flowering. At that time they are rebuilding lost tissues, increasing in size, making 
offsets and finally constructing new buds for next season. At this time they will also 
store up food to support the early growth the next year. This is where most amateurs 
fail in getting results the following year. Some even write and ask me if they should 
cut off the foliage and dry up the bulbs at once, after flowering. Plants are living beings. 
They feed, drink, breathe, grow, react to light and heat and die the same as you, if not 
permitted to follow nature’s way. If they do not succeed, very many blame the bulbs. 
You will succeed with intelligent care. Blame yourself or the conditions of growth 
when you have an occasional failure and you will thus learn. There is an element of 
chance in growing anything, but it is reducible. That makes it interesting. Match your 
skill against all unfavorable possibilities and learn to overcome them. That is your life 
problem also. There is a cause for everything. Find it. 
ARRANGEMENT OF THIS CATALOG 
is by Plant Families, not alphabetically. We also try to group more closely related plants 
together. Customers approve this plan because of increased information made possible. 
In the following lists, the genus (plu. genera) is mentioned first. After it, the 
species (plu. also species) or horticultural variety is named. Thus we list Amaryllis 
ambigua or Amaryllis “Sibyl Houdyshel,’ tho it is more botanically correct to say 
A. hybrida, var. Sibyl Houdyshel. For the sake of brevity we shorten this. Please note 
the initial of the genus is used for the second and succeeding species. Thus, the initial 
A. may mean Amaryllis, Alstromeria or Agapanthus according to the species listed 
just preceding. 
THE AMARYLLIS FAMILY—Amaryllidaceae 
This family includes the bulbs from Agapanthus and thru The Alliae. 
The American Plant Life Society. Those who grow Amaryllis and other bulbs of 
this family, not only for their beauty but as an interesting and intellectual hobby will 
be interested in joining the American Plant Life Society. This society, founded in 1934 
as the American Amaryllis Society, has recently enlarged their interests and activities 
to include other bulbs and plants and the name “Plant Life” has been substituted for 
“Amaryllis,’ but with no lessening in interest in Amaryllis. 
The Annual Book, “Herbertia,” is devoted to Amaryllidaceae. This book is about 
250 pages, beautifully illustrated with cuts of Amaryllids, is sent to. each member. 
It is the essential reference book on Amaryllids, with articles in both scientific and 
popular style. 
I invite you to become a member by sending me $2.50 for your annual dues. This 
will entitle you to vol. 12, Herbertia. This is the 1945 year book, one year late. An 
additional $2.50 will entitle you to the 1946 book, vol. 13. We hope this will be 
printed during this year. It is not difficult to understand that the war and the shortages 
of labor and paper have interrupted schedules. 
The editor of Herbertia is Dr. Hamilton P. Traub, of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. 
He is no doubt the greatest living authority on the Amaryllidaceae. His work and that 
of the secretary and other officials as well as all contributors to Herbertia are entirely 
gratuitous. This listing in my catalog is a contribution. You receive Herbertia and 
Plant Life separata as published at the actual cost of printing and mailing. 
The Plant Life Separata will also be sent to members as issued. Their scope will 
embrace all plants of interest to gardeners. Dr. Traub will also edit Plant Life and as 
he is an outstanding taxonomist, we are expecting some classifications and descriptions 
of other plants than Amaryllids. 
Classification of Amaryllidaceae. In the 18th century, Carl Linnaeus, father of 
modern Botany, made the first really scientific arrangement of plants and grouped them 
according to their sexual relationships. Since that time, additions to our knowledge have 
required constant revision of the classifications. In the genus Amaryllis, Linnaeus 
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