pots. By liberal use of the proper fertilizers and wide range for the roots, the 
plants increase as rapidly as Hippeastrums but require more time to mature. 
We have also eliminated another large expense by shipping safely with 
bare roots packed in moss, postage prepaid. Usually the buyer pays express on 
a heavy pot of soil in a stout and heavy box. 
By our method we often deliver plants with a bud showing (in February or 
March) and they go ahead and bloom for the customer. 
The foliage of a Clivia resembles that of a Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) very 
much, being long and strap shaped. It differs in having a tough leathery tex¬ 
ture and is a very much darker green. 
The flowers are borne in large umbels up to twenty. Individual flowers 
are two to four inches in diameter, with several open at a time. Foliage and 
Flowers distinctly relate them to Hippeastrums, Crinums, etc. 
Colors are orange toned ranging from very light orange yellow to dark 
rich orange red. A large Clivia in full bloom is a magnificent thing. A fair 
test of quality is the price a thing will sell for. One hundred stems of Clivia 
flowers were cut and sent to a flower market. They sold for $100 wholesale, 
with a follow up order for 500. This was only a test so the buyer did not get 
the 500. Five hundred stems would produce much more than $500 worth of 
seed when sold wholesale. 
Culture. Contrary to popular belief, Clivias are easy to grow. Considered 
by some easier than Hippeastrums and more sure to flower. That could hardly 
be true though if the Hippeastrum is handled right as it is also easy to grow 
and sure to bloom. 
In very mild climates Clivias can be grown in the ground outside in full 
shade, but not in part shade. This is not highly recommended for expensive 
hybrids, however. The best soil contains some heavy or clay soil made porous 
by adding sand and abundance of humus in form of thoroughly rotted and 
screened manure or leaf mold, with top mulch of the same. 
The drainage must be perfect, such as that afforded by a slope or a thick 
layer of gravel under soil. The best time to plant is during warm weather. They 
transplant readily but do not begin immediate growth. After acquiring one it 
is best not to remove from the soil but transplant with ball of earth if necessary. 
They easily endure a temperature of 28°. We saved ours in January ’37 
when temperature was 20° by covering. 
The only insect enemy is the mealy-bug. They are easily controlled by oil 
sprays in a small 15c sprayer. Every feed or seed store can supply an outfit 
for about 50c. We use a Garden Hose Sprayer with cartridges of pyrethrum- 
rotenone. We can furnish these. 
During warm weather Clivias must not dry out. Water liberally. During 
the winter resting period it is better to partly withhold water but not alto¬ 
gether. While blooming, water liberally. In the ground they can have a mulch 
of 6" of well rotted manure. Leaves, including oak leaves, make a good mulch. 
We sometimes use nitrogenous chemical fertilizers carefully. They are hearty 
feeders. 
The three essentials necessary to complete success are full shade, perfect 
drainage and freedom from mealy bug. Each requirement is easy to fulfill. 
There are several types. C. miniata and C. nobilis are species. C. cyrtan- 
thiflora is believed by some to be a hybrid between these two. There are two 
types of hybrids named according to predominant characters, C. miniata hybrids 
and C. nobilis hybrids. The miniata hybrids are hardier and stand slight sun 
better, etc. The flowers are wider open and flat, as large in size. They are as 
attractive in color but run to lighter shades. They increase more rapidly. The 
foliage is more pointed and more narrow but not nearly as much as in the 
species miniata. 
Nobilis hybrids are darker. The petals in many flowers incline to turn in 
or cup. They are higher priced and evidently some like them better, but very 
likely their greater rarity explains that. The greater rarity may result from 
the slowness of increase and the fact of a greater mortality. 
Last Spring we explained that we were offering C. miniata hybrids for $4.00 
because of a heavy expense in building a Clivia house. Later we offered them 
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