AND THEIR CULTURE. 65 



Tnlip fancier — readily distinguish minute differences ; and, after cultivating' 

 them for three or four years, I selected the best nine, and named them as 

 follows : — Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Urania, Polyhymnia, Clio, 

 Thalia, Calliope, and Euterpe — names under -which they were subsequently 

 distributed throughout the United States. I soon ascertained that there 

 was a vast diffei-ence in the character of the bulbs ; some of them 

 were increased with great difficulty, and when in later years I had 

 hundreds of bulbs of Melpomene, I only had a dozen or so of Euterpe, 

 They would not make offsets, either above or around the old root ; bat, 

 from want of time, I did not find the opportunity of ascertaining and 

 Tecording which crosses were affected in this way. I continued my 

 experiments in succeeding years, in the way of cross-breeding, but kept 

 no record of them. I only know that some, crossed with Longifloriim and 

 others, comjoletely ruined the shape of many of the flowers. Among all 

 my seedlings there is not a pure white, although Album was fertilised 

 with Speciosum, and, as is generally supposed, the female parent has a 

 prevailing influence on the progeny. There was not even a pink spotted 

 one like Puiictatum, as one would have supposed there would have been. 

 Some years subsequently, I raised several whites, and one long, large, 

 flower, quite distinct, but it accidentally got thrown out of the pot when 

 in a dormant state. I also raised a very distinct variety, with flowers 

 about half-way in size between those of Chalcedonicum and Sp^'cioftum, 

 ■with stems more densely clothed with leaves, and the petals blush-white, 

 with pale lilac-rose spots. This I named " Eva." It increased slowly, and 

 is still rare in collections, but it is a beautiful variety. To show how enthu- 

 siastic I was about this Lily, I may mention, that in 1871, I had over a 

 pint of seed, and after disposing of a good deal of it, I still have nearly 

 half the quantity. It vegetates when three or four years old. Long ao-o 

 the late Mr. Groom gave us some account of his seedlings, between 

 BuTbijerum {Elegans,Baker ?) and Atrosanguineum, and when at his nurseries, 

 in 1844, I bought the set, eighteen in number, some of the names of which 

 were Yoltaire, Talisman, Rubens, Vulcan, &c. ; at first I grew them in 

 pots, fearing they might not be hardy ; but in this way I lost some of 

 them, and as I gave so much attention to the Japan sorts, they were 

 neglected, and I turned them out into a bed where they flourished well. 

 'They grew about a foot high, and produced an umbel, consisting of fi-om 

 three to six flowers, the colours being deep dull blood red, speckled and 

 mottled with purplish crimson. They were, however, too much alike, 

 only lasted in flower a short time, and did not increase rapidly. Are 

 they still in cultivation in England ? As regards improvement, i do not 

 expect much from the yellow and red kinds crossed with each other. If, 

 however, a handsome lemon, or buff, or buff-spotted, could be produced, it 

 would be an acquisition. The red and yellow are strong ; but it is only 

 the clear and delicate white grounds that are desirable. All may be 

 crossed with Speciosum and Auratum, by which process the size may be 

 increased" — Garden, vol. S, p. 2. 



