LUTHER BURBANK 



ever seen. It has glorious, great, drooping, bell- 

 shaped, rosy or white blossoms, which no lover of 

 flowers could fail to admire. The foliage of the 

 plant is smilax-like, and somewhat deficient in 

 quantity, but the wonderful flowers make amends 

 for any defect of foliage. 



Unfortunately the plants are very difficult to 

 raise, needing peculiar soil and much attention. 

 They are also sensitive to changes of temperature, 

 and do not bloom at an early age. Moreover they 

 must be kept moist at all times to insure good 

 growth. 



The possibilities of work with plants of this 

 genus are shown in a remarkable cross said to have 

 been made by Veitch between one of the Lapage- 

 rias and the Philesia buxifolia, the latter being the 

 pollen plant. The hybrid which has been named 

 Philegeria Veitchii, is of exceptional interest, inas- 

 much as the parents belong to different genera. 

 In scientific interest it ranks with the blackberry- 

 raspberry hybrids, and the cross between the 

 amaryllis plants and their remote relatives. 



As illustrating the possibility of the production 

 of interesting new forms, I may note that a col- 

 lector in Chile sent me a few years ago several 

 species oi plants allied to the Lapageria, but un- 

 classified as to species, that very much resemble 

 the English Ivy and that show exceptional habits 



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