SECOND WEEK IN JANUARY 



take special measures in order that this soil should fill the 

 interstices between them, and the pot must be thoroughly 

 shaken during the process of repotting to ensure this, the 

 compost being used in a rather dry state for the purpose. 

 After repotting, the bulb should be three parts uncovered on 

 the surface, and the pot can be placed in a warm position, 

 supplying the roots with water in increasing quantities as 

 growth develops. A. hippeastrum flowers in the spring, 

 early or late, according to the warmth provided ; it can 

 be grown in a window, however, and is nearly hardy. 



Amaryllis hippeastrum Ant. Roozen is one of the finest 

 of these plants (introduced by the well-known horticul- 

 turist of that name, of Haarlem, Holland), with enormous 

 blooms of great substance, each petal being over 3 inches 

 across, the diameter of each flower being 8 inches, and the 

 height of the stem on which they are borne 30 inches. The 

 colour is remarkably beautiful, the reticulations of the petals 

 being in the richest velvet-like carmine on a creamy-white 

 ground, whilst a distinct silvery star in the centre extends to 

 the edge of each petal. This plant is rivalled by the deep 

 blood-red flowers of H. Goliath, which are striped with 

 white, and H. Autocrat, in pure scarlet, but for chaste 

 colouring it cannot be excelled, although the crimson and 

 white tints of H. Queen Wilhelmina are splendid. 



After blooming these bulbs should be thoroughly ripened 

 in full sunshine ; they will gradually lose their foliage 

 during the summer ; but this must never be allowed to 

 droop, although much less water will be necessary for them 

 at that season than in their time of active growth in 

 spring. When the last leaf has turned yellow and dis- 

 appeared the bulbs should be kept cool and almost dry until 

 the end of the year, after which, with a temperature of 60, 

 they will soon show signs of growth. Large bulbs do not 

 require to be repotted yearly if in suitable pots, but in this 

 case a top-dressing should be laid over the surface of the 

 soil after removing about an inch of the upper part of it. 

 Old hot-bed material (thoroughly dried and free from insects), 

 with a little soot or Clay's fertiliser, can be used for this 



17 



