HItPEASTKUM 



THE BULB BOOK 



HIPPEASTRUM 



all easily detached offsets should be 

 taken from the older bulbs. The 

 latter vary in size from 3 ins. to 5 

 ins. in diameter, consequently pots of 

 different sizes should be used. A 5- 

 in. or 6-in. pot will be quite large 

 enough for a 3-in. bulb, and an 8-in. 

 or 10-in. pot for a 5-in. bulb ; the 

 point to bear in mind being not to 

 have pots too large for the bulbs. 

 The diameter of the pot should not 

 be more than twice that of the bulb. 

 The soil for Hippeastrums cannot be 

 too rich. Leaf-mould and old cow- 

 manure in about equal proportions, 

 with a good sprinkling of silver sand 

 makes an excellent compost, but most 

 growers also favour the addition of 

 some well-matured, fibrous, yellow 

 loam. The whole should be 

 thoroughly well mixed, by turning 

 over three times with the spade, and 

 the pots to be used should be well 

 drained. The bulbs should be placed 

 in the pots, so that when the soil has 

 been worked in firmly round them 

 with the fingers about one-half stands 

 above the surface. To secure good 

 steady, growth the plants should be 

 plunged in a tan or coco-nut fibre 

 bed, or even in one of weU-decayed 

 leaf-mould, up to the rims, and the 

 bottom heat should range from 75° to 

 80° F. The plants should have plenty 

 of light, but a little shading must be 

 given when the sun is very strong. 

 The syringe should be used freely 

 with tepid water to keep the sur- 

 rounding atmosphere moist and genial, 

 and the foliage clean and fresh. As 

 growth progresses water is given in 

 increasing abundance, as it is being 

 absorbed in larger quantities by the 

 roots. When first potted the tempera- 

 ture of the house should range from 55° 

 to 60° at night, but may be increased 

 two or three weeks later to 60° to 65°. 

 As the fat fleshy flower-stems appear 

 from the sides of the bulbs and leaves 



a little weak liquid manure may be 

 supplied two or three times a week 

 as a stimulant. 



Under such conditions of heat and 

 moisture, with a good compost, Hip- 

 peastrums will often develop leaves 

 3 to 5 ft. long and 3 to 4 ins. broad, 

 while one, two, or three flower-stems 

 2 to 4 ft. high will be thrown up from 

 each bulb, and carry from four to 

 eight magnificent flowers, each 6 ins., 



275 



Fio. 181.— Hippeastrum. 



sometimes as much as 9 or 10 ins. or 

 more across. 



The colours vary from the deepest 

 scarlet almost to pure white, the 

 broad petals being distinctly veined, 

 and usually with a lighter coloured 

 band — white tinted green — down the 

 centre. 



Hippeastrums are easily raised from 

 seeds, and are just as easily cross- 

 fertilised. The hybrids in cultivation 

 owe their origin to a Lancashire 

 watchmaker named Johnson, who in 

 the year 1799 raised the first hybrid 



