March so, 1883. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
263 
separated. But in a variety named platypetala, obtained from the 
Organ mountains by Mr. Harrison of Aigburgh, near Liverpool, 
about the year 1825, the most splendid floral characters are developed. 
The colour of this variety is rich deep crimson with a bold green star 
that is sometimes prolonged to the extremities of the divisions, which 
are short, smooth, and so broad as to overlap and form a noble 
flower. 
All the foregoing, and many more that I cannot stay to mention, 
have been registered as Amaryllis. But in the year 1822 the charac¬ 
ters of Hippeastrum were set forth by Dean Herbert, and the new 
designation was adopted in the “ Botanical Magazine ” in the year 
1825, when there appeared a figure of Hippeastrum solandriflorum 
(t. 2573). Some others appeared under the new generic name, as for 
example H. ambiguum and H. breviflorum in 1837. 
Now, in the history of the flower it is proper to record another 
episode. In the “ Botanical Magazine ”it was an Amaryllis for a 
period of about thirty-five years. Then it became a Hippeastrum for 
a period of forty-five years. But in describing a splendid species 
discovered in Peru by Messrs. Veitch & Sons’ collector, Mr. Pearce, 
in June, 18G7, Sir J. D. Hooker named it Amaryllis pardina. Having 
done so, he felt bound to justify the proceeding, and he did so by 
saying that the differences recognised by Herbert were so slight and 
variable as to be of no practical value. Therefore the original 
generic designation was restored ; Linnaeus triumphed, and Amaryllis 
is herself again. 
The introduction of A. pardina opens a new chapter in the history 
of this flower. Its name implies that it is spotted like the leopard, 
but that quality is not much valued by the florists. It is of more 
importance to say that this flower is distinguished by great breadth 
of petal and the absence of a funnel, a fact favourable to the 
expansion of the flowers to a symmetrical face. More than any of 
its race introduced up to the year 1867, A. pardina stirred the blood 
of the florists and gave new zest to the labours of the hybridists, 
who, however, soon discovered that, with all its fine qualities, it is 
not the model for breeding from that they would themselves have 
created had they been permitted to assist in the work of the third 
day as recorded in the Book of Genesis. But the model was ready 
for all that; like many other desirable things, it was made with the 
rest on the third day and remained to be discovered. This was 
secured in Peru by Mr. Pearce. It appears that the King of the 
Belgians, one of the most generous and enlightened patrons of 
horticulture in this flowery world, admired the flower when it was 
shown at South Kensington in the year 1869, and it was named in 
honour of his visit Amaryllis Leopoldi. It is as truly the king of 
the Amaryllis as Lilium auratum is the queen of the Lilies. It 
possesses all the elements of a perfect florists’ flower in breadth of 
petal, depth of colour, a sharply defined star, and petals superbly 
tipped with white or an approximation thereto. It is sufficiently 
defective as a florists’ flower to afford work for the hybridist and 
excitement to the critics, and to give peculiar interest to the splendid 
series of varieties that chiefly by its aid have been raised by Messrs. 
Veitch & Sons of Chelsea. The hybrids figured in the year 1865 
in Van Houtte’s “ Flore des Serres ” were, in a way, wonders of their 
time ; but we have got far beyond the flowers with funnels and 
indefinite green stains, and look for expanded flowers of the most 
perfect symmetry both of form and colour, and with novel markings 
to give the charm of variety to collections. 
At this point it seems proper to remark that in cross-breeding 
plants varieties occasionally occur that have the individuality, the 
vigour, and the power of determining the characters of future gene¬ 
rations that we associate with species. For all that we know to the 
contrary they are species, and although brought about by human 
agency, have nevertheless been brought about in Nature’s way, and 
with none but Nature’s materials. Some such we have in an Amaryllis 
called Acramanni pulcherrima, raised by Messrs. Garraway of Bristol, 
in 1850, from A. aulica platypetala and A. Johnsoni. This Acra¬ 
manni pulcherrima is a narrowish flower of fine quality, the colour 
rich deep crimson with a subdued green star. It has the potentiality 
of a species for the purposes of the raiser, and has influenced the 
hybrids immensely. One of the finest varieties in which we see the 
influence of this plant is that named Dr. Masters, in which there 
is scarcely a trace of green, while the form and colouring are 
delightful. 
When we get amongst the varieties, however, it begins to be time to 
cease talking ; therefore it seems proper to devote the last chapter of 
this discourse to the general subject of the varieties. And the great 
question in connection with that general subject is, By what rules are 
we to judge the hybrids ? for a code of properties is very much needed. 
From the point of view of the critical florist the funnel is 
objectionable, but happily that is pretty well got rid of. The shorter 
the flower the more complete, generally speaking, is its expansion, 
and, above all things, expansion is requisite to the display of the 
colour. Now let us, as severe critics, find as many faults as possible 
with the hybrid Amaryllis. The funnel is objectionable, even in its 
present severe limitation. The petals are unequal, and the front 
petal especially needs to be remodelled. For our present purpose we 
may regard all the divisions of the perianth as petals, although we 
might with propriety call the three outer divisions sepals, and the 
three inner divisions petals. The length of the lowest of the three 
is noticeable as a fault in all the varieties. Another fault is the green 
colour that so frequently occurs, but occasionally this assumes a 
beautiful form, and therefore I think it would be a mistake to 
condemn the green colour in toto. It will in due time change to white, 
and a soft creamy white would probably tell with great power if 
symmetrically associated with high crimson colour. In a good form 
of A. Leopoldi we see a well-defined star, and the petals are tipped 
with white. A self-coloured flower should be pure throughout, but 
we may recognise a star of good form and marginal colour 
corresponding, and thus we may have self-coloured flowers, starred or 
striped flowers, and tipped flowers. As a matter of fact we have all 
these already, but the persistency of the green colour is a common 
blemish. 
A great point in the new race is the growth of leaves and flowers 
concurrently. This is an immense gain, and we must make it a point 
of importance in estimating the merits of a variety. It is likely, too, 
that as the plant learns to produce leaves and flowers simultaneously, 
it will also learn that the green star in the flower is no longer 
needed, and thus improvement of the leafage will operate to the 
advantage of the flower, and we shall obtain the white, and perhaps 
the yellow star, that seems to be so much needed for the attainment 
of perfection. 
It may be properly urged that there are many beautiful species 
and varieties that are far removed from the properties thus sug¬ 
gested as desirable. It is no part of my business to condemn any of 
them; rather I would say, Let us rejoice at the infinite variety of 
Nature, and feast upon beauty that is as yet “ unadorned,” and 
therefore is “ adorned the most.” We have but to do with these as 
with other flowers. All the Roses and Pelargoniums and Azaleas that 
are at once beautiful and useful, and yet wanting in the properties 
that constitute floral perfection, are classed as “ decorative,” and are 
judged as such. These we hand over to the gardeners and the world 
at large. But all the ugly and useless flowers that Nature appears 
to have produced for her own private enjoyment we handover to the 
botanists, and those learned people appear to appreciate our gene¬ 
rosity. We say of such things, “Take them upstairs,” and they 
forthwith go to delight the philosophers who dwell in our upper 
room. There are many beautiful species and varieties of Amaryllis 
that must for ever stand apart from the group that we judge as 
florists’ flowers, and these cannot be disparaged by the operation 
within a certain circle of laws that have the sanction of experience, 
because consistent with the aims of Nature and the demands of 
common sense. The florists are sometimes regarded as a narrow¬ 
minded lot. But it will be found that their minds are broad enough 
to enable them to select for their own enjoyment the most beautiful 
flowers, and, if other people prefer the kinds that they reject, they 
are generous enough to leave them to the free exercise of their 
choice. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
The Herefordshire Pomona , Containing Coloured Figures and 
Descriptions of the Most Esteemed Kinds of Apples and Pears 
Cultivated in Great Britain. Edited by Robert Ho go, LL D., 
F.L.S. Part V. London : Journal of Horticulture Office, 
171, Fleet Street, London, E.C. 
The history, or, more correctly speaking, the literary descrip¬ 
tion, of any branch of science, must in time come to an end ; but 
the illustrations of that science are continuous, and where Nature 
is concerned, as in fruits, unending. Thus in former parts of 
“ The Herefordshire Pomona ” we have had papers on “ The 
Early History of the Apple and Pear : Thomas Andrew Knight 
and his work in the Orchard,” “ Modern Apple Lore,” “ A Sketch 
of the Life of Lord Scudamore,” a paper “ On the Cordon System 
of Growing Pears,” “The Crab: its Characteristics and Associa¬ 
tions,” and “ The Orchard and its Products : Cider and Perry.” 
All this history and quotations from all sources, here a line of 
poetry, there prose stories, and wonderfully wide reading have 
the writers shown ; but all is now over—end it must, and end 
it is. But there were in every one of the four previously issued 
parts coloured portraits, or pictures drawn from the life, of 
chosen specimens of Apples and Pears. These are now continued 
in this part, and of these it entirely consists. History of cider- 
making must end, theory and practice of fermentation are done 
with, the orchard in its commercial aspect has been written of 
and is over, but how many parts of a “Pomona” would it take to 
insert pictures and descriptions of fruits worthy to be pictured 
and described ? But though “ of the making of books there is no 
end,” yet of the making of a book of one kind there must naturally 
be an end, and the gorgeous “ Herefordshire Pomona ” is drawing 
to a close, for only two more parts are to be issued. 
Of Part v., now under review, we have first a description and 
portrait of the Old Golden Pippin, so old that possibly these are 
the very Apples of which Shakespeare speaks when he makes 
Evans say, “ I will make an end of my dinner, there’s Pippins 
and cheese to come.” Or they might have been stewed Pippins. 
Of this Apple there is a far and wide-spread notion, descending 
from the mistake of T. A. Knight, that it is now in the last stage 
of decay. I can only say that each year, or nearly so, I grow in 
