April  16,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
d35 
Hippeastroms. 
Along  these  blushing  borders,  bright  with  dew. 
And  in  yon  mingled  wilderness  of  flowers, 
Fair-haiided  Spring  unbosoms  every  grace.  .  .  . 
The  vaiied  colours  run  ;  and  while  they  break 
On  the  charm’d  eye,  the  exulting  florist  marks, 
^Vith  secret  pride,  the  wonde:s  of  his  hand. 
Thomson. 
These  lines,  from  a  well-known  poem,  might 
well  be  applied  to  some  of  the  indoor  flowers  of 
spring,  whose  charms  we  all  admire,  be  it  cold 
or  wet  without.  A  bright  day  soon  dispels  the 
dreary  thought®  occasioned  by  the  dismal  weeks 
of  winter;  and  so  the  flowers  of  Spring, 
whether  indoors  or  out,  cause  us,  by  their  new¬ 
ness,  their  brightness,  and  lusty  freshness,  to 
look  back  on  the  flowerless  period  as  an  ordin¬ 
ance  which,  after  all,  is  absolutely  essential  for 
the  rejuvenation  of  minds  and  bodies.  And 
so  we  welcome  the  spring  flowers,  among  which 
we  count  the  Hippeastrums. 
The  Veitchian  collection  at  the  Royal 
Exotic  Nurseries,  Chelsea,  S.W.,  comprises 
1,150  plants  in  5in  and  Gin  ]>ots,  placed  on 
either  side  of  one  of  the  neat,  new,  span-roofed 
houses  facing  the  central  walk.  The  display 
at  the  present  time  is  really  magnificent  ; 
resplendent  would  be  the  better  word,  for  the 
noble  blooms  (generally  four  on  a  scape)  are 
beautiful  in  themselves,  but  it  is  their  intense 
rich  hues  that  furnish  the  charm. 
Last  year  we  described  the  ;  certificated 
variety  Queen  Alexandra,  and  this  noble 
flower  is  one  of  a  set  which  follow  the  same  colour  pattern  as 
itself,  and  are  marked  out  as  the  “  Queen  Alexandra  type.”  Then 
in  our  last  season’s  notes  we  also  detailed,  another  distinctive 
novelty  which  is  named  The  Veldt  on  account  of  its  ruddy-bronze 
tint,  and  this  again  makes  a  specimen  variety  for  another  group, 
the  colour  and  general  character  of  each  of  which  assimilate  to 
it,  and  so  are  linked.  One  could  go  on  marking  out  these  varied 
fj’PG  groups,  but  the  differences  could  not  well  be  described  in 
print,  though  a  trained  or  specialist’s  eye  can  see  the  subtle 
distinctions  among  the  plants  in  a, collection.  Briefly  then,  Mr. 
J-.Heal,  of  Veitfch’s,  who  is  responsible  for  the  maintenance  of 
this  standard  collection,  is  trying  to  work  away  from  orange-red 
varieties ;  everybody  has  these,  he  says.  A  pure  white 
Amaryllis  (the  quote  the  old  name)  shine.s  brightly  in  his  mind’s 
eye,  and  the  claret,  plum,  and  deep  crim.son  coloured  sorts  are 
also  favoured. 
And  besides  these,  0,  list  ye !  yellows  are  sought — in  the  land 
of  dreams.  But  dreams,  as  we  all  know,  sometimes  come  true, 
and  in  the  breeders’  lexicon,  like  that  of  youth,  there  should  be 
no  such  word  as  “  impossible.”  I  may  state  that  at  the  firm’s 
new  Feltham  nursery,  two  long  span-roofed  houses  are  filled  with 
seedling  Amaryllis,  so  that  there  is  abundance  of  bulbs  to  select 
from. 
Coming  to  varieties  of  the  present  year,  a  number  of  them 
have  been  named.  These  represent  the  elite,  and  summary 
descriptions  of  a  few  will  fittingly  conclude  these  discursive 
observations.  One  of  the  finest  is  Apple  Blossom,  with  stout, 
rounded,  backward-curling  segments,  beautifully  crisped  at  the 
edges,  a  full,  open  flower  of  large  size,  and  the  colour  is  a  lovely 
Apple-blossom  pink.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the  finest  of  recent 
years.  Then  there  is  Favourite,  a  rich  crimson  scarlet  with 
darker  veins,  but  nearly  white  towards  the  centre.  Surprise  is 
crimson,  netted  with  white,  large  and  bold.  Merlin,  deep 
crimson-scarlet.  Cleopas  is  shaded  plum  colour  on  the  reverse, 
and  rich,  deep,  dark,  ruby-crimson  within  the  flowers;  it  is  a 
handsome  bloom. 
A  very  brilliant  variety  is  Euphrasia,  a  rich,  glowing  scarlet 
crimson,  of  very  good  form  and  weighty.  Palermo  furnishes  a 
lively  scarlet;  Iphis,  a  white,  with  a  pale  reddish  edge;  Acila, 
amaranth  crimson,  with  white  beams  in  the  centre  of  each 
segment,  and  netted  white;  while  Ratho,  a  bloom  of  immense 
size,  is  white,  with  a  bright  pea-green  centre,  and  has  a  few 
crimson  lines  on  the  perianth  .segments. 
Clonia  seen  with  the  sun  upon  it,  sparkles  as  though  it  were 
studded  with  hoar-frost.  It  is  pure  white,  having  some  inter¬ 
rupted  lines  of  crimson  upon  it.  Queen  Alexandra  (crimson 
edge  and  white  beams)  is  a  .splendid  Hippea.strum,  and  in 
Auroli  we  have  a  flower  which  measures  4iin  across  each 
segment;  it  is  lOin  in  diameter,  and  though  one  of  the  largest 
flowers  in  this  collection,  there  are  others  closely  approaching 
it,  and  none  are  small.  Acyrus  gives  yet  another  di.stinctive 
shade  of  crimson,  very  intense  and  brilliant;  while  the  form  and 
substance  of  the  flowers  leave  nothing  to  be  de.sired.  And  la.stly 
there  is  JuvantcuS,  not  a  very  handsome  thing  itself,  being 
greenish  white,  with  crim.son  lines,  but  one  that  may  give  a 
bank  of  Thyme  on  rockery.  (See  pat^e  336.) 
fine  break.  The  majority  of  the  scapes  bore  four  full-sized 
flowers,  and  the  two  long  benches,  lined  with  these  magnificent 
plants,  furnished  a  rich  fea.st  of  graceful  floral  form  and  beautiful 
colours. 
- - 
Choice  Daffodils. 
(Concluded  from  DaffodoicndiUies,”  311.) 
In  the  middle  group,  which  includes  the  Barri’s,  the  Bur- 
bidgei’s,  the  incomparabilis  varieties,  and  the  Leed.si’s,  we  find 
some  of  the  most  elegant  flow'ers  of  the  genus,  as  they  are,  indeed, 
the  most  lovely  of  the  hardy  flowers  of  Spring.  Could  there  pos¬ 
sibly  be  a  form  with  subtler  curve  and  grace  than  that  of  Moun¬ 
tain  Maid?  And  note  its  pearly  whiteness  which  recalls  the  fluffy 
wreaths  of  snowu  It  is  a  priceless  little  gem,  that  droops  its 
modest  head,  and  thereby  adds  the  greater  charm.  It  was  new 
in  1901,  and  has  been  everywhere  admired  since  it  made  its 
debut. 
A  bed  of  Mountain  Maid  contrasting  with  Lucifer,  or  Gloria 
Muncli,  Barri  conspicuus,  Stella  .superba,  or  Beauty  would  have 
a  fine  effect,  and  emphasise  the  differences,  in  each.  In  the 
foregoing  five  varieties  one  has  named  the  very  finest  and  mo.st 
beautiful  of  the  incomparabilis  flowers.  The  red  or  orange  cups 
of  Gloria  Muncli,  Barri  conspicuus,  Lucifer,  and  Beauty  are 
indeecl  rich  and  lovely,  and  are  backed  by  deeply-coloured 
yellow  perianths.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Messrs.  Barr 
and  Sons  .solcl  from  30,000  to  40,000  bulbs  of  Stella  superba 
last  year,  which  fact  is  surely  sufficient  recommendation  of  its 
merits.  Frank  Miles  is  “choice”  in  the  eyes  of  a  .spring 
bedder,  and  for  naturalising  in  grass  lands  it  is  one  of  the 
best. 
Vesuvius,  a  brother  to  Lucifer  (being  raised  out  of  the  same 
seed-pan),  deserves  the  three  crosses,  and  more  need  not  be  saitl 
of  it.  -4ncl  there  are  two  fine  Leedsi’s  to  notice.  Model  being 
one,  and  Grand  Duchess  the  other.  The  latter  is  highly  spoken 
of  as  an  early  Narciss,  and  one  good  for  cut  uses.  I  he  perianth 
is  silvery  white,  and  the  cup  orange  apricot.  In  Moclel  the 
segments  are  finely  rounded,  the  flowers  being  pure  white  and 
of  a  smart,  strong  build.  In  Sceptre  we  have  a  Burbidgei  of 
brilliance,  a  showy  thing  evith  primrose  perianth  and  rich 
orange  red  crown  (j(uite  an  improved  form.  W.  P.  Milner  was 
also  noticed  in  fine!  condition.  The  Sisterhood,  so  named  from 
its  having  two  or  three  flower.s  on  a  stem,  was  .sent  out  in  1901, 
and  is  becoming  a  favourite.  The  cup  in  each  is  pale  primrose, 
while  the  perianth  is  ivory  white. 
Many  of  the  other  varieties  already  more  or  less  well  known 
might  have  been  discussed,  but  that  w’ould  detract  from  those 
already  named.  One  cannot  pass  over  Apricot,  howe\ei.  whose 
distinctive  character  has  claimed  pi’ominent  attention  heieto- 
fore.  It  is  disappointing  in  a  rainy  season,  but  comes  deeply 
coloured  when  cared  for  in  pots  under  glass. 
