The Mead strain became the backbone of the Amaryllis trade in America. It 
supplies the bulbs for the dime stores, the department stores and the counter 
trade in seed stores, florists shops, etc. But only a few of the Mead strain as 
grown today are of exhibition quality. Maybe one or two bulbs in a hundred, or 
one or two in a thousand of the field run of the Mead strain will have the quality 
suitable for exhibition at flower shows where top quality flowers are wanted. 
Another good strain of quality Amaryllis in America, is the Howard & Smith 
strain which we have been selling for many years, and was originated more 
than 45 years ago by the late Fred H. Howard of California. He imported his 
breeding stock from European growers and maintained a greenhouse collection 
of his choice parent bulbs which helped to keep the bloom quality of the seedling 
stock very high. A short account of his breeding work and strain was published 
in “Herbertia” 1937, Vol. 4, Pages 189-90, with Plate 71. 
There are also many accounts of the Mead strain in early volumes of “Herbertia,” 
and an interesting autobiography of T. L. Mead himself in the 1935 “Herbertia.” 
The initial “‘Herbertia,” 1934, has a short biography of Dr. Nehrling, who was 
the author, incidentally of a short monograph, “Die Amaryllis,” a reprint of articles 
published in a German horticultural magazine in the early 1900's. The writer 
has a copy of this fascinating little work which has excellent illustrations and has 
never been published in English translation. 
In England, where the development of the modern hybrid Amaryllis began 
with the introduction of new species and hybrids in the mid-1800’s, principal 
development in the Hybrid Amaryllis is ascribed to the firms of Veitch and Ker, 
known to every student of the history of 19th century English horticulture. 
Our own interest in the hybrid Amaryllis began in the late 20’s and our 

Ludwig Photos 
Two of the most popular and outstanding named varieties of the Ludwig 
vegetatively propagated Hybrid Amaryllis. On the left, “White Giant,” and right, 
“Salmon Joy,” both of them among the world’s most beautiful Amaryllis. These 
bulbs are available in limited numbers. 
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