A Floral Experiment An ingenious and useful experiment undertaken last
year at Kew has been in some measure anticipated by an amateur research worker. The experiment concerns the bluebell. One block was picked hard. One block was so plucked that the lower bleached part of the leaf was dragged out. One block was severely trampled. The amateur experiment is reported in the latest number of the Countryman (still published in spite of its great circulation from the little hamlet of Idbury in Oxfordshire). As one would expect simple picking of the flowers did the plants good. To disallow the flower is the best method of increasing the size of almost any bulb. A severe pulling of the stalk did very slight damage and proved better than allowing the seed to set. The bluebells increased however treated. On this subject a simple and pleasing notice is shown in some bluebell haunts by the Oxford Preservation Trust, who are to be highly praised on many accounts. It runs, so far as I remember : " If you pick bluebells do not pick many, other people like to see them growing here." How much better is this than a bruSque and needless prohibition ! It is as well to add the warning that only the bulb or real perennial can benefit from flower- picking. Some plants have been clean wiped out solely by absence of seed. One of these—in many districts near towns— is the foxglove, which is nearer to a biennial than a perennial.
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