aa 7 AAD OUT HYBRID LILIES ———— 
When | first began growing lilies, almost 30 years ago, 
there were very few hybrids in commerce. We knew only test- 
aceum and some umbellatum (now called hollandicum) and ele- 
gans (now maculatum) in variety. We soon heard of Dr. Crow's 
Sargentiae X regale. Miss Preston made the revolutionary 
cross that resulted in the Stenographer Hybrids a little 
earlier and went on from there. Dr. Griffiths was working 
on the material that was to give us the Bellingham Hybrids, 
and obtained a stock of leucanthum chloraster that was in- 
troduced into the Sargentiae--regale complex. M. Debras 
started the Aurelianense and about that time everyone with 
a few lilies got into the act. Some with a definite plan; 
Sunerss naphazardly with no records. 
My old friend, the late S. J. Harmling, when | protested 
a turk's cap--trumpet cross that he was making quoted an old 
proverb that he frequently used, "Niemand veiss wie ein Kuh 
eine Hase fangen kann". My German was never good,but that is 
as | remember it.. Roughly it means you never can tell.(!I was 
wrong again. He obtained an exquisite intermediate form). 
W 
At the recent Seventh Annual Meeting and Show of the 
N.A.L.S. held in Seattle, there were more and better hybrid 
lilies displayed than ever were assembled under one roof be- 
fore. The casual visitor would only remark, "I never knew 
there were such lilies". But the knowing lily fan really 
Struck pay dirt. There were auratum -- speciosum crosses by 
several growers, sulfur hybrids, umbellate forms in great 
Variety, Aurelianense, yellow trumpets, pink trumpets and 
Various shapes and colors. |! still favor the species. Most 
of them have a grace and beauty acquired through countless 
generations of adaptation that appeals to me;but undoubtedly 
the day of the hybrid lily is here. 
The fact that a lily is a hybrid does not make it good. 
Usually a cross between species gives increased vigor. Year 
after year my seedlings of the Bellingham seedlings and 
their crosses are the most vigorous plants on the farm. But 
Please bear in mind that the weak points of the parents can 
be intensified as well as the good features. Any grower wor- 
thy of the name will select carefully and re-cross and back- 
Cross with a definite aim, discarding all plants with unde- 
Sirable features. 
| have a collection of Kodachrome slides (35 mm) of lilies 
Suitable for garden club programs. A commentary goes with it 
So that anyone can make a good presentation. Write if you 
are interested, 
