AMAR YLLIS. 



evergreen varieties. The time to rest 

 them can best be ascertained by watch- 

 ing when the plants have completed 

 their growth, which will be some time 

 after they are out of flower ; then with- 

 hold water gradually, but never allow 

 the plants to get sufficiently dry at any 

 time to allow the foliage to droop. The 

 appearance of the flower in these as 

 well as in the herbaceous varieties, is, 

 in most cases, the first sign of new and 

 active growth, and water can be given 

 more liberally ; in fact, it is hardly pos- 

 sible to give too much water at this 

 stage, providing the drainage is perfect 

 and the plant healthy. Liquid manure 

 of a mild nature, made from cow or 

 sheep manure, will improve the quality 

 and color of the flowers and foliage, if 

 judiciously applied. The same remarks 

 apply, even more closely, to the evergreen 

 varieties than to the herbaceous. As re- 

 gards repotting, it is certainly better not 

 to repot if the plants are healthy and 

 doing well, and this can be easily known 

 by the condition of the foliage, which 

 should look bright and glossy if they 

 are thriving. It is better to assist them 

 with weak manure water occasionally, 

 than to repot. The evergreen varieties 

 can be kept in the window or green- 

 house continually, and very few varieties 

 need a high temperature at any time ; 

 or they can be stood out of doors dur- 

 ing the hot summer months to advan- 

 tage where not exposed to the burning 

 midday sun. It would be best to stand 

 them in a saucer if possible, or on coal 

 ashes. A good position for them is on 

 the north or east side of a fence or 

 building. 



I cannot close my remarks on the 

 Amaryllis without noticing the Vallota 

 purpurea, a beautiful and easily grown 

 ally of the Amaryllis ; in fact it is often 

 catalogued as Amaryllis purpurea, being 

 probably better known as the Scar- 



borough Lily It takes that name, it 

 is supposed, from the fact that so many 

 fine specimens are seen in and around 

 that fashionable seaside resort, on the 

 N. E. coast of England. It is also a 

 native of the Cape of Good Hope, hav- 

 ing been brought from there about 1 774. 

 The Vallota requires similar treatment 

 as the evergreen Amaryllis, but even 

 more water, the plant in its native 

 haunts being found near marshy places 

 and is even more averse to repotting 

 than the Amaryllis ; it often grows and 

 thrives in the same pot for several years. 

 These plants can all be propagated from 

 seed ; an almost countless variety of 

 hybrids, some of them very beautiful, 

 have been introduced in that way. 

 They can also be increased by off'sets, 

 the small bulbs which appear at the 

 side of the old bulbs ; these must not 

 be detached from the old bulb until 

 appearing to drop away, and can best 

 be removed when repotting ; care must 

 be taken in separating, to try and do so 

 with the small roots attached, but this 

 is a slow method of increasing the 

 plants. In commercial establishments 

 these bulbs are often increased by divid- 

 ing the old bulbs, and there is nothing 

 in this method that cannot be success- 

 fully practised by an amateur. This 

 must of course be done, when the bulbs 

 are dormant, by dividing them lengthwise 

 with a sharp knife so that if possible a 

 small portion of the tip of the bulb, as 

 well as the flat part of the base is left 

 on each division, as the latter is the 

 essential part of the bulb to produce 

 roots. Each section so divided and 

 can be potted into small pots, in soil 

 composed of equal parts loam and sand, 

 when they can be grown on into larger 

 pots as required. By this method one 

 large bulb can be made to produce ten 

 or more plants, and is possibly the best 

 means of increasing good varieties, as 

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