1 5-4 OBSERVATIONS ON RAISING HYBRID IXIAS. 



ARTICLE V. 



OBSERVATIONS ON RAISING HYBRID IXIAS, AND OTHER 



SIMILAR PLANTS. 



B\' II. D., OK GUERNSEY. 



This island has long been known amongst gardeners in England for 

 the suitableness of its climate and soil for the cultivation of all those 

 tribes of plants usually denominated " Cape bulbs," and to these, 

 recent experience has proved, may be added the splendid novelties 

 procured by Dr. Siebold from Japan, and the additions recently 

 made by other collectors from California and elsewhere. 



But, notwithstanding our local advantages, little has hitherto been 

 done in raising seedlings, and still less has advantage been taken of 

 the facilities offered us by artificial fertilization to originate new and 

 improved varieties. 



This state of things has been caused by various circumstances, 

 but none has perhaps more powerfully contributed to it than the 

 great length of time required to bring certain seedlings to a bloom- 

 ing state : it is true that Sparaxis and Gladioli will generally show 

 Hower the second year from sowing, and of the former class many 

 splendid varieties have, within the last few years, been obtained, but 

 Ixias requiring from four to six years' growth to bring them to a 

 blooming state very few persons have had courage to attempt it, and 

 the very few novelties that the last twenty years have produced have 

 been the result of chance. 



With a view of filling up in some degree this blank in our 

 gardening progress, I was induced, in 1837, to fertilize some trusses 

 of Ixia capitata tricolor, with the pollen of Ixia conica, the seed was 

 sown at once in a south border, and has remained there unprotected 

 and undisturbed through winter and summer till this hour. 



It was only last spiing (1842) that a few small flowers began to 

 appear, but this summer the bloom has been general, and the result 

 such as amply to compensate for six years of expectation and 

 patience. Fourteen new r and perfectly distinct varieties have been 

 marked, of almost every possible colour, bun", purple, white, crimson, 

 yellow, orange, &c. Some with and some without spots or eyes, and 

 these again of various tints : annexed you will receive some further 

 particulars in a tabular form. 



