OX AMARYLLIDS, 



135 



wider at the mouth than to allow half an inch space between 

 them and the bulbs, which were covered up to the neck ; that 

 being the safest way to protect pot bulbs from the effects of 

 the variable atmosphere of our plant - houses- They were 

 then plunged in a brisk bottom heat, but no water was 

 given till the leaves were about 3 inches long and roots began 

 to appear through the ball, when they were removed to a cool 

 and more airy place. This was late in the summer of 1846, 

 which for heat and light was not much behind a South African 

 summer, and the following summer of 1847 was also favourable 

 to the growth of these bulbs. During summer they were kept 

 in an airy greenhouse and watered freely, and by the beginning 

 of September they were removed to a front shelf in a late vinery, 

 where a constant draught of air passed over them day and night 

 whenever the weather permitted, and where the glass was seldom 

 lower than 60°, with a very dry atmosphere. They stood here 

 till the grapes were all cut in January, and the house was 

 allowed to cool down to near the freezing point, and all this 

 time they received very little water. They were then removed 

 to the cool end of a stove, where they remained till late in 

 April, and afterwards they were taken to the greenhouse. I 

 believe a dry atmosphere, abundance of air, and a temperature of 

 about 50° to 55°, are necessary to these evergreen Cyrtanthi 

 from September to May. One of these two bulbs produced 11 

 fine flowers, red, orange, and green, and the scape was 2 feet 11 

 inches long, seven inches of which being made after the plant 

 had done flowering — a circumstance I do not recollect having 

 ever seen in any other bulb ; but a change of temperature might 

 have caused it, for the plant was removed to a closer house, 

 though not hotter, than where it flowered. Four of the flowers 

 were dusted with their own pollen, and four with the mixed 

 pollen of the two varieties of Vallota purpurea ; the rest were 

 cut off to ripen the pollen for future use. In about ten days I 

 began to tremble at the issue of the experiment. On the seventh 

 or eighth day after the flowers were dusted, those which received 

 their own pollen slackened their growth and ultimately perished ; 

 those which were crossed with Vallota held on. I took every 

 known precaution, and I do not believe that I can be deceived 

 in the cross. The pollen was extracted long before it was fit 

 for use. Every alternate flower was dusted with one kind of 

 pollen, and a coloured string then tied to each — the colour of 

 the string and the name of the pollen plant was marked in my 

 memorandum book before the other pollen was applied to the 

 rest of the flowers. 



Now, although I have taken every possible precaution to 

 secure this experiment free from error, I confess I should have 



