12 PROPAGATION OF EASTER LILY FROM SEED. 



quite as far advanced as that in Bermuda at the same date; but the 

 climatic and soil conditions being so different in the South from those 

 prevailing in Bermuda, the results were more or less disastrous. The 

 growth above ground, where the plant was not killed outright, was 

 more or less injured by cold and other generally unfavorable conditions. 

 During the period before coming into bloom, the plants rendered sickly 

 durino- the winter often suffered severely from lack of moisture, result- 

 ing in poorly developed bulbs. 



So far, practically nothing has been done in experimental work with 

 a view to giving the bulbs the most favorable conditions to develop, 

 leaving out of consideration altogether early ripening for forcing the 

 following fall. It is the intention of the Department of Agriculture 

 to work with this end in view, not only in the South but in the Middle 

 and Northern States and also in the West. 



A knowledge of the proper time to plant the bulbs in the various 

 sections of the country in order to produce a bulb of maximum size in 

 as short a time as possible but in a thoroughly ripe condition before 

 being harvested is most important, and this knowledge is to be gained 

 only by carefully conducted trials. Every florist who is interested 

 should experiment in a small way to ascertain how the bulbs will suc- 

 ceed out of doors in his section of the country. 



The soil problem does not present many difficulties beyond the selec- 

 tion of well-drained situations and a light, sandy loam, which can be kept 

 sufficiently moist during the growing season to prevent the plants from 

 receiving a cheek. Treatment should be accorded a portion of the 

 bulbs similar to that found to succeed with bulbs of the other species 

 of Lilium, such as L. auratum. This consists in placing in the vicin- 

 ity of the bulb, moss or other material which will retain more moisture 

 than the surrounding soil. During dry weather this is found to be an 

 excellent provision for supplying the growing roots with moisture 

 until a fresh supply is received from rains and until the roots pene- 

 trate deeply into the ground, so as to withstand dry spells. In trials 

 of this nature the bulbs should be allowed to stay as long as possible 

 in the ground after the tops decay. They should be harvested just 

 before there is danger of their beginning growth for the following- 

 season, because any interference that tends to cause premature shriv- 

 eling and decay of the thick roots near the base of the bulb, such 

 as harvesting before natural ripening occurs, invariably occasions a 

 shrinkage of the tissue of the outer scales and incidentally provides a 

 ready means of ingress for fungi and bacteria to the tissue of the bulb 

 through the ruptured tissue of the roots. This condition of premature 

 decay, while the bulbs of the field are subjected to moisture, even for 

 a short time, provides favorable harbors for mites, which, although 

 their purpose at first may be merely to feed on the decaying tissues 



