194 



NOTES ON LILIES 



purpose of my experiments. In tins month, I found the seed bud, as I 

 have said, about the size of a canary seed. In this manner I continued to 

 lift two or three bulbs every month up to the following October, in flower 

 or not, as the case might be, and noticed the 

 progress of the seed bud until it had gro\TQ 

 up similar in size to the one I had cut and 

 laid open for inspection in the previous autumn. 

 By this simple experiment, it may bo proved 

 in the most satisfactory manner, that the 

 parent hulb of this year, after having flowered, 

 and after having all the sap absorbed from 

 its scales for the nourishment of the new h^db, 

 decays and dies. In like manner its successor, 

 flowers the next year, decays and dies ; and so 

 on, one generation following the other, year after 

 year, all emanating from germs or seed buds." 

 § 13. The annexed illustration is taken from 

 a photograph, one of six skeletons, the bulbs 

 for which purpose I lifted on the 1st of January, 



1878, and dissected in the presence of a Lily 

 grower, so that there cannot be any doubt of its 

 being a genuine representation of the under- 

 ground interior parts of a Lily, exhibiting 

 plainly the phenomenon or mystery of three 

 generations in one, to which I have alluded. 

 By looking at the woodcut, it will be seen that 

 the seat of the stem which has bloomed last 

 summer is on the left at A ; the mark under- 

 neath this part, at D, will show where the roots 

 of last summer have been, but now, both stem 

 and roots ai'e entirely gone. In the middle, at 

 B, is the new flower stem that was destined to 

 bloom next summer ; and on the right, at C, is 

 the young seed-bud that was destined to grow 

 up and flower the following year, that is, in 



1879. The healthy, strong, and numerous 

 roots, which spring from the new bulb, and are 

 here truly represented as those of 1st January, 

 ought to convince any one that it would be 

 ruinous to their growth, and hurtful to the plant 

 itself, if disturbed and checked late in the 

 season by lifting and transplanting." — Garden, 

 vol. 18, p. 143. 



§ 14. In further illustration of Dunedin's 

 views, I have, by the kindness of Mr. llobinson, 

 included the woodcut on next page, and Dune- 

 din's paper thereon : — From the Garden, vol. 14, 

 p. 237. 



Through the kindness of tlie Editor of the Garden, we are enabled to make use of tliis 

 woodcut, as illustrating Dunedin's ideas. Compare also the woodcut on next page. 



Lily Bnlli, from a 

 Photograph. 



A. — The seat of the stem 

 that bloomed last summer. 



B. — The new iiower stem. 



C. — The young seed bud. 



1) — The mark where the 

 old roots have been. 



AVant of space prevented 

 the loots from being shown in 

 their length and abundance, 

 as in the pliotogi-aph. 



