and  attractive 
appearance  of  the  beautiful  Hall,  which  when  viewed  from  the  hand¬ 
some  and  commodious  galleries  presented  a  floral  treat  such  as  one  has 
