LUTHER BURBANK 



At one time I crossed plants of this genus with 

 the California lily (Liliiim pardalinum) and had 

 several hybrids, but the root and the bulb did not 

 make a good combination. The plants bloomed 

 one year, then died. The hybrid blossom was 

 smaller than that of the lily, and it resembled that 

 of both parents in being speckled and in its com- 

 bination of colors. The hybrids that blossomed 

 produced no seed. 



The long, slender, white tubers of the Alstroe- 

 meria Chilensis are edible. This plant grows in 

 very dry soil, and is peculiarly adapted to some of 

 the California soils and climates. It is at present 

 too tender for growth in the Eastern United States, 

 but it is possible that through hybridization and 

 selection it may be rendered hardy, and in that 

 event this may become a valuable garden 

 vegetable. 



THE EPAU POTATO 



The lilies and their allies are not the only wild 

 plants with bulbs or roots that are edible and sus- 

 ceptible of improvement. 



On the contrary there are several plants of 

 different families that offer noteworthy possibili- 

 ties in this direction. 



There are, for example, tuberous varieties of 

 the genus Carum, relatives of the caraway, that 

 grow on the Pacific Coast, especially toward the 



[262] 



