316 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 1», 188’. 
tog;cther. Thus H. ri^io-vittatum was Herbert's name for this early 
cross. Others named by him were aulico-vittatnm, Goweni-vittatum, 
striatifolio-vittatum, Griffini-Johnsoni, solandrmfioro-Johnsoni, &c., to 
the number of a score or more of these hyljrids. Herbert’s work was con¬ 
tinued in different gardens for a period of thirtj’-four years, and at the 
time of his death a large collection of choice seedlings was left by him. 
A list of the principal varieties and sp' cies grown to hybridise from was 
given by a Mr. Carton (who served as gardener to him and also to his 
brother, the Earl of Carnarvon) in the first volume of “ The Florist,” 
page 239. They were Hippeastrum regitim, H. equestre, H. solandrm- 
florura, H. striatum, H. miniatum, H. rutilum, H. fulgidum, H. vittatum 
stiperbum, H. crocatum, H. psittacinum, H. calyptratum, H. stylosum, 
H. striatifolium, H. pulverulentum, and H. aulicum platypetalum. Mr. 
Carton, after the death of Herbert, took charge of the gardens 
at Syon House, Isleworth. ami writing in 1848 he stated that 
most of Herbert's beautiful hybrids were lost. They were not all lost, 
as I cultivated some of them years ago, but they had to be discarded 
in favour of the fine forms raised in Messrs. Veitch's nursery or imported 
by them from the Continent. The vigorous constitution of the varieties 
named there is doubtless owing to such fine varieties as Empress of 
India, while the infusion of the handsome species H. Leopold! has given 
f'■rm to the flowers. The best varieties of H. pardinum were also used 
with good effect. On looking over the collection a few days ago I w'as 
struck with the decided improvement made this year in the size, form, 
and colour of the flowers. For size, combined with form and rich colour, 
Chevalier is decidedly in advance of anything yet raised ; the flowers 
are scarlet, with a greenish star, the petals 4 inches across, and 9 inches 
across the expansion of the flowers. Firebrand is very distinct in 
character from any other. Its parents might be Dr. Masters and Acker- 
manni pulcherrima, but it is superior to either of those in colour, which 
is a rich crimson, with dark maroon crimson at the base ; good form. 
Acquisition is of a different type, light .scarlet, mottled white, creamy 
bands, large flowmrs, of good form. 
A score more besides these might be named and described, all of the 
very best quality. The strain has been so much improved that the pro¬ 
duction of high cla.'s seedlings is the rule, c-nd ordinary forms the 
exception. Seasonable influence is an important factor in the de¬ 
velopment of these plants. It has been uphill work this year to bring 
them up to anjdhing like the i sual vigour, and the ])lants under the 
influence of I.ondon smoke must have felt the efl'octs of the season more 
than those in the country. Of course as daylight increases the effects 
of this abnormal season will wc.ar off, and any loss of strength sus¬ 
tained in the jiast will be made good in the bright days to come. We 
have been told that in some ])arts of England the Amaryllis can be 
grown well as a hardy border jilant. Probably some of the South 
African species, or v'arieties raised from them, might succeed out of 
doors, but the best garden varieties have become inter-cros.sed with the 
troi)ical species from South America, and they are not sufficiently hardy 
to do any good even in a greenhouse temperature. We have been very 
successful with the culture of the tropical species, both with the named 
varieties and the raising of new varieties from seeds. For I never could 
settle dowm quietly to enjoy the fruits of Other people’s labour, but have 
always found a great r fund of real enjoyment in anticipating the 
flowering of seedlings. It is now the time to hybridise them, and those 
intending to raise seedlings will not And the work very difficult. The 
organs of reproduction are very prominent, but to make sure that the 
variety from which the seeds are to be saved is not self-fei'tilised, the 
anthers should be removed before the fiow'ers 6])en, and two days after 
the flow'er opens the stigma spreads out into three divisions, and to the 
inner pait of these the pollen must be ajjplicd. It, of course, requires 
some judgment and taste to select both the seed and ])ollen bearers. 
The .seed bearer should possess a vigorous habit of plant combined with 
good form and quality in the flowmrs. The pollen bearer ought also to 
be of good quality and be possessed of clear and decided colours. 
Those who are anxious to grow the Amaryllis should begin wdth the 
best varieties, especi.ally if they intend to raise seedlings. It w'ould be 
useless to start with what were considered the best five years ago, 
as the improvement in all respects has been much greater in that time 
than in the years preceding. We .sow the seeds as soon as they are ripe 
in July or August. The young plants are quickly above ground, and 
form small bulbs by the end of the year, but they do not seem to have 
a resting period at all the first winter. The leaves remain quite green, 
and the plants themselves increase in size all the winter. Do not 
water them much, just enough to prevent the soil being dried. With 
good culture some of these small plants will produce flowering bulbs 
the following season, but the largest portion will not flower until they 
have made two seasons’ growth. They do best placed in bottom heat 
and treated to a hothouse temperature. 
The flowering plants have their season of growth after the flowers 
fade. The rapid production of leaf and flower from the bulbs seems to 
exhaust them so much that they shrink into much smaller proportions 
by the end of March, and a season of growth from April to the end of 
August is required to plump them again. During that period the pro¬ 
cess of development is very rapid, and any check to the growth would 
not be recovered from. The probable cau.se of an arrest of growth would 
be want of water at the roots, by an attempt to “dry them off” before 
their time. An attack of thrips or reil spider might also do so. Both 
these pests are troublesome in hot weather. Syringing under the leaves 
will keep off red spider, and fumigating with tobacco smoke will anni¬ 
hilate the thrips. In September luit little water is required; in 
October and the next two months none at all. 
I repot the bulbs in the first week of January. The potting soil 
should be moderately moist. Plunge the pots in a gentle bottom heat,, 
but do not water them at the roots for a month at least. The tempera¬ 
ture of the house for that time need not be more than 4'5° to B5° at 
night, with a slight rise by day. The bottom heat of about 80° brings- 
them on gently, and the temperature seems to be what they like, for we 
h.ave generally by the middle of March a mass of flower spikes crowded' 
together, in many instances three from one plant. I have had seventeen- 
flowers from one bulb. Two-year-old bulbs will give two spikes, with- 
six to nine flowers. When the plants have once made good growth 
in the early months of the year, it is a grave error to lower the tem¬ 
perature for the purpose of keeping them back for an exhibition or 
anything else, it gives them a check which they do not like. It is also 
very ea.sy to injure them with water applied either too freely to the- 
roots or in the atmosphere. 
An excess of atmospheric moisture in the house will frequently 
engender decay in the substance of the bulbs above ground, while the- 
same process goes on at the base of the bulbs from too much applied to 
the soil. It is far bettor to err on the side of over-dryness.—J. Douglas.. 
Your note on the Amaryllises at Messrs. Veitch’s prompts me to say 
a few words on the method we adopt with our plants. In few private 
places can a house be devoted to their culture, and to attain success much 
contriving is required. We have a good number of bulbs, but, unfortu¬ 
nately, the variety is but small ; however, for decoration we find the plants 
useful, also the flowers when[cut. About the middle of January the 
bulbs are potted, shaking off most of the old soil without damaging the- 
roots, placing them in various sized pots, avoiding large shifts, 6-inch 
pots being the largest used. The pots are well drained, using a compost 
of loam, a small portion of peat, the loam being of a heavy character, a 
small quantity of finely ground bones, some charcoal and sand. The 
jiGts are stood upon slates over the evaporating troughs and pipes in the- 
Melon house, where they have a brisk bottom heat. No water is given 
until the roots commence growing, except an occasional syringing ;r 
afterwards water is supplied freely, and occasionally liquid manure is 
given. Towards the end of March the flower spikes appear. As soon as 
the flowers expand the plants are removed to cooler quarters, a vinery 
kept at about .55° by night, and 5° more during the day. The plants- 
stay there a few days until hardened, when they are transferred to the- 
conservatory as required. 
After flowering the plants are placed on a shelf close to the glass in- 
a vinery where the moist heat required for the Vines favours the growth 
of the xVmaryllises. When growth is completed the plants have a similar- 
position in a Peach house where the temperature is some degrees lower- 
than the vinery. The shelf on which the plants stand being suspended 
under the back lights of the house, which is a three-quarter span, 
they do not require shading, but have abundance of Tight and air. 
Water is gradually withheld to ripen the bulbs thoroughly, but we- 
never dry them so severely as to lose the foliage, as we find that, and 
keeping the soil too wet during the winter months, result irt a loss of 
many of the thick fleshy roots.—E. 
CAMELLIAS IN THE OPEN AIR. 
The Camellia is not common as an outdoor shrub. It is » favourite 
in the greenhouse and conservatory, and in the rare instances when it is 
found in the open it is always looked upon as a curiosity. This is 
particularly the case where they have been planted in suitable positions-- 
and treated so that they have developed into fine bushes. Hers we have 
some Camellia bushes on the lawns 12 feet high and as much in 
diameter. Wc make no attempt at sheltering them in winter; they 
have withstornl many severe frosts, and at the present time they 
certainly look as healthy and well as other much more common 
shrubs. xVt Singleton in this county some huge bushes may be seen,, 
and when I saw them the other day they were abwit to afford a 
wonderful display. Duns are later, but they, too, will soorr be fine. 
Although the rain sometimes blemishes the blooms this is no charge- 
against them, as all open-air flowers are liable to suffer in the- 
same way. When not in flower, but only displaying their glossy green- 
leaves, they are as ornamental as any other green-leaved shrub, and I 
am sure if Camellias were generally planted in the open air they would' 
afford their owners much satisfaction. To those with “ no glass ” they 
would prove highly valuable and interesting, as they would always 
be able to cut flowers in the open air in April and May. As a 
rule we secure our Camellia blooms from the open-air trees for the 
Church decoration on Easter Sunday, and they are amongst the most 
attractive flowers that can be gathered at that season. To some it may 
appear odd that the,y should bloom before Rhododendrons in the 
open, but such is the case, as although a few Rhododendrons may be in 
flower by the first week in April most of them are not out until after 
the Camellias. One reason w'ny the latter do not succeed in the open is 
this. As a rule healthy young jflants are never turned out, but old 
plants which have failed to do well under gl.ass are planted in the open 
under the impi-ession that anything is good enough to turn out. But I 
may say once for all that such plants are absolutely unsuitable for 
planting out. If strong clean healthy plants are transferred to the open 
they will probably crow .as freely as if they had been kept under gl.ass, 
and soon form as flue ])lant.s .as they would have become in pots. The 
seme' of .success is a good beginning, .and about the end of A])ril or 
err'y in M.ay is a good time to plant. The soil must be as good, andt 
