a little bone meal. Drainage must be good as plants need much water when 
growing. $1.00. 
Haemanthus. Very rare amaryllids, altho of relatively easy culture and 
having the qualities of beauty and individuality that should commend them and 
encourage you to try them. Soil should be made acid by adding peat or leaf 
mold and keep bulbs dry when dormant. 
H. coccineus. Blood Lily. The rather flat bulb sends up an attractive red- 
mottled flower scape in August to September, topped by an umbel of many 
small, closely spaced, red flowers, 4" across. There may be 50 or more flowers 
in an umbel. Later two or three wide leaves appear. The leaves die in the spring. 
The bulb should then receive no water until August. Plant where water can be 
withheld. Easily grown outside in the south. In the north grow in pots. Delivery 
of dormant bulbs in June. Plant at once and save roots. $1.00. Extra large 
bulbs, $1.50. 
H. multiflorus. Exceedingly rare and of rich exotic beauty. An umbel of 
its red flowers may exceed a foot in diameter from a large well established bulb. 
It is reported to sell for $25 each when in bloom in N. Y. flower shops. The 
plant is entirely different in appearance from the preceding species, having a 
stem-like neck when in growth, many very attractive leaves and flowers in early 
spring before foliage appears. It is recommended to grow in pots everywhere. 
Place in cool shade of a tree. Soil composed largely of oakleaf mould from be¬ 
neath oak trees is ideal potting soil. Water very little until growth begins. 
Blooming size $3.50. Large, $5.00. 
Hippeastrum. The correct botanical name for the bulbs popularly known 
as Amaryllis. But we may call them by either name. They are the most gor¬ 
geous of flowering bulbs. The flowers range in color from pure white thru a 
variety of pink tones, shades of red to deep glowing red. In the intermediate 
colors there are various markings. A few are spotted. Some have a light throat, 
some a contrasting band thru center and some are vittate, that is with many 
colored lines. In the pinks and reds there are all tones, salmon, scarlet, garnet, 
carmine, crimson, maroon and many more. The hybrids are grown from seeds 
and no two are likely to be quite alike. Many amaryllis have a delicious 
fragrance. 
Modern hybrid Amaryllis range in size from a diameter of 5" up to 10" but 
the medium sizes 6" to 7" diam. are the more choice. They are more graceful. 
The extremely large flowers usually have very pointed petals instead of the well 
rounded tips that the experts demand and even the amateur will prefer if 
compared. The too-large flowers also have a tendency to a thick coarse or ridgy 
texture and a very decided tendency to be floppy. 
Much green in the throat is objectionable but those in which green has been 
entirely eliminated and which have the other desired qualities are more ex¬ 
pensive. Many of our hybrids at all prices have no green, and none have much. 
Many Amaryllis throw off season flowers. Several strains have been called 
“everblooming.” But it has not been personally demonstrated to me that the 
same bulb will bloom more than once or occasionally twice in one year. There 
is no doubt that a very large bulb may produce 3 or 4 blooming stems in one 
year. These may be in succession or at longer spaced intervals. Fall bloom is 
seen in the fields of all growers. Most amateurs get them sometimes in the 
potted bulbs. But it is probable that these are delayed buds. Breeders are de¬ 
veloping this tendency. But it should go along with high quality. 
There is much interest in white Amaryllis. Probably amateurs should be 
satisfied with “near whites” or those in which white predominates. Pure whites 
are very beautiful, but unfortunately expensive. We have paid $5.00 each whole¬ 
sale in Holland for them. $10 each is a reasonable retail price for pure white, 
high quality Amaryllis. The pure white are weak and difficult to grow, while 
the near white are as hardy as any. 
This very full discussion is aimed to answer the flood of inquiries received 
as a result of the article in December Sunset Magazine. Sunset and its garden 
editor, Mr. Gillespie, are to be commended for promoting the increasing popu¬ 
larity of Amaryllids. 
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