56 LUTHER BURBANK 



one from the same lot of seed growing only 

 eighteen inches or two feet in height. 



But the most striking characteristic of these 

 hybrids was their exquisite fragrance. Even 

 though the seed were grown from L. parda- 

 linum, which is never fragrant, the hybrids hav- 

 ing the L. W ashing tonianum cross for the other 

 parent were so fragrant that when massed to- 

 gether their perfume saturated the air and could 

 be distinguished, down wind, at a distance of 

 several miles. 



The individual plants differed widely on close 

 inspection as to their forms and colors, but when 

 viewed from a distance the effect was that of a 

 great gorgeous spread of cloth of gold. 



The variations in form of stem and flower 

 among these hybrids extended also to the bulbs, 

 some of which were flat and of varying colors, 

 from pale rose and crimson to yellow, and others 

 of which were compact, resembling pears or 

 apples in form. 



Another striking peculiarity of the bulb was 

 that some of them had scales that were solid, as 

 in the Washingtonianum, while in others of the 

 same lot the scales would be divided into sev- 

 eral separate divisions, each of which would grow 

 to form a new bulb under proper conditions. 

 Some of the bulbs when exposed to sunlight 



