LUTHER BURBANK 



The wisterias are difficult to hybridize, because 

 their flowers are papillionaceous, like those of the 

 peas and beans. But with a little care, hand-pol- 

 lenation may be effected, and some very striking 

 variations should be obtained in the second gener- 

 ation from a cross, for example, between the 

 American and Chinese wistarias. 



A complex hybrid between these species and 

 the Japanese variety, Wistaria multiguga, which 

 produces astonishingly long racemes of flowers, 

 should give results of additional interest. 



My own experiments with the wistarias have 

 consisted of the growing of a great number of 

 seedlings, both of the Chinese and American 

 species, selecting among these for plants varying 

 in form, and bearing blossoms of different size and 

 colors. The results of these experiments show that 

 the wistaria is an adaptable flower, and one that 

 is almost certain to repay more extensive breeding 

 experiments, in particular those that introduce the 

 element of hybridization. 



I will name only one other type of ornamental 

 vines, this being the Lapageria, or Chilean Bell- 

 Flower. 



As an excuse for selecting this one among many 

 tropical and sub-tropical forms, I may say that 

 when I first saw the Chilean bell-flower I thought 

 it the most beautiful flower of any kind that I had 



[230] 



