LUTHER BURBANK 



produced a great number, say four of five hun- 

 dred, hybrids between Gladiolus gandavensis and 

 the Watsonia, in most cases using the pollen of 

 gladiolus (chiefly because it is more abundant and 

 the Watsonia is more certain of seed), but some- 

 times making the reciprocal cross. Only three or 

 four of these blossomed, largely, perhaps, because 

 a great number of them were very tender and 

 were destroyed by the frost, although older plants 

 of the Watsonia withstood the season. 



It should be explained that the gladiolus does 

 not withstand the coldest part of our winter any 

 better than the Watsonia; but fortunately the glad- 

 iolus does not generally make a winter growth, so 

 it may be left in the ground with less danger. 



Whether most of these hybrids were made 

 tender by crossing with the gladiolus, or whether 

 some new element came in through the crossing, 

 this experiment, which promised so much, was 

 finally a failure. The seedlings showed the thick 

 stem of the gladiolus. Some of them grew only a 

 few inches, while others grew to great height. 



Of the hybrids that blossomed, all died next 

 year from gladiolus diseases. 



It may be of interest to add that double white 

 seedlings from the Watsonia have been produced; 

 also double flowers of other colors, pink, light and 

 dark salmon, and white. 



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