CHAPTER XVIII 



HYBRID LILIES 



Considering how freely Lilies seed it is rather 

 surprising that it is only of late years that we hear 

 much of the raising of hybrid varieties. 



Perhaps it is that the carefully cultivated garden 

 kinds — that is to say, the garden forms of natural 

 species — are so good, that the attempt to mingle the 

 various characters could not produce anything better 

 than we have already. Thus we can scarcely 

 imagine an improvement on the best form of L. 

 candidiim, or a grander flower than a bold L. aura- 

 tuin such as L. a. platyphyllum. 



It is probable that the efforts of those who are 

 now hybridising Lilies, will end by producing just 

 a few excellent things and a large number of con- 

 fusing nondescripts, much worse as garden plants 

 than the types from which they are derived. 



Still, though it is difficult to imagine it, there may 

 still be potentialities of beauty undeveloped in the 

 Lily family. In support of this there is the lovely 

 L. testaceum, said to be a hybrid of chalcedotiicuni and 

 candidtwi, which, while possessing a beauty of its 

 own, clearly shows the relationship to both parents ; 

 to chalcedonicum in the form of the flower and the 



6s £ 



