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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and quite different from the stigmas of the Hippeastrums we see at shows. 

 I tried experiments between these two, but without result. 



I have a strong plant which originally came with the name of 

 Amaryllis robusta. I have been informed that it is only an inferior 

 form of Hippeastrum aulicum, and that H. robust urn is one of its 

 synonyms. 



I have often tried to cross this H. robustum with my ordinary 

 Hippeastrums, and reversed the cross, but without success. 



Last year, however, I obtained thirteen apparently plump seeds from 

 this cross, eleven of which have germinated, and are thriving plants in 

 their second year. 



I succeeded in effecting five different crosses between the ordinary 

 Hippeastrum pollinated with H. pardinum. The pollen of this spotted 

 Hippeastrum took very readily the first time I tried it in 1903, resulting 

 in five full pods with numerous plump seeds. Now I have a large number 

 of this cross thriving in their second year. 



In 1901 I thought I would try other pollens of Amaryllids on the 

 Hippeastrum stigma. I obtained several full pods from different plants of 

 Hippeastrum with the pollen of Clivia miniata. Many attempts with 

 this pollen failed ; but I obtained three pods, one of which contained sixty 

 plump seeds ; the other two had less. A very large proportion germinated, 

 and now of that year's Clivia crossings I have a batch of strong healthy 

 bulbs going into their fourth year. 



Then, in 1902, I obtained three more full pods of this cross. My 

 difficulty is to find accommodation for them all, a large number having 

 germinated, which are going into their third year. 



In the Gardeners' Chronicle of April 5, 1902, p. 230, it was stated 

 that Mr. Chapman (Captain Holford's gardener), Westonbirt, near Tetbury, 

 had effected a cross between these two genera, and that some were about 

 to flower. I was much interested in this, as I had already effected a 

 similar cross. We have not heard, however, what the result has been of 

 Mr. Chapman's cross. 



The cross between the Hippeastrum and Clivia was surprising enough, 

 but I have to relate two more crosses between genera, which are still more 

 astonishing. 



In 1902 I obtained two full pods of Hippeastrum crossed with the 

 pollen of Ixiolirion tataricum ; a large majority of the plump seeds 

 germinated, and are thriving and strong plants, going into their third year. 



The next cross sounds ridiculous, for in 1902 I obtained a full pod of 

 Hippeastrum crossed with the pollen of the ' Emperor ' Daffodil ! The 

 seeds germinated well, and have made strong bulbs, going into their third 

 year. 



Now I have to record a curious result of crossing the Hippeastrum. 



Year after year I tried to fertilise the Hippeastrum with the pollen of 

 Sprekelia formosissima. I failed, the fertilised ovary invariably perished ; 

 so did the ovary of the Sprekelia crossed with the pollen of the Hip- 

 peastrum. 



But in 1903 I repeated the trial, and two ovaries of Hippeastrum so 

 fertilised began to grow, and I began to fill my mind with the hope that 

 at last I had succeeded in effecting this difficult cross. Finally the pod 



