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.supply of plants is limited. A rather large number of the very 

 best of the seedlings recently developed — such as the dwarfs, 

 the autumn-flowering types, and those with the dark red and 

 the rosy pink flowers — now exist in single plants or as a few 

 divisions and it will necessarily be several years before they can 

 be made available. 



Daylilies have always ranked among the most dependable of 

 garden plants. For hardiness, vigor of growth, ease of culture, 

 and freedom from disease they are unsurpassed. A daylily is 

 a sturdy and permanent feature in the garden. Wide and pleasing 

 diversity has now been added to dependability. There are now 

 many classes of horticultural daylilies which are quite as sturdy 

 as the parent species and surpass most of the older types as 

 garden plants of charm. Today the daylilies are to be ranked 

 among the most desirable of herbaceous perennials. 



In addition to the radio broadcast printed above, a few state- 

 ments may be made regarding the objectives and the scope of 

 this research with the genus Hemerocallis. In the sequence of 

 their conception the main aims may be stated as follows : 



(i) The study of sterilities and especially of the self- and 

 cross-incompatibilities which operate within species. This involves 

 experimental tests and cytological studies in the laboratory. 

 Several other types of sterility are found in the daylilies and these 

 are also being studied. 



(2) The botanical evaluation of the species. For this phase 

 of the study, seeds, from which plants are grown, and living plants 

 have been obtained from various localities in the Orient. Much 

 that is new to botanical science has been learned about the genus 

 and two new species have already been described and used in 

 breeding. One of these is the Ilcincrocallis multiflora, mentioned 

 above. 



(3) The hybridization of the various species and selective 

 breeding in reference to (a) sterilities, (b) relationships and the 

 origin of the species, (c) inheritance of specific characters, and 

 (d) the development of new and improved types of value for 

 garden culture. 



Thus the research began and has been continued along some- 

 what technical botanical lines. But after a few years it became 

 evident that the group of daylilies presented special opportunities 

 for horticultural development and that the principles involved in 

 the synthesis of new forms by hybridization and selective breeding 

 could he determined in the production of desirable types. The 



