isry. ] 
AZALEA INDICA EMERESS OE INDIA,-IIiri’EASTEUMS AND TIIEII! DEEEDING. 
97 
AZALEA INDICA EMPEESS OF INDIA. 
[Plate 493.] 
S HE merit of tliis new Indian Azalea is 
sufficiently attested by its having suc¬ 
cessfully passed the trying ordeal of 
appearing before the R.II.S. Floral Committee, 
and by its having received from that august 
body the award of a First-class Certificate. 
We have no doubt whatever that this award 
fairly indicates the quality of the flower, and 
hence we have much pleasure in introducing 
its portrait to the English public. The variety 
is of Belgian origin, and was raised by M. Van 
der Cruyssen, and exhibited by him at the Ghent 
show in 1878, under the provisional name of 
Ileros des Flandre. It has since then passed 
into the hands of M. Auguste Van Geert, of 
Ghent, by whom it is now being distributed, 
under the name here adopted. 
The Azalea Empress of India will take rank 
amongst the finest of recent acquisitions. Its 
compact-growing habit and dark green foliage 
are all that can be desired, while its blossoms 
are remarkable not only for their size and sub¬ 
stance, but also for their symmetry. The 
flowers are four inches in diameter, perfect in 
form, the outer segments of the corolla well 
expanded, even at the edge, and fully display¬ 
ing the tuft of numerous smaller petaloid 
segments which fill up the centre. The colour 
is a pleasing tint of rosy-salmon, feathering 
out towards the well-defined but narrow band 
which borders each lobe, the upper segment 
being, in addition, blotched with a dense mass 
of deep crimson dots. The central petaloid 
segments are of the same rosy colour, and 
similarly bordered with white. 
We understand that this variety is, like 
most of its race, a free-blooming kind and of 
vigorous constitution, so that it may be looked 
upon as a valuable addition to the many fine 
Belgian varieties which have been recently in¬ 
troduced, and which have proved so important 
and valuable as decorative and exhibition 
plants. As to the individual beauty of the 
flowers, the accompanying illustration speaks 
for itself.—T. Moore. 
lIIPPEASTRUiMS AND THEIR BREEDING. 
« )HE present fine breed of Hippeastrums 
y (popularly called Amaryllis) has been 
’ obtained from four distinct types, viz., 
Solandreeflorum, Aulicum, Vittatum, and Par- 
dinam. 1. The Solandraeflorum breed is easily 
recognised by its having a long tube, with the 
segments recurved at the extremity. 2. Auli¬ 
cum is the type from which Ackermanni and 
Ackermanni pulcherrima and such brilliant- 
coloured varieties sprang, and is notable on 
account of the base of the segments being 
green. 3. Vittatum is the breed from which 
the light or striped, or carnation-coloured 
varieties came, and is clearer and better in 
colour, although very much wanting in form; 
Marginatum conspicuum is the best known 
example of this type. 4. Pardinum is the 
most prominent in its original characters, being 
the best formed, and from its rich spotting it 
has become invaluable to the breeder. Johnsoni 
has been considered by some to be one of the 
original types, but so far as I have been able to 
discover, it appears to me to be a seedling off 
Vittatum crossed with Aulicum, and conse- 
cpently only the beginning of an improved breed. 
No. 19. UIPEKIAL SEIUE.S. 
As a breeder, I have found that by far the 
best types to deal with are the progeny of 
Solandrceflorum crossed with the best forms of 
Aulicum, after it has been in-and-in bred for 
a time; and Pardinum, crossed with the dark- 
coloured or Aulicum breed. In the first case, 
we get colour and form and substance, although 
it has been difficult to get the green eradi¬ 
cated from the base. Now, in certain seed¬ 
lings which I have proved, instead of green 
bases, I have them deeper than the seg¬ 
ments, as an instance of wdiich I might 
name Angus McLeod, which obtained a 
first-class certificate in Edinburgh ; that 
variety has deep crimson segments, broad and 
excellently formed, with a maroon base—pro¬ 
bably one of the greatest gains in its way that 
I have got. Pardinum has been an exeellent 
pollen parent, but almost steadily refuses to be 
a seed-beai’er on its own account. I have been 
able to get some of its progeny', partieularly 
through the Solandrscflorum blood, to be seed- 
bearers, crossed Avith collateral varieties, and 
in all cases there has been a good yier-centage of 
valuable seedlings produced therefrom. 
II 
