60 NOTES ON LILIES 



for succeeding years. Do the bulbs ever flower in loss than three years ?*" 

 — /. JJpMU, Moreton, Dorchester, Gardeii, vol. 8, p. 20. 



L. Giganteiun. — ""We have gi'own this Lily at Thursley, in Surrey, for 

 several years, in ordinary garden soil, keeping it in a cold pit from the 

 frost during the severe winter months, and have considered those that did 

 not exceed G or 7 feet in height as failures. Our finest last year measured 

 9 feet 8 inches, from the top of the pot, and bore fifteen blooms all 

 perfect. Our bulbs came originally from Dangstein, where I believe they 

 grow most years, wholly in open ground. The plant I understand is a 

 native of Nepaul."— S'ee Garden, vol. 7, p. 256. 



L. Giganteum, see Gard. Chron., March, 1877, p. 277. — " A friend lately 

 brought me from bis garden in Norfolk, a bulb of L. Giganteum, and told 

 me how the Lily was grown there. - As the treatment is rather different 

 from what I have tried and lieai-d of and seems to bo thoroughly success- 

 ful, I requested a note of it, this may, I think, be useful to some of your 

 readers. The bulbs were planted by the side of a rich vine border, which 

 had a heavy dressing of horse and cow manure. These have grown 

 strongly, have flowered, and seeded, while other bulbs planted near, but 

 not in such rank stuff, do not make large bulbs, and have not flowered." 

 — G. F. Wilson, Heatherhmil; Wei/bridge Ueath. 



CHAPTER VI. 



ON HYBRIDISATION OF LILIES. 



As on this important point depends the introduction of new forms, 

 we quote the published experience of some of the most successful 

 hybridisers. 



'" Ten or tw^elve years ago I began a series of experiments in hybri- 

 dising Lilies, and have continued them at intervals up to the i)resent 

 time Avith results, some of which are worthy of being recorded. My first 

 attempt was to combine the two superb Japanese Lilies, L. Speciosum and 

 Auratnm. The former was used as the female parent. Four or five 

 varieties of it, varjnng from pure white to deep red, were brought 

 forward in pots under glass ; this was necessary because Si^eciosum does 

 not ripen its seed in the open air in the climate of New England (United 

 States). When the flowers were on the point of opening-, the anthers 

 were carefully removed from the expanding buds by means of forceps. 

 As the pollen was entirely unripe, and as pains were taken to leave not a 

 single anther in any of the flowers, self-impregnation was impossible. 

 The pollen of Auraium was then applied to the pistils, as soon as they 

 were in a condition to receive it. Impregnation took place in most cases : 

 The seed pods swelled, and promised an ample crop of -seed, but the 

 experiment was spoiled by the bad management of the man in charge of 

 the greenhouse, in consequence of which the pods were attacked by 



* Probably not, they sometimes re(juire five years to perfect a fioweiing bulb. 



