262 LUTHER BURBANK 



characteristics, so that they everywhere rank as 

 good species or fixed varieties, yet in point of 

 fact the first one named, Johnson's amaryllis, is a 

 hybrid that resulted from the union of the other 

 two species. 



The hybridizing experiment through which 

 this new form was produced was made as long 

 ago as the year 1799 by an English amateur gar- 

 dener named Johnson, whose business of watch- 

 making had presumably given him facility 

 in the performance of such a manipulation 

 as is involved in the hand pollenizing of 

 flowers. 



The hybrid form thus produced not only took 

 its place as a recognized horticultural variety, but 

 was botanically recognized as entitled to a dis- 

 tinctive name. It has maintained its place along- 

 side the parent forms during the century and 

 more since it was first developed. Doubtless 

 there have been some modifications in the origi- 

 nal characteristics of the hybrid through selection, 

 but, for anything we know to the contrary, John- 

 son's amaryllis retains to this day the essential 

 characteristics of the hybrid developed by the 

 watchmaker through the union of the two other 

 species. 



As the amaryllis is often grown from seed, it 

 may be assumed that any given specimen of 



