SOME EXPERIMENTS OF LUTHER BURBANK. 217 



Hybrid Mesembkaynthemum. 



Some time since, a hybrid mesembryanthemum was developed, and 

 lasted for four years, forming an attractive plant with a profusion of 

 white flowers. Then all individuals, whereever located, died at once, 

 doubtless because conditions were adverse : but there was no visible 

 cause of soil, of insect pest, of fungus or of climate. These plants all 

 died from the root up. A hybrid of petunia and nicotiana has 

 abundance of flowers and a large vigorous leaves, but the roots are 

 inadequate. A hybrid red poppy is formed by uniting the opium poppy 

 with the oriental poppy. These hybrids bloom every day of the year, 

 while the blooming season of either parent is only a few weeks, but 

 they yield no seed. The seed capsules are developed in great variety, 

 some of them four to six times as large as the capsules of either parent. 



VOL. LXVI. — 15. 



