14 PROPAGATION OF EASTER LILY FROM SEED. 



diseased bulbs are grown. Therefore recourse must be had to some 

 method other than vegetative reproduction from foreign-grown bulbs. 



The beginning of the experimental work along this line has been 

 carried on with the utmost care. Several bulbs of the true L. longi- 

 florum and its principal forms were secured. These bulbs showed no 

 indications of the presence of the disease by the usual diagnosis. As 

 the growth above ground developed, those plants which in any way 

 showed signs of abnormal development were removed from the green- 

 house and destroyed. A rigid process of selection was carried on up 

 to the time the plants came into flower, with the result that at the 

 blooming period the various groups were made up of fine specimens 

 of the several types of L. longiflorum. These were L. I. eximeum., 

 otherwise L. harrisii, L. I. latifolium, L. I. multiflorum and L. /. 

 eximeum giganteum. Each group was kept separate from the others 

 so that there should be no likelihood of accidental intercrossing. 

 Those plants which were selected as seed bearers were emasculated 

 while the anthers were still immature. In no case was a plant allowed 

 to have a flower fertilized by its own pollen or even from that of other 

 flowers on the same plant. In this way the chances are the greater 

 that the resulting seedlings will show more vigor than if each flower 

 had been self-pollinated, or if pollen had been transferred from one 

 flower to others on the same plant. 



A series of crosses were effected between differing forms, which it 

 is hoped will result in securing types different from those now in cul- 

 tivation. The flowers of several plants of L. longiflorum were fecun- 

 dated with pollen taken from flowers of L. harrisii, and vice versa. 

 The seedlings from these crosses have already flowered, and the results 

 are very satisfactory. They are especially valuable in pointing out 

 future work along the same lines. The progress made by the seed- 

 lings as a result of these crosses is somewhat remarkable, in that the} 7 

 bore flowers in a comparatively short time after germinating. Plate 

 III shows the capsules and seeds of L. harrisii crossed with L. longi- 

 florum. Plate VII represents the different stages of germination. 

 In Plate IV, fig. 1, the seedlings are in 2-inch pots, about five weeks 

 after making their appearance above the soil. In three of the seed- 

 lings the seed coats are seen adhering to the ends of the seed leaves. 

 A later stage is indicated in Plate IV, fig. 2, where the seedlings are 

 more advanced, having made from two to four character leaves. This 

 represents the progress made in ten weeks after germinating. From 

 this stage onward the growth is quite rapid. 



In Plate V, fig. 1, is seen a seedling with all the radical leaves showing, 

 but not fully developed. This is the stage just previous to the devel- 

 opment of the flower stem. The bulb at this period is nearly 3 inches 



