502 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  10,  1897. 
He  writes  me  : — “My  first  start  with  Amaryllis  growing  at  Brox- 
bourne  was  in  1864,  with  a  small  bulb  of  marginata  conspicua, 
which  I  had  from  a  friend.  I  grew  that  for  about  twelve  months, 
tTen  had  six  bulbs  from  Ghent  (Van  Houtte’s)  which  were  very 
poor  varieties,  and  also  their  petals,  but  one  had  very  good  colours 
and  markings.  I  thought  if  I  could  get  it  in  as  good  form  as 
marginata  conspicua  it  would  be  a  great  improvement,  so  by 
perseverance  I  managed  to  get  it  into  flower  by  March.  I  hybri¬ 
dised  the  fancy-coloured  one  with  marginata  conspicua,  and  there 
came  an  unexpected  variety  of  colours,  from  the  deepest 
crimson,  such  as  Athelt,  without  any  trace  of  green  in  the  centre, 
as  in  all  the  other  sorts  then  in  cultivation.  From  the  same 
cross  came  the  other  varieties,  such  as  Olga,  Madame  Tietgens, 
Alexandra,  Rembrandt,  and  Duke  of  Edinburgh.  For  these  I 
obtained  certificates  in  1868  and  1869.  I  showed  a  good  collection 
in  1868,  when  Mr.  Yeitch  thought  the  colours  were  very  good  but 
not  in  form  and  substance,  so  they  wanted  to  exchange  Palan, 
which  we  did  for  some  few  years.  I  think  that  helped  them  into 
the  beautiful  colours.  Of  course  I  could  have  done  more  at  that 
time  if  I  had  had  more  space,  and  could  have  bought  the  best 
formed  varieties,  but  where  they  are  shillings  now  they  were 
guineas  then.  Mr.  James  Williams,  on  seeing  my  first  batch  of 
seedlings,  said  it  would  take  me  seven  years  before  I  could  flower 
them,  but  it  only  took  me  two  and  a  half  years.  I  always  rested 
them  in  the  winter,  young  as  well  as  old,  but  I  kept  them  on  the 
move  a*  fast  as  possible. 
Mr.  De  Graaf  tells  me  his  father  started  in  1830  with  varieties 
of  Johnsoni  and  vittata.  Garraway’s  Acramanni  pulcherrimum 
was  added  to  the  collection,  and  with  equestre  and  crocea  grandi- 
flora  the  work  was  mostly  for  colours  ;  but  later  on,  by  the  use 
of  equestre,  better  forms  than  the  old  pipe- shape  was  obtained, 
psittacinum  and  braziliensis  giving  a’so  improvements  in  size  and 
more  perfect  form.  Henderson  and  Williams  had  made  some 
march  during  this  period  with  the  winter-flowering  reticulatum, 
continuing  the  old  work  of  Sweet  and  Colville  with  Goweni  and 
others.  Solandrifloium  had  helped  on  the  kinds  with  bold  white 
edges  to  the  petals. 
Mr.  Yeitch,  in  his  paper,  says,  “  We  found,  as  Dean  Herbert 
had  found  half  a  century  before,  that  when  we  used  a  par¬ 
ticular  species,  whilst  we  are  able  to  select  several  distinct  new 
forms,  showing  a  marked  improvement  on  their  progenitors  in 
breadth  and  substance  of  segment,  size,  and  symmetry  of  flowers, 
many  possessed  the  main  features  of  the  species  (Leopoldi).  The 
finest  we  called  John  Heal,  in  recognition  of  the  patience  and 
intelligent  perseverance  of  our  coadjutor,” 
Mr.  Heal  writes  r—s“I  find  we  commenced  the  hybridisation  of 
Amaryllis  in  1867,  when  Pearce,  our  collector,  sent  us  Leopoldi 
and  pardinum  from  Peru.  The  results  with  pardinum  were  not 
encouraging,  only  two,  Brilliant  and  Chelsoni,  did  we  consider 
worthy  of  a  name  out  of  a  batch  between  500  to  600  bulbs  ;  we 
therefore  gave  up  that  species  for  crossing  purposes.  With 
Leopoldi  we  were  more  successful,  and  to  this  species  we  consider 
we  are  indebted  to  those  large  well  formed  flowers  of  the  present 
day,  and  those  growers  who  did  not  make  use  of  the  Leopoldi 
blood  were  left  behind  in  the  race  for  fine  bold  open  flowers.  We 
first  crossed  Leopoldi  with  the  finest  Continental  and  English 
varieties  we  could  procure,  employing  it  as  seed  and  pollen  parent. 
The  first  attempt  was  not  a  great  success,  but  sufficient  to  induce  us 
to  go  on  ;  we  therefore  started  again  in  1876  with  our  best  Leopoldi 
crosses,  and  intercrossing  them  with  Graviana,  raised  by  Mr. 
De  Graaf  of  Leiden,  and  Acramani  pulcherrima,  raised  by  Messrs. 
Garraway  &  Co.  of  Bristol,  also  with  pollen  we  received  from 
Mr.  Baxter  of  Barnet,  and  the  late  Rev.  T.  Staniforth  of  Storr’s 
Hall,  a  great  amateur  and  lover  of  the  Amaryllis. 
“  The  result  of  these  crosses  were  most  encouraging.  We 
flowered  those  fine  varieties  Lady  of  the  Lake,  Tennyson,  John 
Heal  and  others.  We  were  so  pleased  with  the  results  that  we 
began  to  look  about  for  fresh  b'ood,  in  which  we  were  most  success¬ 
ful  by  procuring  from  Mr.  De  Graaf’s  Empress  of  India  and  a  few 
others.  In  1880,  when  we  had  such  fine  varieties  to  work  on  as 
the  above,  dates  a  new  era  for  the  Amaryllis. 
“  At  first  Leopoldi  only  gave  us  two  flowers  on  a  scape,  but  by 
procuring  the  Continental  varieties  with  four  to  six  flowers,  we 
were  then  able  to  do  the  same  with  Leopoldi  strains.  We  also 
crossed  with  aulica,  vittatum,  equestre,  solandriflorum,  and  other 
species  with  very  poor  results,  although  we  improved  the  aulica 
strain  and  the  solandriflorum,  but  not  sufficiently  to  make  further 
trials.  Wo  were  more  successful  with  crossing  the  Leopoldi  strain 
with  reticulata,  which  resulted  in  obtaining  a  beautiful  race  of 
autumn  and  winter  varieties,  known  as  Autumn  Beauty,  Lady 
Mayoress,  and  few  others,  which  have  finer  form,  flowers,  and 
deeper  veins  than  reticulata  ;  those  varieties  require  warmer  tem¬ 
perature,  so  we  have  not  gone  on  with  them.  I  think  this  is  the 
history  of  our  Amaryllis  hybridisation.” 
My  own  experience  as  a  raiser  I  began  after  a  visit  to  Holland 
with  twelve  bulbs  of  the  ordinary  then  called  the  seed-shop  sorts, 
and  fairly  succeeded  in  flowering  most  of  the  twelve  the  first  year. 
I  the  next  year  tried  a  dozen  of  the  proved  named  sorts,  and  my 
growing  with  successful  culture  I  bought  of  De  Graaf  some  eight 
bulbs  of  the  finest  and  most  distinctly  varied  of  his  collection  for 
some  £50.  One  of  the  Haarlem  raisers  had  a  fine  collection  of  the 
more  vigorous  old  sorts,  with  much  aulica  in  their  blood,  and  I’ 
added  some  three  or  four  bulbs  of  the  best  of  Messrs.  Yeitch’s 
finest  seedlings  of  the  year.  I  had  also  Brown  Beauty  of  Reigate, 
certificated  in  1873,  and  one  or  two  of  Baxter’s.  I  am  happy  to 
say  that  during  my  life  I  have  always  found  amongst  the  best 
raisers  a  friendly  rivalry  and  a  hearty  wish  for  the  success  of 
raisers  running  side  by  side  with  each  other. 
It  was  some  three  years  after  raising  my  seedlings  that  I 
obtained  my  first  success,  and  my  first  certificate  was  obtained  in 
1889  with  Sea  Nymph  ;  followed  in  1892  with  Mars,  a  very  fine 
scarlet,  and  Silver  Queen,  a  fine  margined  kind,  and  Firebrand  all 
in  1892  ;  Salvator  rosea  and  Lightning  in  1893  ;  Novelty  in  1894. 
Besides  these  we  won  many  certificates  at  the  Royal  Botanic 
Society,  and  took  for  some  years,  with  occasional  defeats,  from  our 
old  friend  and  good  grower,  Mr.  Douglas,  most  of  the  first  prizes 
for  Hippeastrums  at  the  R.H.S.  and  the  Crystal  Palace  Finding, 
however,  that  the  stock  was  increasing  faster  than  the  sale,  we  have 
somewhat  ceased  hybridising  except  with  a  few  of  the  very  finest 
seedlings  appearing  each  year. 
My  aim  has  been  to  differentiate  somewhat  from  other  raisers, 
and  instead  of  seeking  mere  size  and  other  qualities  of  the  florists 
to  try  and  gain  a  new  and  larger  range  of  colour  and  the  seifs 
more  intense  ;  where  margined,  their  colours  more  separate  and 
clear,  and  to  maintain  the  graceful  form  of  the  flower,  giving  it 
breadth  of  petal  and  substance  without  losing  the  tubular  shape. 
Amongst  other  growers  I  must  not  omit  Mr.  Douglas  of  Ilford, 
a  well-known  name,  and  Mr.  Perkins,  the  skilful  gardener  to  Lady 
Hambledon  of  Henley,  whose  collection  is  fine,  and  grown  some¬ 
what  differently  from  our  own,  and  who  has  already  this  season 
shown  a  fine  group  at  the  R.H.S.  meeting  of  February.  Taking  the 
R.H.S.  list  of  awards  as  a  fair  record  of  the  best  varieties,  it  may 
interest  you  to  note  the  succession  of  the  several  raisers  since  the 
formation  of  the  Floral  Committee.  Mr.  B.  S.  Williams  in  1862, 
with  Unique  and  so  on  ;  in  1879  Dr.  Masters.  Mr.  Bull  of  Chelsea, 
and  Messrs.  Henderson,  then  of  St.  John’s  Wood,  began  in  1863 
with  Fire  King  and  Brilliant  respectively.  Veitch’s,  with  Yirgo 
and  the  spring  Pardina  in  1867,  Leopoldi  in  1869  ;  Chelsoni,  the 
first  hybrid  of  these  two  last,  in  1871,  whence  continuously  up  to 
the  present  date.  Garraway  of  Bristol,  with  Cleopatra  and 
Hebron  in  1867  ;  Baxter  in  1868-1869,  with  Alexandra  (named 
after  the  popular  Princqss  of  Wales),  Olga,  and  Duke  of  Edin¬ 
burgh  ;  1878,  Mr.  Little  of  Twickenham  ;  1879,  Mr.  Speed  of 
Chatsworth  ;  1888,  Mr.  Ivelway  ;  1889,  Mr.  Paul ;  1892,  Lady 
Hambledon. 
As  bearing  out  the  difficulty  to  which  I  have  alluded  of  propa¬ 
gation,  I  doubt  if  you  could  procure,  excepting  Dr.  Masters,  John 
Heal,  and  one  or  two  other  kinds  which  produce  offsets  freely,  six 
plants  of  any  one  of  this  long  list  of  certificated  kinds. 
Florists  are  all  Agreed. 
The  points  which  the  florists  are  generally  agreed  upon  are 
that  the  flowers  should  be  in  form  triangular,  that  the  petals  should 
be  broad,  overlapping  one  another,  so  that,  as  in  aulicum,  and  the 
older  species,  no  light  may  be  seen  through,  and  that  they 
show  a  large  face,  the  crowns  also  should  be  joined  in  the  petals. 
Colour  should  be  clear,  if  self  down  to  the  very  base  of  the  throat 
of  the  flower,  and  if  white  or  striped  all  grey  should  be  elimi¬ 
nated.  The  flowers  of  the  Leopoldi  section  should  be  open,  but 
the  tubular  section  need  not  be  so.  The  form  of  the  Harrisi  Lily 
should  be  rather  their  type.  I  could  only  on  looking  over  some 
collections  shown  this  spring  conclude  that  the  taste  which  had  been 
fostered  was  the  wrong  one,  and  that  the  flowers  had  lost  grace 
and  beauty  from  the  desire  to  show  a  large  open  surface.  A  few 
men  who  are  ardent  florists  were  gathered  round  the  groups, 
including  our  Chairman,  and  they  all,  I  think,  agreed  in  what  I 
have  ventured  to  say  on  this  point. 
Culture. 
My  culture  has  been  fairly  successful,  and  is  that  adopted 
by  De  Graaf,  and  since  by  most  other  (though  not  universally) 
growers.  The  bulbs,  dried  well  off  in  the  autumn,  should  be 
shaken  out  of  the  soil  and  pots  in  which  they  have  been  resting  in 
a  dry  state  since  September.  They  should  be  cleared  from  all 
loose  skin,  dead  roots,  and  in  case  of  any  insect  pests  should  be 
washed  round  the  crowns  with  a  little  Gishurst  or  softsoap. 
Potting  may  be  done  with  a  few  of  the  very  earliest  ripeDed  bulbs 
in  December,  but  generally  from  the  first  to  the  third  week  in 
