their large flowered Amaryllis, the company has also pioneered with their new 
“Mignon Strain” of dwarf Amaryllis rutila hybrids. These are small Amaryllis, with 
flowers of near miniature size on shorter stems, but with the good characters of the 
large-flowered hybrids. These will be outstanding for use as cut flowers and for 
table decorations. We will be able to offer a few of these Mignon Hybrids in 
mixture only this season @ $5.00 each. They are in a purely experimental stage as 
yet, but the dwarf strains are likely to become the most sensational novelty in Hybrid 
Amaryllis history when the color range is enlarged and the quality of flowers 
improved. 
Dwarf Species 
The Amaryllis rutila is a dwarf species of great charm but distinct in its form 
from the large flowered hybrids with which Ludwig & Co. has crossed it. Therefore 
the first few crosses have proved of somewhat variable form, but each year improve- 
ment has been made in the latest seedlings of this miniature type. Actually the 
bulbs are nearly as large as those of the big hybrids, growing to 2 and 2% inch 
diameters. 
This may be explained by the fact that one variety of A. rutila, namely the 
variety fulgida, which we have found in some quantity in old Florida gardens, 
makes bulbs three to four inches in diameter at maturity, although it will bloom 
from a 2-inch bulb. One bulb of this interesting dwarf type bloomed with three 
scapes and 12 flowers this past spring at Lakemont Gardens, and a photograph of 
the plant in flower will be shown elsewhere in this catalogue. Undoubtedly, some 
strains of the species A. rutila have the natural capacity to make a large bulb while 
the flowers remain medium size to small. One strain of A. rutila variety crocata, 
which we have, will bloom a little two inch flower from a tiny bulb the size of a 
hickory nut, only 1% inch in diameter. We offer the rare A. rutila var. fulgida 
@ $3.00 each. 
The Florida “red Amaryllis” now called Amaryllis belladonna, Linn., which 
used to be Hippeastrum equestre, is the only natural form of botanical species 
available in abundant supply. It is not an easy bulb to make set seed, but with care 
a few seeds can be set on it, with its own pollen or by crossing it with hybrid 
Amaryllis. First generation crosses of this with the large flowered hybrids, retain 
considerable of the characteristic form of the “equestre” which has a sharp angle 
between the flower and the pedicel. 
Ease of Culture 
Amaryllis are one of the easiest bulbs to grow and keep in good condition year 
after year. Unlike orchids, one may almost forget them for days or weeks at a time, 
except during the blooming season in spring, of course. They may be propagated 
from seed, offsets or by cuttage, the first being the general method with all growers 
and the way new hybrids are made. Offsets formed on the mature bulbs may be 
potted up separately and grown on to blooming size. Until the cuttage methods for 
Amaryllis were worked out in the last 25 years, offsets were the only way to 
increase stock of a variety, and this made the development of named varieties a long 
and tedious affair. 
As soon as Miss Ida Luyten’s researches were made public in the late 20’s and 
early 30’s and gained world wide publicity, amateurs and professionals began cutting 
up their bulbs for propagation vegetatively. Unfortunately it was found that all 
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