78 LUTHER BURBANK 



period. The earliest bloomers were promoted. Those 

 that were the first, and continued to bloom the longest, 

 won the prize. Still the teacher was not satisfied; his 

 pupils must resist disease and ill-treatment, and must pro- 

 duce many bulbs. The master's desire is that every one 

 may enjoy all beautiful flowers, so the work went on until 

 many young bulbs were found on one amaryllis plant. 

 Each of these new bulbs when planted produced two or 

 three strong stalks, and each stalk bore from three to six 

 beautiful flowers, which often measured from six to nine 

 inches across, and amaryllis blossoms were enjoyed from 

 early spring to midsummer. 



Training for beauty of dress and for variety of colors, 

 shades, flakes, and trimmings was considered throughout 

 the course. 



The master of the plant school prefers simple English 

 names for his graduates, but there were so many in the 

 amaryllis class for 1909 that he decided not to give them 

 separate names, but to number them, and to call them 

 "The New Giant Amaryllis." 



The farewell reception tendered the amaryllis class will 

 be long remembered in the history of the plant school. 

 The color scheme in the gowns worn by the one hundred 

 thirty-six graduates was beautiful beyond description. 

 One wore fiery scarlet with narrow white bands at the 

 base of the robe; another, white overspread with shadings 

 of pink, crimson, and scarlet. There was a snow white 



