390 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
flowers may be had from the beginning of January 
until quite the end of May; or, if preferred, a splendid 
display can be produced with them at any desired period 
during the winter and spring. It is sometimes urged as 
an objection to their being grown, that, unlike many 
other classes of plants available for decorative purposes, 
they are not continuous in flowering. But to my mind 
this objection is effectually disposed of by the fact that 
their flowering is so far under control that it can be reg¬ 
ulated exactly in accordance with individual require¬ 
ments. It cannot be said that they require much space 
in proportion to the number of flowers borne, or the 
effect produced. As regards the skill and attention 
requisite to have them in the finest possible condition, 
I have no hesitation in asserting that they can be grown 
with the same facility as the majority of plants 
which receive the care and attention of the gardener. 
I make this assertion with the full knowledge of the 
manifest inferiority of many of the specimens staged 
annually by those who have been engaged in the culture 
of the Amaryllis for some years past. Their culture of 
course differs from many other things, and it does not 
follow that they are difficult to grow because they do 
not succeed under precisely the same conditions as 
subjects of a totally distinct character. 
In proceeding to give a brief outline of my practice 
in the cultivation of the Amaryllis during the past 
fifteen or sixteen years, I would first say that every 
grower of the flower should be a raiser also. It is only 
by means of seed that a stock of bulbs sufficient to 
admit of their being extensively employed for decora¬ 
tive purposes can be obtained without a very heavy 
outlay. Varieties under name must necessarily be 
scarce and expensive; under the most favorable circum¬ 
stances offsets, by which alone they can be perpetuated, 
are produced at a very slow rate, and when obtained a 
comparatively long period is required for them to attain 
to a flowering size. Very often fairly goodly seedlings 
can be obtained at a reasonable price, but those who 
would grow them in quantities without first incurring 
a rather heavy outlay must turn their attention to the 
raising of seedlings. Indeed, the principal object I 
have in the preparation of these notes is to show how 
readily Amaryllis can be raised from seed, and to assist 
those who are desirous of propagating a stock by that 
means. If the seed is saved from good varieties but few 
of the progeny will bear flowers really indifferent in 
quality, whilst the majority will be of good form and 
effectively colored. There will not, in fact, be one that 
cannot be employed to advantage in the decoration of 
the conservatory. Those who have not as yet made a 
beginning must, of course, obtain supplies of seed from 
their seedsman, and it may be mentioned as a matter of 
some interest that the trade growers who have of late 
years made a special feature of the Amaryllis are now 
devoting much attention to seed saving. The flowering 
season is now nearly if not quite over, but it may be 
well to mention, for the guidance of the inexperienced 
in subsequent seasons, - that the seed should only be 
saved from flowers that are large in size, have broad > 
well-rounded petals or segments, and are definite in 
color. It is also a good rule to select for seed-bearing 
the flowers that are of the best form, and for supplying 
the pollen-flowers that are remarkable for their richness 
and purity of coloring. To promote the perfect 
ripening of the seed the plants should be placed in the 
most light and airy position in the stove or interme¬ 
diate house, and be sci-eened from brilliant sunlight. 
Whether the seed is saved at home or purchased it 
ought to be sown within a very short time of its having 
been gathered. This is one of the most suitable peripds 
in which to buy the seed, and to ensure the fullest 
measure of success it should be obtained from those who 
are known to have a good stock and a stipulation made 
that it is of this season’s saving. When sown within 
a very short time of its being gathered, the seed not 
only germinates more quickly than when the sowing is 
deferred until the spring, but a larger percentage of 
plants will be obtained. Sow in five or six-inch pots 
that are well drained and filled nearly level with the 
rim with a light sandy mixture. A melon pit or 
cucumber frame will be an excellent place for the seed 
pots, which should be stood on a board to keep the 
worms out, and be covered with brown paper until the 
seedlings are making their appearance to prevent a too 
rapid evaporation of the moisture from the surface. 
The soil must of necessity be maintained in a mce moist 
state, and when the seedlings have three or four leaves 
each prick them off into five-inch pots, six in each. 
During the autumn and winter they will require the 
assistance of a temperature between 55 degrees and 60 
degrees, and just sufficient moisture to maintain the 
foliage in a fresh state. It is not necessary, or indeed 
desirable, to dry the bulbs off during the first winter; 
but should any of them show signs of going to rest, 
stand the pots on the floor of the greenhouse and with¬ 
hold the water. 
The whole of the plants, whether they have rested or 
not during the winter, must be potted off singly early 
in the spring, and the most suitable pots in which to 
put them are those three inches in diameter. They are 
to remain in these until the spring following, when they 
will require shifting into six-inch pots. They can be 
grown to a flowering size in these, and should, as a rule 
remain in them two years. Frequent shifts and over¬ 
potting are decidedly injurious to Amaryllis, and re¬ 
potting them every second or third year is much better 
than shifting them annually in accordance with the 
practice which so generally prevails. They are, indeed, 
so impatient of disturbance at the root, that I believe it 
to be extremely difficult to maintain them in a really 
satisfactory condition when they are repotted every 
season, and in this view of the case I am supported by 
the appearance presented by so many collections. It 
has been a part of my practice from a very early date to 
repot a portion of the stock each year, and to not 
allow those shifted to bloom the same season, to enable 
the bulbs to acquire strength before they are taxed by 
the production of flowers. They are prevented from 
flowering by simply cutting off the scape when a few 
inches in height. 
They may, if specially desired, be allowed to bloom, 
but they ought not to be subjected to the strain of 
bringing a crop of seed to maturity. 
The repotting is done early in the spring just before 
they commence to make new growth. “When repotted 
the ball of soil should be somewhat reduced, and after 
the roots have been shortened be returned to clean pots, 
either of the same size, or one size larger. 
The preparation of the pots must have sufficient care 
to ensure the drainage remaining in an efficient state 
throughout the time the plants remain in tfiem. The 
