THE CANNA AND CALLA 37 



flowered Canna. It chanced that experimenters 

 in Italy produced simultaneously and quite 

 independently a race of cannas having closely 

 similar qualities. 



The best of my cannas of this type was intro- 

 duced under the name of The Burbank. 



This plant rather closely resembles a variety 

 known as the "Austria," which was introduced 

 about the same time from Europe. The Bur- 

 bank, however, is somewhat larger, and has 

 thicker and more rubberlike foliage; and its 

 flower is slightly less crimson in the throat. 



Working with the Canna 



The cross-fertilization of the canna should 

 seemingly present no particular difficulties to 

 anyone who studies the mechanism of the flower. 



The stamens have a petallike appearance, and 

 the pollen mass could not be transported by the 

 bee or any other small insect. Large moths may 

 carry it from one flower to another, but the usual 

 pollenizer of the canna, in this country, is the 

 humming bird. 



The hand-pollenizer may readily enough de- 

 tach the pollen mass, and transfer it to the stigma 

 of another flower. 



But it does not follow that hybridizing is easy. 

 In fact, I found it exceedingly difficult, especially 



