84 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



to the pots: we cover them to the depth of three inches with the old 

 soil. If the weather is dry, we give them another soaking before cover- 

 ing them up with the manure which we put on to the depth of five or 

 six inches. As soon as the early clirysanthemums are out of the way 

 we start taking them into the house. After they have stood on the 

 bench for about two weeks, the growth has hardened up some, so that 

 the repotting can be done. The size of the pots depends on the size of 

 the bulbs. We put bulbs, known as five to seven, in five-inch pots; the 

 size seven to nine in six-inch pots. Several growers waste lots of valu- 

 able space by potting into too large size pots. A bulbous plant don't 

 need as much soil to grow in as other plants do. In the repotting we 

 ?elect the strongest plants first, leaving the weakest ones until we see 

 whether they are going to make it or not. 



Right here is where you are going to save a lot of valuable space, 

 for if you had them in larger sized pots with the idea of not repotting 

 them at all, all the weak and diseased ones would be using your bench 

 room. The watering sJiould be looked after very carefully for about three 

 or four weeks, after this last shift, for this is the making or failure of 

 the lily. Constant syringing is what they like, every day. Oftentimes 

 florists are complaining of short stems they get on their lilies. If they 

 would syringe oftener they could get these stems, — and right here let 

 me say that the treatment of keeping them out of doors in the frame 

 has something to do with getting a good stemmed plant. The lilies when 

 brought in, should be given a temperature of 52 to 54, night heat, 

 and as they take hold of the soil the temperature can be increased as re- 

 quired. Of course it depends on what date Easter falls on. This year 

 Easter is very early and these that are going to get their lilies in will 

 be doing well. I am referring now to the small grower. The large 

 grower has the advantage of being able to move his plants around so 

 that it is seldom that he misses out entirely but it is different with the 

 small grower who only has a certain house for them, and has to keep 

 them there. If you see that you are going to have to push them don't 

 be afraid to give them heat. Just as long as you syringe them often, 

 you may give them heat, but don't wait until the last week and then 

 force them so hard. Start in time so that you won't have a batch of 

 soft off-color blossoms. It takes seven to eight weeks to blossom from 

 the time you can count the buds at 60 to 62 night heat with fair sun- 

 shine, or m other words a good rose house temperature. The aphis loves 

 the lily, so keep them clean at all times, for if they get a start on you, 

 they will be hard to get rid of, and they can do lots of damage in a very 

 short time. Fumigating is the common way to keep them clean. Make 

 it a practice to fumigate once a week, or if you are situated so that you 

 can't, you can keep them clean by dusting them with tobacco dust. 



Staking the plants is essential so as to get good straight stems. If 

 your lilies are showing buds too early, which seems to be the case with 

 some of them, don't make the mistake of putting them in a cold, or rather 

 too cold a house, for the set-back they will get will stunt them and be the 



