5 MAY 1939, Page 19

In the Garden

In one cherry orchard (which has been in unusually full blossom this season) a great quantity of daffodils were planted about twenty years ago. The grass is rather rough, and it was foretold that a number of the bulbs would deteriorate and relapse. The opposite has happened. None, so far as is known, has relapsed to an original type, and almost all have multiplied. The spectacle still grows finer every year. At the same time, the classes of daffodil differ in response to such surroundings. Jonquils are very much the worst. Indeed, they are not worth planting in grass, at any rate in heavy soils. The old doubles are perhaps the best, partly because they are early, and anticipate by a larger interval the growing of the grass. The Leedsii type often do particularly well. One would expect the Pheasants' Eyes, which come late and are not particularly lusty in the stalk to be bad subjects for naturalisation, but they often flourish. Among other bulbs the cottage tulip is a class that is returning to favour, and has been much improved. They were in flower this year as early as the wild or species tulips, which also begin to enjoy a new vogue, and deservedly. They have more character than the Darwins, except to specialists in the " breaking " habit.

W. BEACH THOMAS.