THE HIPPEASTRUM (AMARYLLIS). 



249 



the influence it exercised in the production of future progenies. 

 This became known in gardens under the name of Johnsoni, 

 but its origin is somewhat obscure. It is mentioned by Herbert 

 in the Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London for 

 1819, where he says, " I have many seedlings from Johnson's 

 regio-vittatum, and I have some mule equestre-vittatum superior 

 to Johnson's flower." What became of these mules is not stated, 

 but three or four years later, some doubts having arisen respecting 

 the parentage of Johnsoni, an experiment was made in the 

 garden of the Earl of Carnarvon at Highclere by Mr. Go wen, 

 who crossed vittatum with Begince, the reputed parents of John- 

 soni. The seedlings proved to be identical with Johnsoni, and 

 its true parentage was thus established. The account of Mr. 

 Gowen's experiment is given in the Transactions of the Horticul- 

 tural Society for 1823, in which there is an incidental allusion 

 to the Botanic Garden at Liverpool, and from which it may be 

 assumed that the original Johnsoni was raised there. I am 

 glad to be able to bring before you a bulb of Johnsoni in flower, 

 and I know of no more interesting subject in the whole history 

 of the Hippeastrum than the preservation of this hybrid during 

 so many years. 



Passing over several hybrids that subsequently appeared, but 

 which enjoyed but an ephemeral reputation, I come to Acramanii, 

 for many years cultivated in gardens under the erroneous name 

 of Ackermanni. From the Gardeners' 1 Chronicle for 1850, page 

 357, we learn that the original Acramanii was raised by Messrs. 

 Garaway & Co., of Bristol, in 1835, from aulicum platypetalum 

 (figured in the Botanical Begister for 182G, tab. 1038) and 

 psittacinum. This hybrid unquestionably marks a great advance 

 on all its predecessors in those qualities w T hich constitute the 

 ideal of florists, but it appears to have given place a few years 

 afterwards to a still finer form raised by the same firm from 

 aulicum and Johnsoni, and called by them Acramanii pulcher- 

 rimum. . This, too, I am glad to bring before you to-day, and 

 thus two of the most important links in the chain of affinities 

 connecting the noble race of Hippeastrum of our time with the 

 wild forms, and with the first mules raised by the horticulturists 

 nf two generations ago, are here represented. 



The appearance of Acramanii pulchefrimum gave a consider- 

 able impulse to Hippeastrum culture, for we find it taken up shortly 



c 



