The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-14

which are included under the common
name anaryllis, although the amaryl-
lis demonstrated now by the Depart
ment of Agriculture really ONE from
the lily Johnsoni, also known as the
Bella Donna lily. 1t first was pro-
duced by a poor matchmaker named
Johnson of Lancashire, England, who
had a great Low for plants and by
dint of great sacrifice secured a few
plants of the Amarillidaceae family
for experiments. He developed a var
iety which finally was accepted by the
English Botanical society, so he did
not lose his recognition as did the less
fortunate developer Of the American
Beauty rose.
The amary1lis as exhibited to the
thousands of visitors to the govern
ment greenhouses at Washington will
not have lasting value as a garden
plant, because it blooms but once in a
season; however, that bloom lasts so
long under proper conditions and is so
magnificent in appearance, it repays
no small expenditure of time and
trouble. After the Towering, the bulbs
should be preserved unless it is de-
sired to produce the next plants di-
rectly from the seed. The flowers
sometimes measure s or inches
across and grow in great clusters
above a rich background of long bright
green leaves. Most of the varieties
are considered sCentless, although a
delicate perfume is noticeable from
some of them, especially just after
they open. While the different species
are to be found in many tropical
countries. the plant used by Johnson,
which formed the beginning of the
variety now being exploited by the
Department of Agriculture, is said to
have been native to Brazil.
Recently the efforts of the depart
ment nave been turned toward the
development and production of some
more prolific and hardy species of
Easter lilies which will LEM them
selves readily to the resources of the
amateur or home florist. For this
purpose, several hundred fine plants,
raised in the government greenhouses
neal Washington, have been dis
tributed among the different expert
ment stations Of the country, especial
y " ~ Va 'l". AASS "'A -
utilized for experimental efforts of re-
production, and it is hoped that the
results of these experiments, if sue
%cessful, will be made of practical
value to the country within the next
three years, In the meantime the
commercial florists must still be given
the corner upon the production Of
Easter lilies once supposed to be i'm
ported from Bermuda, although now
raised each year to an increasing de-
gree in this country.
The interest in rose culture is ap-
pealing to school children in a number
of cities. Even the principles Of
cross-brecding these fragrant beau
ties are being studied by the children
of a number of agricultural high
schools and the production of two new
roses is claimed by a hoo in a west
crn town. A we'll known periodical
published for boys has been stimulate
ing the interest in rose culture by Of
fering prizes for the best results. a
boy of Is recently won a prize for an
article giving a thorough description
of the maune in which he raised
roses from cuttings. He set cuttings
of fine dollhouse roses, obtained from
bouquets sent to his sister, in wet
sand in the cellar where the proXim-
ity of the furnace gave him the re-
quired temperature. He kept them
properly moistened until the roots
formed, then set them in separate pots
in which they blossomed within Is
months.
While new flowers occasionally
seem to predominate in popular favor,
the permanent value of the rose re-
mains unaffected and rose culture is
always as a most impor-
tant granch of Horticulture. Each year
new roses are developed, some OF
which never are heard of excepting
among the rose growers themselves,