AND THEIR CULTURE. 205 



■classed among- the FritiUaries, the old bulb annually dies, as I know from 

 having- carefully experimented upon it. On the other hand, it has no side 

 bud at all ; but merely a central one. The leaves erowing- from that 

 central bud, form each a scale of the newly forming- bulb.* 



"The scales outside are of a very watery consistence, and decaying-, help to 

 nourish the newly forming bulb. As to Gifjantenm and CordifoUum, I must 

 openly say, I have made no dissections in regard to them ; but from studying 

 these plants in the shape of hundreds of bulbs, so far as growth is visible, 

 it seems obvious to me that these species do not produce annually a new 

 bulb from a side bud, but that the old bulb is enlarged annually by the 

 scales growing larger through the growth accumulating- from a central 

 hud, and that during summer, when vegetation is active.f another central 

 bud is developed to grow next je-AV, This goes on during five or six 

 years, when the bulb arrives at mature age. It then flowers, and clearly 

 dies, the entire bulb being exhausted by the flovv-er stem which it has 

 formed. In the meantime, the growth of the first and second year's 

 existence of the bulb has decayed, either through pressure from the 

 stronger scales of succeeding year's growth, or thi-ough general weakness. 

 The year before flowering, one or more offsets make their appearance, 

 which apparently spring from the root stool, and not from side buds in the 

 interior base of the old bulb. If Dunedin can have sent him from Cali- 

 fornia, a large bulb of WasJdthjtonianum, cai'e fully taken out, he will 

 observe that his theory cannot be applied to that species, for he will find 

 inserted in one long sideward growing bulb the accumulated growth of 

 ■eight or ten years. As to the mnjorit}', or perhaps as to all Lilies of the 

 ■* Old World,' Dunedin's theory seems to appl}' exactly as far as the for- 

 ination of the next year's hulhs from sid'^-httds is concerned, hut vot in relation 

 to the entire decay of the old hulbs. Ecevy year some scales decay, not those 



* Herein lies, I think, the explanation of all normal Lily scale growth, exemplified 

 most simply in a bulblet or seedling Lily, or as in a full grown CUcsh'xi. The base of each 

 leafstalk is developed into a scale, ami on the well doing of the leaf dejieuds the vigour 

 and health of that scale. Extend this rule a little further, and interpose a stem between 

 the foliage and scales, and you find new scale growth developing at the base of the stem, 

 continuously with the development of foliage, and I go further, and say, that experience 

 shows me, that uidess the foliage is healthy, the new growth will be scanty and stunted, 

 and this, I tlunk, may be taken as a reply to those who advocate cutting down Lilv 

 stems in full bloom, as not injurious. It is most decidedly injurious, in tlie way 1 have 

 pointed out, viz., in checking new growth — unless it be done at a period when growth is 

 nearly over— and unless at least two thirds' of the foliage are left on the plant. 



/ say norrrud scale gi'owth. / ha re mentioned an exception amonrjst the Martarjon rjroup 

 (seep. 86^, hut in these cases, vvj experience leads inc to believe that ncio scale growth does 

 not aj)pcar, hut onhj tJie old ijroiclh of the last scabon is amplified^ and hijpertrophicd ; so 

 that a larijer lieavicr bulb is produced. I have also noticed, that in Auratum, Spcciosum 

 aiid, otJier kiiuls, if the Jloicering portion of the stem he broken off ichile in early bud, the 

 leaves below, become much larger and broad.cr as if to compensate for tlic daiaage done 

 above. 



t I think here, Max Leichtlin thecrises erroneously : not having di.s.sected, he does not 

 adduce any evidence to show that during the summer another central bud is developed 

 to grow the next year. Xo stalk is developed in Gigantriuii until its time to flower is 

 <>ome, only a tuft of leaves ; and Giganteuni will go on developing its one bulb till the 

 Hower stalk shoots up ; the root stock or central axis being the vital motive force in 

 ■ development. 



