In a message dated 13-Apr-04 4:44:40 PM Pacific Daylight Time, totototo@pacificcoast.net writes: > Does anyone know of a source for healthy 'Quince'? It's a nice plant that > I'd like to enjoy for more than one year. > All daffodils in commerce are infected with one, or more, of the viruses known to infect the genus Narcissus. For most people, this is irrelevant, whether in a garden setting or forced for Winter bloom. For others, however, concern ranges from "some" to anathema! See THE DAFFODIL JOURNAL, March 2004, for an article on the incidence of virus in the genus Narcissus. Often, as in the case of the virused 'Quince' Rodger mentioned, the infection can be severe. And, as with all viruses, there is no cure and the best thing to do is dump the bulbs into the trash. The narcissus yellow stripe virus is a potyvirus and, as such, the most virulent type and one easily spread by mechanical means, e.g., cutting a daffodil stem or bulb with a knife not sterilized between cuts, etc. Meristem culture has, on occasion, been employed to "clean-up" some of the older clones hopelessly infected. It has been done for economic reasons, e.g., the clone Grand Soleil d'Or long grown for "cut" flowers in England is one such. 'Tete-a-Tete' and 'Jumblie' or 'Quince' might also be good candidates for the process. These three daffodils, particularly the former, make really fine pot plants and millions are grown for that purpose each year. While I would dearly love to make a cross similar to the one that produced these three daffodils, the parent plant, 'Cyclataz,' is impossible to find. Dave Karnstedt Silverton, Oregon, USA Cool Mediterranean climate; USDA Zone 7-8