18 PROPAGATION OF EASTER LILY FROM SEED. 



EMASCULATING AND POLLINATING THE FLOWERS. 



To raise seedlings of any desirable variety of Lilium lonqiflorum 

 which will reproduce as nearly as possible the same characters pos- 

 sessed by the parents, it is necessary to take precautions against the 

 possibility of pollen from less desirable forms being deposited upon 

 the stigmas of the flowers selected to bear seed. In the flower of the 

 Easter lily the anthers reach maturity a little in advance of the period 

 when the stigma is in a receptive condition. The early ripening of 

 the pollen and the large size of the anthers make it easy to remove the 

 stamens at quite an early stage in the life of the flower. 



Emasculation can be performed with a certain degree of safety after 

 the perianth segments expand, but it is accomplished with greater 

 certainty while the flower is in the bud stage. When the operation is 

 performed early it seems to divert to the pistil the substance which 

 otherwise would be utilized in the development of the stamens. Thus, 

 if the stamens are allowed to remain and pollinate the same flower 

 with its own pollen, or that from the flower of another individual, the 

 resulting capsule of seed is smaller than that borne by an artificially 

 pollinated flower which had previously been emasculated. To remove 

 the stamens at an early stage it is necessary to ait ofl' one or two 

 divisions of the perianth for at least one-third of their length. The 

 stamens, being very large, are then easily removed with the aid of a 

 pair of forceps. The condition of the stigma most favorable for the 

 reception of the pollen is indicated by its having acquired full size and 

 by its color chanoino- from a greenish white to creamy white. This 

 period occurs just before the surface of the stigma is copiously cov- 

 ered with a viscid secretion. Before the secretion appears the pollen 

 takes immediate effect. Fecundation, when successful, is indicated 

 by the rapid withering of the perianth; also by the ovary, which, in a 

 few days, will assume a vertical position instead of remaining hori- 

 zontal. (PI. 11, figs. 1 and 2.) In this position it will continue, in the 

 absence of fertilization, until it falls off or withers. 



It is of importance that the actual work of applying pollen from the 

 anthers of one flower to the stigma of another be performed during 

 the early part of the day, choosing a time when the sun is likely to tie 

 unobscured for several hours. The air should also be dry and warm. 

 It is not necessary to use a brush in transferring the pollen. With a 

 pair of forceps an anther may be removed by severing a filament at 

 about half an inch below the point of attachment. The pollen grains 

 on a single anther are sufficient to cover, thoroughly the surface 

 of the stigma. While held by the forceps the anther should be 

 rubbed against the stigma until the latter is covered with the pollen 

 grains. This condition is easily observed by the bright yellow color 



