382 
JOURNAL  ON  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  30,  1903. 
Marcli  is  generally  noted  for  its  drying  winds,  chiefly  blowing  from 
east  and  north-east.  Only  one  dry  day  falls  to  be  recorded  for  the 
month — viz.,  31st.  The  sunshine  registered  on  that  day  was  10  hours, 
and  equal  to  that  registered  during  the  whole  30  days.  The  direction 
of  the  wind  for  the  month  was  very  much  like  February — 16  days  in 
south-west,  9  days  in  west,  6  days  in  south-east. 
The  three  months  referred  to  have  been  much  alike,  their  chief 
features  being  heavy  rainfalls,  strong  winds,  and  little  sunshine. 
- >  - 
Forms  of  Ranunculus  asiaticus. 
It  is  the  aim  of  the  conductors  of  this  Journal  to  devote  an 
equal  amount  of  attention  to  the  old  and  the  new  flowers  of 
our  gardens,  for  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  fresh  generations 
of  gardeners  and  florists  soon  take  the  place  of  the  elders,  and 
the  loves  of  their  fathers  are  just  as  satisfying  to  them  as  are 
the  novelties  of  the  passing  years,  and  the  old-fashioned  flowers, 
as  we  affectionately  call  them,  have  all  the  charm  that  senti¬ 
mental  associations  can  conjure  around  them.  All  of  us  who  are 
of  younger  blood,  cannot  disassociate  from  our  minds  the  pro¬ 
minent  names  of  floriculturists  whose  simple,  earnest  lives  we 
have  learnt  to  deeply  respect.  Avhen  we  look  upon  the  flowers  they 
.  so  wholeheartedly  loved,  and  our  culture  of  them  gains  a  great 
additional  interest  because  of  that  knowledge. 
The  genus  Ranunculus  includes  a  large  number  of  handsome 
garden  plants,  any  one  of  which  might  be  designated  a  “  Garden 
Ranunculus  but  this  popular  name  is  specially  applied  to  the 
various  distinctive  sections  which  have  arisen  out  of  that  rather 
widespread  speciesi,  R.  asiaticus.  This  has  given  rise  to  a  large 
number  of  varieties  since  it  became  a  cultivated  plant,  and  florists 
have  multiplied  the  types  a  great  deal  by  hybridisation  and 
cross-breeding.  The  recognised  groups,  each  with  varieties  of  a 
certain  distinctive  type,  are  the  Scotch,  the  Dutch,  French, 
Italian,  Persian,  and  Turban  or  Turkish.  According  to  the  author 
of  a  “Practical  Guide  to  Garden  Plants”  (Longman’s,  21s.), 
“  The  Scotch  and  Dutch  varieties  are  usually  the  finest  forms  of 
the  Persian,  and  are  dwarfer,  with  double  flowers,  edged  and 
spotted.  The  French  and  the  Italian  varieties  are  modifications 
of  the  Turkish,  and  are  remarkable  for  their  size  and  vigour.  The 
Turkish  forms  are  less  variegated  in  colour  than  the  others,  and 
have  a  large  proportion  of  scarlet,  white,  yellow,  and  orange  self- 
coloured  flowers,  somewhat  resembling  Pseonies.”  A  good 
cultural  treatise  of  the  garden  Ranunculuses  is  contained  in 
“  The  Garden  Manual,”  published  from  this  office. 
The  season  for  planting  is  in  the  early  spring,  as  soon  as  the 
■most  severe  frosts  have  passed  and  the  ground  has  become  tole¬ 
rably  dry.  Smne  time  about  the  end  of  February  or  the  first  week 
in  March,  rake  the  surface  of  the  bed  in  the  morning  of  the  day 
previous  to  that  fixed  upon  for  planting.  Some  recommend 
steeping  the  roots  for  twelve  hours  in  water  before  planting  ;  but 
I  think  this  is  not  necessary,  excej)t  the  planting  season  has  been 
for  some  cause  or  other  put  off  till  the  middle  of  April,  then  it 
may  be  useful.  Supposing,  then,  that  the  weather  is  propitious 
and  all  things  prepared,  commence  by  drawing  with  a  hoe  a  drill 
across  the  end  of  the  bed  Irin  deep;  if  deeper  the  roots  will  be 
weakened  the  succeeding  year  by  foimiing  a  kind  of  stem  nearer 
the  surface,  and  if  shallower  the  plants  are  more  liable  to  be 
affected  by  drought. 
The  drill  being  drawn  press.each  bulb  or  tuber  slightly  down 
into  the  ground;  plant' them,  if  large.  Tin  apart  in  the  row,  if 
small,  3|in  will  be  a  sufficient  distance.'  Draw  a  second  drill  oin 
from  the  first,  and  so  on  till  the  space  is  occui^ied.  As  soon  as 
Xrlanted  cover  the  crown  of  each  tulaer  with  fine  sand.  This  will 
cause  the  tubers  when  they  are  taken  up  in  July  to  come  out  of 
the  ground  quite  clean  for  keeping.  Then  with  a  short-toothed 
rake  draw  the  soil  over  the  bulb.s,  and  when  it  is  level  with  the 
head  of  the  rake  gently  press  the  mould  closely  upon  them.  All 
the  shelter  required  in  the  early  spring  is  protection  from  very 
severe  late  frosts,  heavy  .showers  of  snow,  or  from  hea^'y  storms 
of  hail  after  the  plants  have  made  their  appearance. 
Water  will  be  needed  in  dry  weather.  Previously  to  the 
first  watering,  immediately  after  the  plants  have  broken  through 
the  soil,  and  when  the  surface  is  moderately  dry,  tread  down  the 
soil  between  the  rows  pretty  firmly  with  tlie  feet.  After  the  bed 
is  regularly  pressed  down,  then  press  the  soil  close  to  the  neck 
of  each  plant,  and  between  them,  with  the  hand.  Then  proceed 
to  water  the  bed  with  a  rather  coarse-rosed  watering-pot ;  give  it 
freeij^  and  liberally ;  and  to  do  this  well  go  over  the  whole  bed 
twice.  In  most  cases  this  will  be  amply  sufficient  for  a  week’s - 
consumption. 
If  the  weather  still  continues  dry  at  the  eudof  the  week  repeat 
the  watering,  and  do  so  until  heavy  showers  take  place.  It  is 
probable  that  the  soil  will,  with  such  heavy  waterings,  become 
baked  on  the  surface,  and  will  crack.  Whenever  this  is  observed 
let  the  surface  be  broken  fine  with  a  small  three-pronged  fork; 
but  the  roots  must  not  be  disturbed  nor  the  foliage  injured  by 
this  operation.  A  gentle  watering  should  be  given  immediately 
after  the  forking.  C’ontinue  this  abundant  supply  of  water 
whenever  the  weather  is  dry,  up  to  the  bloom  beginning  to  open. 
The  right  time  to  take  up  the  roots  is  as  soon  as  the  leaves 
are  withered.  When  the  bloom  is  quite  over,  cut  down  all  the 
flower  stems.  If  the  weather  be  hot  and  dry,  the  leaves  will  soon 
decay  after  the  flower  stems  are  removed,  and  lifting  roots  must 
not  be  delayed  more  than  a  week,  or  at  the  farthest,  a  fortnight 
afterwards.  If  delayed  longer,  and  rain  should  fall,  the  warmth 
left  in  the  soil  and  the  rest  they  have  had  will  cause  them  to  make 
new  roots,  and  that  will  weaken  them  much.  Dig  them  up  care¬ 
fully,  dress  off  the  dead  leaves,  and  shake  off  any  soil  that  may 
adhere  to  the  roots.  Let  them  remain  in  the  open  air  if  it  is 
fair  weatlier  the  whole  of  the  day,  and  at  night  remove  them  into 
some  place  wliere  the  rain  or  dew  cannot  reach  them.  Let  them 
remain  open  to  the  air  until  they  are  thoroughly  dried,  then 
pack  them  up  in  paper,  and  keep  them  in  a  dry,  airy  room,  not 
much  exposed  to  the  sun.  Here  they  may  remain  till  the  season 
of  planting  returns,  requiring  only  to  be  looked  over  occasionally, 
and  all  decaying  roots  or  other  injurious  matter  removed. — 
Ghowek. 
Classification  of  the  Genas  Narcissus. 
In  your  account  of  the  Daffodil  Conference  at  Birmingham 
(page  360)  your  representative  attributes  to  me  a  statement 
which,  had  I  made  it,  would  have  been  both  offensive  and  absurd; 
to  wit,  that  I  regard  Baker’s  classification  as  an  “unfortunate 
libel.”  I  know'  Mr.  Baker’s  skill,  I  trust  to  his  judgment  far  too 
thoroughly  to  do  other  than  receive  with  high  appreciation  any 
classificatory  proposals  he  might  make.  It  is  true  I  venture  to 
differ  from  him  in  attaching  greater  fundamental  importance  to 
the  comparative  length  of  tube  and  corona,  than  to  that  of  corona 
and  perianth ;  but  I  repudiate  entirely  the  expression  attributed 
to  me,  or  any  which  is  inconsistent  with  the  most  thorough  ad¬ 
miration  of  Mr.  Baker’s  analytical  powders  in  the  field  of  formal 
morphology. 
Other  errors  have  crept  into  the  report',  some  of  them  probably 
patent  to  your  trained  readers.  It  is  N.  incomparabilis  and 
N.  Barri,  the  difference  betwmen  w  hich,  I  think,  undefinable,  not 
the  former  and  N.  Burbidgei.  I  do  not  include  N.  triandrus 
albus  in  my  suggested  “  Triandria,”  though  I  take  this  flower  as 
having  given  the  reflexed  character  to  the  perianth,  and  borrow 
its  name.  I  do  not  claim  for  N.  cyclamineus  the  parentage  of  the 
group,  but  suggest  that  a  study  of  this  ancient  form  might  throw 
light  on  the  origin  of  the  group,  in  the  parentage  of  which  it  may 
have  taken  part.  Other,  though  less  important,  deviations  from 
my  meaning  exist,  and  I  cannot  avoid  feeling  it  unfortunate  that, 
if  the  ab.stract  of  the  proposed  classification  were  deemed  worthy 
of  publication  at  all,  a  proof  was  not  submitted  to  me  for  cor¬ 
rection.  A  matter  quite  sufficiently  complex  already  is  perhaps 
,  rendered  more  difficult  of  judgment  by  the  introduction  of  errors 
which  no  letter,  whatever  the  prominence  given  to  it,  can  en¬ 
tirely  eradicate. 
One  point  of  common  interest  I  may  draw  attention  to,  viz., 
that  from  two  independent  sources,  Messrs.  Barr  and  Burbidge 
and  myself,  should  have  come  to  an  identical  proposal,  to  name 
after  Mr.  Engleheart  the  flat-crowmed  group  of  Parvi-coronati, 
which  he  has  made  so  peculiarly  and  effectively  his  own.  I  would 
some  even  higher  honour  could  be  paid  to  him,  for  he  has  not 
merely  lifted  the  hybrid  small-cupped  Narcissi  to  a  quite  new 
and  higher  plane,  but  has,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  this 
group,  fully  methodised  hybridisation.  Perhaps  I  might  be 
allowed  to  add  a  word  as  to  the  history  of  what  your  contributor 
in  his  opening  paragraph  not  very  felicitously  calls  this  “  reputed 
spring  exhibition  ”  of  the  Midland  Daffodil  Society.  Unstinted 
as  is  my  admiration  of  Mr.  Robert  Sydenham’s  energy  and  en¬ 
thusiasm,  or  appreciation  of  the  great  things  he  has  done  for  the 
garden-loving  public,  the  foundation  of  this  exhibition  was  not 
one  of  his  feats.  The  Daffodil  Show  w'as  started  in  April,  1893, 
by  the  society  of  which  I  was,  and  am  still,  the  honorary  secre¬ 
tary  (the  Birmingham  Botanical  and  Horticultural  Society),  as 
part  of  an  endeavour  made,  at  my  instance,  tO'  foster  the  culture 
of  plants  peculiarly  suited  to  town  and  suburban  gardens.  My 
society  carried  it  on  for  four  years,  the  third  show,  in  1895,  being 
judged  by  experts  to  be  the  finest  collection  of  Daffodils  brought 
together  up  to  that  date.  Largely  for  financial  reasons  it  was 
suspended  in  1897 ;  but  Mr.  Sydenham  bravely  stepped  into  the 
breach,  and  in  that  and  the  following  year  (1898)  carried  on  the 
show  on  business  lines  and  as  a  private  matter,  and  then  joined 
with  others  in  founding  the  Midland  Daffodil  Show,  the  fifth  exhibi¬ 
tion  of  which  has  just  been  held. — W.  Hillhouse,  The  University, 
Birmingham,  April  27,  1903. 
[I  am  obliged  to  Professor  W.  Hillhouse  for  the  corrections 
he  has  made  in  the  report  above  referred  to.  As  Professor  Hill¬ 
house,  in  his  introductory  remarks  to  the  classification  presented 
by  him,  spoke  without  reference  to  any  manuscript,  and  as  my 
notes  were  made  in  shorthand  writing,  the  characters  in  the  case 
of  the  words  complained  of  being  inconvertible,  it  would  be 
strange,  indeed,  if  I  had  thei’e  and  then  invented  them.  Point 
two  (the  comparison  of  N.  incomparabilis  and  N.  Burbidgei)  I  do 
not  refute,  having  simply  trusted  to  my  notes,  though  won¬ 
dering  at  the  citation. — The  Reporter.] 
