250 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



may be prepared from tlie leaves with 

 lime. 



This little plant is very common. 

 in the woods about Woburn, in Bed- 

 fordshire, and from wheneetheLondon 

 markets are supplied with the flowers. 

 It also grows in abundance in Essex, 

 and at Cromehurst, near Croydon, 

 and in some of the southern counties 

 of Scotland. In Essex it is to be 

 found to the extent of several acres 

 in one place, on a soil of a very close 

 loamy texture, mixed with clay. The 

 situations which it seems generally 

 to inhabit are somewhat marshy. In 

 such places the plant will grow and 

 thrive amazingly, producing heads 

 of pure white flowers full six inches 

 long. 



They should be planted in a situa- 

 tion and soil similar to that I have 

 just described. Before planting dig 

 over and well break the ground about 

 nine inches deep, then plant the roots 

 about four inches apart all over the 

 surface of the ground, giving them a 

 gentle press down with the thumb 

 and finger, and then cover them about 

 four inches thick with the same sort 

 of soil. On forming new plantations 

 of this plant I select all the flowering 

 buds from my stock of roots, which 

 I plant by themselves, but in the 

 same way as I do the others. If 

 equal quantities of each can be had 

 there will be equal quantities of 

 flowers for two or three successive 

 seasons, after which they should be 

 all taken up, the roots divided, and 

 replanted in the same way. If neat- 

 ness is desired, as well as a stock of 

 good plants producing a plentiful 

 supply of flowers in their season, the 

 above is the easiest and most certain 

 method that I am acquainted with. 

 It may be well to state that at the 

 time of replanting it will be requisite 

 to leave a sufBcient quantity undis- 

 turbed for the purpose of lifting for 

 forcing during the winter months. 

 It is rather surprising that this plant 

 has not been cultivated with better 

 success. The reason of this, in my 



opinion is, that it has been killed by 

 too good treatment. 



From the early period at which 

 the lily of the valley naturally 

 flowers, few plants are more eligible 

 for early forcing. As I have been 

 rather successful, both as regards 

 general cultivation and winter forcing, 

 I will now endeavour to give a brief 

 outline of the practice I have pursued 

 in forcing. I pot them in ;:i2-sized 

 pots, filled to within three and a half 

 inches of the rim with rich loam, 

 upon which the roots are closely 

 placed, and then covered about two 

 inches in thickness with equal parts 

 of leaf-mould and sand. They are 

 then well watered, so as to settle the 

 mould about the roots. I then place 

 them on a shelf near the glass in a 

 moist stove or forcing house, the 

 temperature of which may range from 

 65' to 75", and take care that the soil 

 does not become dry. When they are 

 so far advanced that the plants show 

 their heads of flowers, I remove them 

 into a warm greenhouse, still placing 

 them near the glass, until as they 

 advance in growth they are with- 

 drawn by degrees into a shaded part 

 of the house, from whence they are 

 removed to the drawing-room as re- 

 quired. When I remove one lot of 

 plants from the forcing-house their 

 places are immediately filled with 

 others, which are similarly treated, 

 and thus an ample succession will be 

 kept up. Care and attention are re- 

 quisite in lifting and selecting the 

 plants for forcing. They require a 

 minute examination to distinguish 

 those that will flower from those that 

 will not, the only difference being 

 that the buds of the former are more 

 round and short than those of the 

 latter. I cut off" the flowering buds 

 with as many roots to them as pos- 

 sible, and after I have obtained a 

 sufficient number the rest are care- 

 fully replanted, taking care that none 

 of them are lost, for those which will 

 not flower one season may do so the 

 next. i). Watt. 



