70 THE amateur's geeenhotjse 



tlie botanist. Of this noble family there are many splendid 

 named varieties in cultivation, but those who understand them 

 are very few indeed ; they are usually grown in stove heat, 

 and are propagated from oiFsets. Now, the right way to enjoy 

 them is to grow them in the greenhouse and raise the stock 

 from seed. If named varieties are wanted, they can be easily 

 obtained : and of necessity the cultivator must wait for off- 

 sets to increase his stock, if desiring to have the named sorts 

 reproduced in their integrity ; but seedlings are easily raised, 

 and they are sure to produce fine flowers if the seeds are 

 saved from the best named sorts, and amongst them we shall 

 occasionally find novelties worthy to be named and added to the 

 most select list. We will suppose, then, that you have a few 

 of the best-named amaryllis in flower, and intend to propagate 

 from them. 



Light and air are essential to the thorough maturation of 

 the seed ; therefore, as the plants go out of flower, they should 

 be placed in a light airy position in an intermediate house 

 where a genial growing temperature is maintained, and where 

 they can be screened from the direct rays of the sun. The seed 

 should be sown immediately it is ripe in light, sandy soil, and 

 well-drained pots or pans, which should be placed in a melon or 

 cucumber frame. After the plants are nicely up, and have from 

 three to four leaves each, prick them ofi" at once into five-inch 

 pots, putting about half a dozen bulbs in each. Keep them 

 steadily growing through the winter in a temperature of about 

 60°, and give just sufficient water to keep the foliage fresh and 

 green. It is not necessary or desirable to dry the bulbs off" 

 in the winter: but should any show a disposition to go to 

 rest, by all means withhold water from them, and place the pots 

 in the greenhouse. 



In the spring they will require to be repotted. The soil 

 should be good turfy loam full of fibre, mixed with a fifth part 

 of thoroughly -decayed hotbed manure. The compost should 

 he used moderately rough, excepting for the first potting, as 

 the bulbs are then small, and will not readily root into rough 

 stufl". When they are potted off singly into small pots, the 

 soil should be chopped up rather fine, and of course a liberal 

 quantity of silver sand added. For the first potting from the 

 seed-bed use three-inch pots, and at the spring potting shift 

 into either five- or six-inch pots, according to the strength of 

 the individual bulbs. 



