ON THE AMARYLLIS 



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 gardener 

 named Johnson, whose business of watchmaking 

 had presumably given him facility in the perform- 

 ance of such a manipulation as is involved in the 

 hand poUenizing 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 distinc- 

 tive name. It has maintained its place alongside 

 the parent forms during the century and more 

 since it was first developed. Doubtless there have 

 been some modifications in the original character- 

 istics of the hybrid through selection, but, for any- 

 thing we know to the contrary, Johnson's amaryllis 

 retains to this day the essential characteristics of 

 the hybrid developed by the watchmaker through 

 the union of the two other species. 



Inasmuch as the amaryllis is often grown from 

 seed, it may be assumed that any given specimen 

 of Johnson's amaryllis in existence to-day, includ- 

 ing of course those with which I first experimented, 

 is a generation or more removed from the original 

 hybrid. Not so many generations as might at first 

 thought appear, for the usual method of propaga- 



[83] 



