62 Horticulture. 



amaryllis vittata ; its leaves also are beautifully striped with greenish 

 white, and are elegantly reticulated on their upper surface. It should be 

 noticed that both the parents of this variety of amarylHs are themselves 

 hybrids ; semperjlorens being a hybrid between amarylHs acuminata and 

 amaryll'is vittata ; and superba between amarylHs Johnsoni and amaryllis 

 striatifol'ia ; and in this plant we can trace the intermixture of this, which 

 may be termed a double hybrid, possessing the scent of vittata, the wliite 

 stripes as in striatifolia, and the admixture of all in the shape and colour 

 of the bulb, the foliage, and the flowers ; yet its general appearance is 

 very different from that of either of its parents. With the production of new 

 hybrids of this interesting tribe from seed, we may go on without end. 

 He who is in the possession of eight or ten distinct hybrid species, may 

 soon, with care, increase them an hundred-fold by fertilizing them one with 

 the other. It has been stated that hybrid plants will not produce seed, 

 but in the case of this lovely tribe there seems to be no limit ; for we are 

 satisfied that they will bring their seeds to perfection, even through many 

 generations of hybrids. Again it has been said that these varieties would 

 not endure, but would retrograde into their original species ; we only know 

 that many of them would in such a case have a most intricate journey to per- 

 form ! Many of these hybrids will produce seed if fertilized with their own 

 pollen, though not by any means so abundantly as with the pollen of others ; 

 but they will give rise to precisely the same with their prototypes in every 

 respect, so that the variety may be continued by seed as well as the species. 

 Neither the species nor tiie hybrids will, we are well aware, produce seed 

 so abundantly from their own farina, as from that of others ; and there are 

 several which will not produce perfect seeds under any circumstances. 

 With respect to hybrids, it may be mentioned that they will not spring all 

 alike from the same capsule of seed, but will vary, some more resembling 

 the one, and others the other parent. 



We expect that many other fine varieties of amaryllis will be in flower 

 by the middle of this month. 



Alstrcemkria is another beautiful and very interesting genus of the 

 natural order of tlie amaryll'idecE , of which there are now several species at 

 the Bristol Nursery. Alstroemeria acutifolla, (sharp-leaved alstroemeria) 

 is now in full bloom, and has been deservedly admired ; its flowers are of 

 a dark bright orange red, and from twenty to thirty in an umbel. It was 

 cultivated, on its first importation into this country from Mexico, as a stove 

 plant ; but with little or no protection it will bear our ordinary winters, 

 and make a very fine appearance in the flower garden j but the best situa- 

 tion for it is against a wall, as having a climbing stem it requires support. 

 It grows from seven to ten feet in height, and continues in flower during 

 several months. Mr. Miller's specimen has been in flower ever since last 

 July ; and if the winter remain mild, will continue for some time longer. 

 Like all the alstroemerias it will grow well in a light sandy soil. 



