LUTHER BURBANK 



cies, and hybridization was carried out in the usual 

 way, different pairs of species being mated and 

 then the hybrid forms in subsequent seasons re- 

 mated, noting of course at all stages which com- 

 binations seemed to produce the best results. 

 Mixed hybrids were finally produced that com- 

 bined the strains of many species. 



The results were highly interesting. 



In the course of a few years I had a strain of 

 crossbred crinums presenting most of the desir- 

 able qualities of the different species in combina- 

 tion. The new plants, in spite of the strains 

 of tropical species in their germ plasm, are very 

 hardy, withstanding the coldest weather of this 

 region without injury. They have very large flow- 

 ers, varying in color from white, pink, and rosy 

 crimson to purple. The petals are broad, and the 

 flowers in a large number of cases are fragrant. 



The bulbs of some of these hybrids have taken 

 on extraordinary growth. At four years of age 

 some of them are from six to eight inches in diam- 

 eter, and twelve to eighteen inches in length, 

 weighing probably from ten to fifteen pounds, or 

 even more. More recently specimens have ap- 

 peared of even larger dimensions. Some of these 

 enormous bulbs seldom make offsets, others pro- 

 duce from one to twelve or more offsets in a sea- 

 son, so that they can be multiplied quite rapidly. 



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