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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 8 (November 1, 1935)

Gathering the Flowers

Gathering the Flowers.

If the greatest possible enjoyment is to be obtained from the cut flowers of the Narcissus they should not be left on the plant until fully opened, at the mercy of wind, rain, sun and dust, but cut as soon as the flower begins to unwrap itself from the crown, and then allowed to open out in water in a fairly warm room, or other sheltered place, such as a greenhouse.

All the beauty and freshness of colour which are so charming in the Narcissus will thus be preserved, and although flowers which have been open on the plant for a considerable time may attain to rather larger size, the slight gain in this respect does not counterbalance the loss in purity and freshness. A further advantage gained is that blooms cut in the bud may be packed for transport in a much smaller space, and yet will open out in water better and even larger than flowers cut as soon as they have quite opened out on the plant.

Mr. C. Goodson's seedling, Star Plane, champion at the Wanganui Show. It is a seedling of Silver Plane and Fire King.

Mr. C. Goodson's seedling, Star Plane, champion at the Wanganui Show. It is a seedling of Silver Plane and Fire King.

Now for the commercial side of daffodil raising. This Dominion has become a serious rival of Britain and Holland, and, in my opinion, will, in the near future, lead the world in outstanding blooms and varieties, our climate being suitable to this end.

The enormous increase in the number of named daffodils necessitated the adoption of a classification for garden and show purposes. Moreover, in order to reduce the possibility of confusion through the use of a given name for more than one variety the Royal Horticultural Society, London, has published a list of names already in common use. This can be purchased for 1/6.

The export of daffodil bulbs has been for some years very considerable. Many New Zealand-raised varieties can be found in Australian growers' catalogues. The names of New Zealanders who have created and registered in the Royal Horticultural Society's Year Book number eleven.

The following beautiful varieties owe their birth to New Zealand hybridisers, and can be purchased, viz.: Bonny Glen Durness, Egmont Queen, Flash Lightning, Glen Eden, Golden Fleece, Goodson's Choice, Gramophone, Hallmark, Hone Heke, Kaloola, King Frost, Kinlock, Lady Roberts, Letty, Mararoa, Mrs. Hugh Campbell, Oceanid, Owen Bray, Silver Plane, and Vera Bray. This by no means exhausts the number which have been produced in New Zealand. The 289 named varieties registered and classified up to February, 1933, indicates surely, the birth of a new industry. Already there is evidence of cultivation on a large scale, such as the large area planted on the hillside at Wetherstons, this area being a centre of attraction for tourists, nearly 1,000 of whom journeyed by one train to view a multitude of daffodils. The establishment of further areas of this kind in other parts of our Dominion would augment the revenue of our Railways and stimulate the popular interest in floriculture in New Zealand.

(W. W. Stewart collection). New Zealand's finest train, the Limited Express, approaching Auckland after its 426-mile run from Wellington.

(W. W. Stewart collection).
New Zealand's finest train, the Limited Express, approaching Auckland after its 426-mile run from Wellington.

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