THE CANNA AND CALLA 57 



would turn to a brilliant crimson, while others 

 after exposure for any length of time were 

 white or yellow or variegated. There was 

 similar variation as to the resistance to 

 decay. 



I may add that some of the lily bulbs, notably 

 those of L. Brownii, are edible and are considered 

 a great Christmas delicacy by the Chinese, who 

 make most delicious stews and soups from these 

 bulbs. I have eaten the bulbs of L. Browwi, 

 grown on the Sebastopol place, and have found 

 them to have a most delicious oysterlike flavor. 

 The possibilities of these lilies as food producers 

 have not hitherto been given the attention they 

 deserve. All other lilies have bitter bulbs, and 

 are therefore fairly resistant to eel worms, mil- 

 liped, thrip, etc., whereas the Brownii is invari- 

 ably destroyed in the second year, and can only 

 be grown in new soils. All the true lilies finally 

 succumb on old soils. I have tried to eliminate 

 the bitterness through crossing, but attained no 

 very favorable results. 



SOME WIDER HYBRIDIZATIONS 



It has already been stated that the California 

 lilies do not cross readily with the foreign species. 

 Nevertheless, I have made successful hybridiza- 

 tions in many cases. 



