Daffodil Culture in Taranaki.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 13, 28 September 1910, Page 38

Daffodil Culture in Taranaki.

By

Dr. A. D. Carberry.

THAI thv dall'odil will thrive in any ordinary garden soil is one of those pious beliefs handed down by tradition as a guide to beoinners as a pitfail to th*' inexpert. The axiom is so little kin to truth that it may be placed, at once, in that category of ineptitudes which the commuter’s wife happily dubs “Garden Goozle.” Tor the grower who aims at exhibiting, dall'odil culture is in no wise

so simple a task as many authorities would have us to believe; more particularly is this true of the average soil of Taranaki. The staple here varies somewhat in texture, but not at all in chemical constituency. the greater part being a light volcanic loam, containing scant humus and quite devoid ot phosphatie material. There are. of course, patches of highly fertile land, such as the rich black loam of the W'aimate plains, which is a garden

soil to conjure with; but 1 am speaking now of the soil on the slopes of Mt. Eginont and northwards to the sea. A soil preeminent ly unsiiited to roses, this probably expresses its faults as clearly as chemical formula would, and with untreated soil my own experiences have been disastrous, many bulbs refusing to bloom after two years, and all deteriorating after the first year. There were other evil influences at work in my earlier at-

tempts at cultivation in ‘’ordinary garden soil,” such as want of adequate shelter and insufficient sunlight, it is true; but. speaking generally, the bulk of our light loam will not give good results without amelioration. Two methods of soil amelioration are generally adopted by local growers—one is the frankly brutal application of stockyard manure, the other is double trenching of a special kind. Of Mr. Gibson’s revolutionary methods I shall speak later

on. As for double trenching, it is a laborious process; it is, in fact, a building up of an entirely new subsoil and upper layer. A description of a bed 1 had made in my garden in 1907 illustrates the principle. It was constructed by a ’’navvy” as follows; All the soil was removed from a trench ’2ft deep by 4ft wide; at the bottom was placed Gin of a waterproof clay (white papa), this to correct leaching; upon this subsoil one foot of fresh sods well dusted with lime.

then Gin of garden soil, which had been heavily manured for a crop of cactus dahlias grown for showing. The top soil was further treated with basic slag and kainit, 21b of the first and Alb of the latter to each eight square yards. The bed was allowed to consolidate for three months before planting. This bed has given fairly good results with strong doers such as Conspicuus, Seagull, Apricot. W eardale. King Alfred. Dante. Ornatiis. Oriflamme. and Horner, but was too moist for weaker things, such as Matson \ invent. Albatross, Elaine, Princess Alary. Mrs. Al. Crossfield, and Gold Eye. In my later beds I have used stable manure as the subsoil, and have built up with soil rich from the spoil of a leguminous crop and sieved compost, with the addition of blood and bone manure in the second spit. Other beds of this type at Stratford, illustrated in the photograph, are those of Mr. Osmond. They consist of trenches fifteen inches deep (subsoil removed), at bottom three inches of cow manure, next three inches of sods, and on top nine inches of good soil, which had been well manured" and dressed with superphosphate, and had yielded a heavy crop of peas and beans the previous season. The beds are raised above the level of the narrow path, and are bordered by nineinch boards. The bullis are planted in rows across the beds at, say, four to five inches deep and give excellent blooms; one Glory of Leiden grown here last year measured full five inches in diameter. Without some such system of soil construction, good results cannot be attained in our gardens, and the sieving of the bulk of the soil is almost essential to remove the pumice which most plants detest. At Ngaere, a few hundred feet below Stratford, is a soil which Peter Barr (himself declared to be ideal for tho narcissus. It was during his first and last voyage round the world that the Daffodil King visited Mr. Charles Saunders in his beautiful and now famous garden, of which some illustrations appeared in the “Graphic” recently. Whether Peter Barr was right in his judgment it is not for the layman to say. Certainly the soil is a little bettor than hereabouts, and there is more depth to it. but the fine flowers I have often seen at Ngaere are. I think, due to per-

feet shelter, drainage, and aspect rather than *to mere excellence of soil. Perhaps the very thorough craftsmanship and genial temperament of their grower, “Charlie” Saunders, has much to do with it. He is a fine gardener, but he has one fault —he prefers his flowering shrubs (of which he has a superb colfection) to daffodils, because, as he said

to me, the things “seed so all over the borders!” The photographic reproduction shows a fine clump of C. J. Backhouse (a rather shy gentleman hereabouts), undisturbed for four years and blooming freely on very long stems in the border; there must be over fifty bulbs in this planting, and everyone seems to bear a good bloom. Mr. Goodson, of Hawera, whose wellfurnished garden 1 visited lately, has a black loam unequalled for fertility. This soil of the Wai mate Plains is a rose and wheat soil, and needs practically no amelioration for daffodils save drain-, age. Mr. Goodson turns over his heavy soil and lightens with a little spent hops dug in some time 'before planting. He plants his bulbs in clumps Ift apart in long rows, 2ft apart. The favourite aspect is southerly, but there is full sunshine. I saw an interesting batch of Early Trumpet seedlings in this garden. Amongst others there was a Maximus X Golden Spur Magni of great size, height 24in, tine bold deep golden crown, and good star-shaped perianth measuring over four inches. (Illustrated on photo. No. 2.) But better still there was a 11 v. Irving X Maximus seedling, height 34in. clear yellow-hooded perianth, and rather straight deep yellow crown. The bloom was young when T saw it. and would no doubt go to four inches when well expanded. This seedling is interesting inasmuch as Hy. Irving, an uncertain doer in England, is stated by Cartwright ami Goodwin to give weakly offspring: the constitution of the Hawera plant seems excellent, and the bloom quite free from the coarseness usually associated with the spurious type. In the vinery were many hundreds of two and three-year-old bulblets, mostly from Incomparabilis X red cups such as Albatross, Lucifer, and red coat, and a healthy batch of fifteen little plants from a seedpot of Duke of Bedford X Victoria, which may give a good account of themselves some day. Mr. Goodson is a versatile gardener, and grows the finest roses in Taranaki. Of the tactics adopted in daffodil culture by Mr Robert Gibson, of Riverlea, it may be at once said: I hat they give one furiously to think! They may be summed up as th** cultural methods most suited to the production of a prize cauliflower. The conception is original, and the results amazing. The Imhls are

prepared a bare 14 days prior to planting. The site is marked off 4 feet wide, the top spit turned out, and 6 inches of recent stockyard manure is incorporated with the second spit, and the top soil is turned bark. The bulbs are planted at four inches, in dumps of four or six, never more; clumps, one foot apart, in 3 rows, running the whole length of the bed, at least a foot separating the rows. 1 think it was Mr Moreland Crossfield who said that a bulb suffers if it is one hour only out of the ground, and that lifting and transplanting should be one operation: this is faithfully carried out in Riverlea. As the whole of the orchard, where the daffodils are, is double trench ed, and has been a kitchen garden for 17 years, the soil is in great heart, and the beds of exceptional richness. The health and vigour of the plants is phenomenal, even the cernuus daffodils seemed quite happy: of course. Mr Gibson has his troubles, like other men. He admits quite freely that X. Cyclamineus does not seem quite at home in his beds, and that he has lost one bulb of Cernuus Pulcher from basal rot! As for the blooms. 1 have seen them before, and can vouch

for their fine shape ami size and marvel lons colouring. 'There is a nice collection in this orchard garden, and most of the best things are represented. Not, of course. your Phantasy's Czarinas or Bedouins, they will come some day. but all the good things that go to fill a decent show stand, the majority of which are, at present, unobtainable in the Dominion at reasonable prices. By collating the accumulated experiences of local growers, we arrive at the following formulary, applicable to light volcanic soil: Beds to be four feet in width, and trenched very deeply, say IS inches; if drainage is excessive, use the deep layer of stable manure; humus to be supplied by turf or clover covercrop dry in; the main soil to be that in which a leguminous crop has nourished the previous season: phosphates, lime, and potash are necessary adjuncts; Basic slag and kainit will fulfil these indications; pumice should 1m» eliminated by sieving: lift and transplant the same day, do it early; bulbs to be in rows across the bed, f» inches between bulbs, and 12 to 14 inches between rows; hand

weed your beds, the fork is more fatal to blooms than the Merodon Equestris. And an epilogue about the use of stock yard manure. The judicious use of animal manure is no new gospel in Daffodil growing. It iias been recommended by several authorities, but more especially of late by Kirby and Walter \\ right. What has scared the lxginm*r has been the dictum: *I )a llodils dislike ammonia.’’ Most plants would dislike ammonia per se, as it is only valuable on account of the nitrogen which it contains, but nitrogen is certainly as necessary to the life of the Amaryllids as it is to another bulbous thing. The ordinary stockyard manure of Taranaki, which consists of the solid dejecta of cows only, is not to he confounded with the stockyard manure of the agricultural experts, which has been so treated (under cover) as to retain its ammonia. On the contrary. I have, by chemical tests. nq>eatedly found samples of our local stuff to be ammonia free. Why then withold from a hungry soil so valuable a source of humus which is a sine qua non in the higher culture of garden hybrids that have been bred in the lap of luxury?

In sending forth this special daffodil number, we have to express our indebtedness to those who have so kindly assisted in its preparation, ami to thank our readers for the kind reception of our former special*, and trust that the present number may be deemed wort hy of their commendation. \ ERONK \.

Rev. I). R. Williamson. clear rich yellow. with long h;in<l*oim* trumpet: a bob’, ami noble bloom; 2 6. BICOLOIR TRI’M PET. Duke of Bedford, very large broad perianth. pure white. Im»I<I trumpet of

soft yellow ; a very striking Hower; 6/. Glory of Xrordwijk. a glorified Empress; very vigorous grower; early: raised by I )r. <froot ; 6 . Mr*. Morland Crosficld. a great improvement <lll I lorslieldii; pure white perianth, long clear yellow trumpet of great purity; 5/. Weardale Perfection one of the finest bicolours. perianth white, trumpet primrose; a very largo ilo ver of gr*. at sub stance, and a splendid doer; raised by Backhouse; 7/6. WHITE TRLMPET. Florence. one of Mr. Engleheart's seedlings; long elegant trumpet of ivory

maize colouring; blooms early; a lovely Hower; 9/. Mrs. Bettridge. clear ivory white throughout, long straight trumpet: beautifully frilled; 10/6. LEEDS! f. Ariadne, an exquisite Hower, perianth

white, very large wide cup ivory white; prettily frilled; very lasting; 2/6. Evangeline, described as a. white Home spun; a flower of remarkable substance and a vigorous tall grower; 10/. Maggie May. a giant Leedsii; white perianth, verv large pale citron cup. pass-

flower; very floriferous; splendid long steins; 1/. \\ liite Lady, perianth round overlap ping, cup white, tinged citron; a good flower; 1/. BARR] I. Albatross, large flat white perianth, citron yellow cup, orange red eye, frilled rim; 1/. Seagull; this variety resembled Albatross, and was raised from the same seed pod: it has a large white spreading perianth, cup canary colour, edged with apricot; 1/. IXCOMPARABILIS. Gloria Mundi, a grand flower, with smooth overlapping yellow segments and large spreading cup. heavily stained with dusky red ; 2/. Ladv Margaret Boscawen. verv large

ing to white; beautifully frilled; a fine strong grower; height 22in; 7/6. Salinonette, a very distinct new Leed sii, perianth clear white, cup fluted, shaded apricot; height 14in; 2/6. Waterwitch, a pure white droopinj

flower of the Sir Watkin class, with broad flat segments of clear white, bold expanded yellow cup; 9/. Lucifer, long white segments, narrow cup. glowing orange scarlet; lasts well in the sun; 1/. .

Lui worth, a very beautiful Hower, segments pah* sulphur passing to white, cup large bell-shaped, and of a xiviel red colour; ]/. BGRBIDGEI. Blood Orange. Engl eheart’s, broad lemon petals, with very bright orange scarlet eve; awarded silver medal. 1902; 2/6. Bullfinch, lemon perianth, fading to white, cup heavily edged orange scarlet, raised by Rev. G. H. Engleheart; 2/6. POETICUS. Cassandra, very distinct, small eye., deeply rimmed, red. broad perianth of great substance; a strong, tall grower: Dante, a cross between Poeticus Orna tus and Poeticus Poetarum, well formed, round perianth, eye citron, suffused with madder red; early; 2/6.

EXGLEII EARTI I. on FLAT ( R( >\\ XED Circlet; This is considered one of the grandest flowers in this section; broad, pure white, much overlapping rounded pedals of perfect shape* ami groat sub stance; large* Hal. yellowish eye, eelgeel orange* scarlet ; a Hower of exquisite modelling; 12/.

Mariette. clear white perianth, overlapping aml of great substance, two inches across, fiat saucer eye of deep orange, eelgeel brilliant scarlet; 6/.