8 
THE FLORISTS JOURNAL. 
similarity, otherwise the plant cannot be kept alive for any length 
of time, though it may flower ever so abundantly during the 
time that it lasts. 
From this, there are several important conclusions to be drawn. 
In the first place, plants which are improved by art in the 
countries where they are native, are both more difficult to 
improve, and more prone to fall back to their original than other 
plants which come from a different and a distant country. We 
have instances of this in the Hyacinth and the Heart’s-ease, both 
of which have been bred to become very fine flowers ; but 
neglect speedily sends them back again to the characters of the 
Wild Hyacinth and the Field Pansy. We cannot, however, 
afford room to pursue this interesting subject to greater length 
in the present article; but we have thought best to give some 
instances of the pleasure, information, and utility, of cultivating 
plants, rather than to attempt proving by argument that which 
we suppose nobody who understands anything about the matter 
is inclined to denv. 
%/ 
ON THE AMARYLLACE/E. 
WITH AN ILLUSTRATION. 
In commencing a Florist’s Journal, chiefly intended for the gene¬ 
ral lovers of flowers, it may appear rather extravagant to launch 
at once among tropical plants, and select a figure of one of the 
finest specimens of one of the most splendid families of Flora’s 
kingdom; a plant which but few possess, and which but few can 
cultivate. But the fact is, this has happened more from accident 
than design. The drawing was admitted into our portfolio among 
other beauties intended for the work, and being new as well as 
beautiful, it was chosen, not as an eye-trap , certainly, but simply 
as an interesting frontispiece. 
1. The Amaryllis family has always been noted, not only as 
commemorative of a favourite nymph of Virgil, but as embellishing 
the wilds of Mexico and southern Africa, and also for the faci¬ 
lity with which the bulbs are transported from their native beds 
to our frames and hothouses, of which, when in flower, they are 
the most attractive ornaments. 
