274 On Reverse Grafting. 



A few plants of Lilium candidum were growing in a damp 

 shady corner, in loam approaching to clay ; and though the 

 flowers were formed they never fully expanded. As the leaves 

 of this plant at its flowering season begin to appear unsightly, 

 all the plants were cut down to within a foot of the ground. In 

 the Autumn much surprise was excited by two of the plants 

 showino- bulbs at the axillae of the remaining leaves ; not like 

 those of L. bulbiferum and tigrinum, but soft, white, and suc- 

 culent, and composed of several scales, being about the size of 

 a small hazel nut. 



A bulb of L. canadense, var. rubrum, was planted in bog- 

 earth ; not showing any leaves in June, the upper part of the 

 bulb was carefully exposed, but appearing very white, (the in- 

 contestible mark of health in the North American species,) it 

 was covered, and allowed to remain until the Autumn, when it 

 was taken up and examined ; several new and large bulbs had 

 formed, so as to increase it to triple its former bulk. The mode 

 of increase in the North American species (at least in Canadense 

 and superbum) appears peculiar ; the parent and young bulbs 

 are connected somewhat in the manner of Tulipa sylvestris. 



I have seen the leaf of Lachen alia tricolor form bulbs on the 

 torn edge, when it has been half divided by accident. 



I am, Sir, &c. 

 Hendon, Middlesex; May 2. E. M. Baines. 



Art. XI. Observations on Reverse Grafting. By Mr. Wil- 

 liam Balfour, Gardener to the Earl Gray, at Howick. 



Sir, 

 I have been favoured by a friend with a sight of your Gar- 

 dener's Magazine, in which I perceive you have noticed my 

 method of reverse grafting in rather an illiberal manner. From 

 the respect you appear to have for improvement in general, 

 and particularly in gardening, I should have expected that an 

 improvement, however simple, would have been treated by you 

 in a different manner. You go on by saying, — " All these ad- 

 vantages may be much more readily attained by reversing the 

 young side-shoots." I have proved by experience, that reversed 

 side-shoots do not come into bearing, nor are they so easily kept 

 within due bounds as are the shoots from reverse grafts ; and, 

 moreover, shoots cannot be made to break from a desired spot, 

 while a graft may be put on wherever you please ; and, be- 

 sides, reverse-training the side-shoots would not alter the kind, 

 which may at some times be desirable. In all horizontal 



