The judging of historic daffodils raisers many important questions. Questions we should all ask – How well do we know our ancestors? The main of us probably know back to our grandparents and beyond that, things become rather hazy.
The flower ‘Mrs R.O. Backhouse’ that is being discussed on daffnet at present is certainly one of these confused varieties. A cultivar catalogued as ‘Mrs Backhouse’ approx 1910 was a 2W-Y, later more clearly identified as ‘Mrs C.J. Backhouse’. The pink variety raised by Mrs R.O. Backhouse that bears her name was first shown in 1923 (according to A.E. Bowles). This pink variety is difficult to find with a description in any old English or early New Zealand catalogues that I have. A description from a book of 1962 reads:
“Only one reliable pink and white daffodil has yet become low-priced. This is ‘Mrs R.O. Backhouse’ which has rather poor, thin waved petals and a largish crown quite richly coloured a shell pink which is deepest around the brim.”
This would fit my recollection of the flower as I grew it many years ago. This is at variance to what is in the Daffodil Register and Classified List of 2008 that records the cultivar as having segments broadly ovate. This is a somewhat recent description which is I believe is quite misleading. Unfortunately there are a number of errors regarding old cultivars in the new Register. The problem being to rectify these errors requires the knowledge of an older growing group that could still recognise daffodils over the last 60 to 70 years or so. These individuals could probably be counted on the fingers of one hand worldwide.
‘Mrs R.O. Backhouse’ was undoubtably one of the first true pink and white daffodils, some paler forms with just a trace of pink colouring appeared in England about 1913 for the first time. The cultivar ‘Mrs R.O. Backhouse’ being such a novelty found its way to Holland where it was grown by the thousands – this is where the first stage of confusion arrises. The Dutch were known to have bred from it and I do not think I would be wrong in assuming that ‘Mrs R.O. Backhouse’ suffered from what I would call the “King Alfred Syndrome”, that is any White pink look alike would suddenly become the cultivar ‘Mrs R.O. Backhouse’.
When a cultivar is grown in large quantities mutations can appear amongst the stock. These mutations are probably more prevalent than we realise and we only tend to take notice of variations that are clearly visable to us. This would sometimes account why some stocks of a particular cultivar grow better than others. There could be other reasons for these differences in flower colouring and vigour, namely virus, but I am reasonably sure the confusion in the cultivar ‘Mrs R.O. Backhouse’ has taken place because of a mixture of stocks by some of the commercial growers.
The judging of historics is in fact one of the most specialised judging sections of a daffodil show. These classes are somewhat best left to your older and more experienced judges. It is somewhat necessary to have a knowledge of the history of the daffodil to be a competent judge of the historic classes.
Regarding Mrs .O. Backhouse (Sarah Elizabeth) she was well known to have raised some of the very best red and white daffodils of her era, one that comes to mind is ‘Hades’. The brilliant colouring she obtained in some cases was due to back crossing of her flowers.
I have a copy of one of Guy L. Wilson’s pedigree books 1919-1925, in this particular volume he has written extensive notes on the season, shows and the gardens he visited. In the 1919 notes he writes –
“Mrs Backhouse bought a bunch of remarkable flowers, several enormous giant incomps (div 2) yellow with orange and red crowns, the largest like a huge orange crowned ‘Sir Watkin’ was 5 inches across. The best to my mind was like a much magnified ‘C.J. Backhouse’ in colour and shape but they were rather coarse. She also had a giant leedsii with white perianth and a long crown of solid brickdust pink and a very distinct ajax (div. 1) of transparent lemon like light coming through a stained glass window”
The 1921 notes record Mrs Backhouse’s death, it reads:
“Mrs R.O.Backhouse, her passing makes a gap in the daffodil circle which cannot be filled. I did not know her well, having only met her once or twice at shows, but when she occasionally showed a few of her seedlings they always created a sensation and were indeed wonderful and astonishing beyond measure and unlike anything achieved by other raisers”.
The 1923 notes he writes of a trip to Arkwrights
“Arkwright most kindly sent me in his car to Dr Lower who accompanied me to Hereford to Backhouses garden. Dr Lowers flowers were pretty well over and Backhouses were also past their best. There were still a good few red cups, I bought one little late bright yellow and red and a nice large Poet. We saw a remarkable seedling – many of Mrs Backhouses raising have been remarkable -! this was a reversed bicolour.”
This is the first time a reversed bicolour has been recorded. Guy Wilson’s interest was kindled by this flower.
Two daffodils that should be in historic collections are ‘Royalist’ 1914 Dr Nynian Yeo Lower 1Y-Y. This cultivar gave me my first best bloom at the Nelson Horticultural Show in 1952. It is a variety that would be in the pedigree of every yellow trumpet of note. It is now 95 years old and is one of the daffodils that is somewhat timeless, its quality is absolutely remarkable for a flower of this age. The stock I have had all these years is still remarkably virus free and very vigorous. The other is Guy L. Wilson’s ‘Carnlough” 2W-P 1934 a very smooth and wonderfully formed flower of delicate colouring.
Cheers,
John
Historian
National Daffodil Society of New Zealand.
John A. Hunter
195 Patons Road
R.D.1 Richmond
Nelson
New Zealand
Phone 64 3 544 0011
