THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 13 



the length of their voyage) later than those that have not been 

 disturbed during the winter. 



We now desire to record some observations. 



1. We insist most strongly on the value of early planting. We 

 find a great difference in the health and vigour of those bulbs which 

 were planted in October, November, and December, as compared 

 with those planted in March and April, and by no section is this 

 so forcibly illustrated as by the Martagons. Many persons must, 

 like ourselves, have experienced great disappointment in the past 

 season, more especially with regard to the North American forms 

 which were largely imported in 1872-73, and will probably be so 

 again. Indeed, we may say, that having planted several hundreds 

 of Washingtonianum, Humboldtii, Puberulum, Pardulinum, and 

 others, late last spring, we were scarcely rewarded by a single 

 flower — and these poor and insignificant — in fact, very few made 

 any sign at all above ground. We are quite sure therefore that many 

 of our customers must have felt as we did, and must have blamed 

 us for having deluded them into paying high prices for worthless 

 bulbs, but as we had had some slight experience previously of this 

 section, we deferred forming a decided opinion on the subject till 

 the time for lifting the bulbs came, and now we find the bulbs 

 healthy generally, firm, with decided root action, and in many cases 

 vigorous preparation for next season, in the form of shoots three 

 inches long, with abundant and vigorous roots. One of our best 

 lily cultivators asserts that his Szovitzianuoi behaved similarly in 

 1871-72 ; having made no sign, he thought they were rotten, to 

 his surprise in autumn, he dug up most magnificent roots, far finer 

 than he had planted. 



We can instance similar behaviour in others of the same group. 

 Chalcedonicum — we broke up a bed of fine bulbs, divided and replan- 

 ted them in the autumn of 1872. In spring, shoots appeared, but did 

 not progress and shortly died away ; we feared a loss, but the bulbs 

 are now, on examination, quite sound and healthy, and prepared for 

 growth ; they evidently resent division and transplantation. Similarly, 

 Carniolicum — out of a hundred bulbs planted in the spring of 1872, 

 not one appeared above ground, yet the bulbs are now all sound and 

 healthy. Excelsum and Poraponium have behaved similarly. Hence 

 in this section we find bulbs, as a rule, making active growth in 

 October and November ; what wonder then if taken up and stored 

 in the winter months, or paralysed by importation, they are behind- 

 hand when planted out in the spring, and are unable to make 

 satisfactory root growth, before scorching weather comes on and 

 dries up the foliage ? Moral — Plant Martagons out in October or 

 earlier, and do not expect much from them the first season ; when 

 established, they will throw up grand shoots. More especially 

 expect nothing from the North American imported bulbs the first 

 year. " Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, verily he shall not 

 be disappointed," is true at least of these forms the first year, but 

 the second year, if left alone in a suitable spot, they are truly 

 magnificent. 



2. Plant deep: we have had, this autumn, a capital illustration of 



January. 



