THK i:astkr ljlv liS: north i;iin clj matins. 3 



may be subjected to severe freezin;Lj: weather when in full vegetative 

 vi^or. 



There is evidence at hand that with care this lily may be j^rown 

 much farther north in selected localities than has thus far been ad- 

 y\iicd. There is little doubt that in those northern regions where the 

 snowfall is heavy and early, even though the temperatures be very 

 low, it can be safely grown in the open ground. 



PRODUCTION ON A SEEDLING BASIS. 



GROWING THE SEED. 



Until such a time as the trade produces seed of the Easter lily and 

 offers it for sale, it will be necessary for the grower to raise his own 

 seed. The most feasible way to do this now is to procure imported 

 bulbs either in the early winter, when they are generally offered for 

 sale, or at Easter time, when most of the plants are in blossom, and 

 grow seed for planting the following January. 



To insure a good set of seed it is necessary to hand-pollinate each 

 flower. (Fig. 1.) The blossoms are so large and their parts so con- 

 spicuous, that this is a simple and eas}^ task. Seed may be produced 

 in limited quantity without this trouble, but in the greenhouse, espe- 

 cially, the fertilization will be largely accidental and the set very 

 poor or none at all. 



If it is the florist's object to cross particular varieties, care should 

 be exercised that no pollen except that which is wanted gets on the 

 stigma. It will be necessary to remove the anthers from the flower 

 to be fertilized before they open and spread their pollen. If the 

 plant Avhich has been pollinated is set 2 feet or so away from others 

 which bear pollen, it is ordinarily safe from contamination in the 

 greenhouse. Usually the florist is not interested in following up a 

 line of breeding, and all that he needs to do is to see that plenty of 

 pollen is put on the stigma at the proper time. 



If pollinations are made at Easter, the seed will be ripe early in 

 June. (Fig. 2.) 



NECESSITY FOR HAND POLLINATION. 



In the flower of the Easter lily the stigma is <|uite well isolated 

 from the anthers. The action of the wind or other agency may cause 

 the pollination of a flower with its own pollen, which, of course, is 

 the closest kind of selfing. Also, it is possible, when plants are grown 

 in the open, that cross-pollination at times may take place through 

 the influence of insects and birds. Init of this there seems to be little 

 evidence. The necessity of hand pollination to ()l)tain full fertiliza- 

 tion consequently becomes apparent. Some seed will l)e obtained 

 without any attention other than allowing the flowers to Avithcr nat- 



