BULBOUS PLAXTS. 



365 



Propagation is also effected "by raising seedlings, 

 and as the Amaryllis Lears and ripens seed freely 

 every season, this is an expeditious mode of increase. 

 The flowers are, as a rule, artificially impregnated 

 either vnth. their own pollen or that of a finer variety. 

 The seed-pod soon swells, and about midsummer it 

 commences to ripen. In J uly and August the seeds are 

 ripe, and the seed-pod bursts. The seeds are black 

 and membranous when fully ripe. They should be 

 sown as soon as gathered fi'om the pod. The usual 

 mode is to sow thinly on the surface of pans or 

 pots of light soil, cover with a thin layer of soil, and 

 place the pots in a gentle heat, say about 6b°. In 

 a few weeks the seeds will germinate, and by the 

 autumn will have formed a leaf. Cai-e is required 

 during their infancy that they do not receive an 

 excess of water, especially in cold, damp weather. 

 In the spring the seedlings are large enough to pot 

 separately in small pots, or three in a -i^-inch pot. 

 Their treatment during the first year is much the 

 same as that received by offsets, and during the 

 second year some of the strongest bulbs will produce 

 flower, though two-year-old flowering bulbs are the 

 exception. During the third and fourth seasons all 

 the seedlings will flower. The finest sorts should be 

 increased by offsets, and particular attention paid to 

 theii' culture, and producing seeds from them. 



"^Tien all the stock of plants is treated in one house, 

 under the same conditions, the bulbs will of course 

 flower about the same period, which extends over 

 several weeks during ^March and April, the beginning 

 of April being the height of the season. Flowering 

 plants may however be had earlier and later, by 

 forcing in the one case and retarding in the other. 

 By re-potting the bulbs earlier than January, and 

 gradually inuring them to a wai-m temperature, 

 flower-spikes may be had as early as February; and 

 by retarding the bulbs in a cool place and allowing 

 the growth to commence unaided by heat, flowering 

 plants may be had as late as June and July, and 

 thereby the Amaryllis season may be extended over 

 a period of several months, and by the addition of 

 the reticulata hybrids, the interval during autumn 

 and winter may be filled by flowering plants. 



"VThen in full flower the plants may be removed 

 for a short time to the conservatory or green-house, 

 but as growth is very active about the flowering- 

 time, and requires abundant moisture and more 

 heat than a conservatory can give, it is not advisable 

 to subject valuable ' varieties to a low temperatui'e 

 and dry atmosphere long together. It is better to 

 cut the spikes and place them in water, and leave 

 the plants in the stove. In the case of ordinary 

 varieties or seedlings, howevei-, no risk is run in 

 taking them to embellish the green-house during 

 their flowering. Some cultivators pot Amaryllises 



when in full growth, immediately after blooming, 

 and prefer that condition to one of dormancy. 



Some varieties of Amaryllis are much hardier 

 than others — so . hardy, indeed, that they ma 3- be 

 gi-own successfully in the open borders. Among 

 these hardier kinds are A. Acramatinii pulcherrima, 

 a beautiful variety, with intensely deep crimson 

 flowers, and A. vittata, with smallish striped flowers. 

 These, in the neighbourhood of London, have been 

 gro^-n in a warm sunny border of light soil, and 

 only protected duiing winter by fern litter or some 

 such material. 



Sekctio/i of Varieties. — During the last few years 

 a few of the nurserymen in this country have paid 

 a great deal of attention to Amaryllis culture, and 

 particularly to the raising of new varieties, and in 

 one nm'sery alone seedlings are raised annually by 

 the thousand, and as care is taken to hybridise only 

 the finest sorts, the progeny, as may be expected, 

 possess high merit ; but only those sorts whose 

 flowers conform to the standard of a first-rate 

 Amaryllis are named. The remainder of the seed- 

 lings are sold unnamed, generally at a few shillings 

 a bulb, whereas the finest of the named sorts are 

 sold for as much as five guineas a bulb. The price 

 of a first-rate variety, as a rule, varies according to 

 its power of propagating itself. In the case of one 

 that sends out offsets freely from the parent bulb, 

 the plants become cheaper, for, in all cases, indi- 

 vidual varieties are propagated solely by offsets. 

 Some throw out these so sparingly that they main- 

 tain a high price for years. 



The following is a selection from among those 

 sorts that have been exhibited in London dming the 

 past five years ; they include the finest varieties that 

 have been raised, the majority having large and 

 finely-formed flowers, with brilliant colotu's. 



Acis— flower very large, of a ' Byrou— deep crimson ; pale 



brilliant crimson, tipped centre. 



with, white. Charles Dickens — rich crim- 

 Ajax — deep maroon-crim- scn-scarlet, and greenish- 

 son, blotched with yellow- white centre. 



ish-white. Clio — brilliant scarlet, 



Alexandra — flowers above striped white ; one of the 



medium size, bright rosy- ' finest. 



carmine, striped with Comte de Germiny — rich 



white. ' orange - scarlet, petals 



Archimedes — deep violet- striped with white ; one of 



crimson, edged with white. the flnest. 



Antumn Beauty— one of the Constance — white, flaked 



Reticulata section ; colcur and netted with red. 



pale rose, and netted with Countess of Eosetery — 



a deeper colour. scarlet-rose: white stri];>es. 



Baroness H. Schroeder — Cowper — crimson-carmine, 



flowers very large, pure mottled with white. 



white, flaked ana striped Diadem— deep colour, finely- 



with red. formed flower. 



Baroness Both schild— vivid Dido — reddish - crimson, 



scarlet ; white centre. flushed with a ht;hteL 



Blushing Bride — delirat'^ hu«^. 



rose-pink, striped with Dr. jMa«ters — flowers mc- 



white. dium-sized, but of a bril- 



Brilliant — flowers below liaut i-carlet, with no 



average size, but exceed- i light centre, and of exqi-a- 



ingly brilliant in colour ; ' site form. 



crimson. ' Duchess of Connaught — 



