AN ENCYCLOPADIA: OF HORTICULTURE. 
275 
Lily of the Valley—continuwed. 
at any season except during spring and early summer; 
consequently, a place should be selected for their culti- 
vation which is not too prominently exposed. In some 
parts of England, Lilies of the Valley are found, in any 
quantity, growing wild in woods; the shade and moisture 
there secured being suitable to their requirements. Where 
the plants are not found wild, they may readily be 
naturalised, if the position is not too dry, nor the herbage 
very thick. As grown outside, this plant is essentially 
a subject for supplying cut flowers, and these are always 
popular, and in great demand for bouquets of every de- 
scription. Cultivated in pots, and forced into flower 
early in spring, the Lily of the Valley constitutes an 
invaluable subject for greenhouse and room decoration. 
The natural flowering season is April and May, accord- 
ing to the locality; by obtaining a plentiful supply of 
crowns, and forcing carefully, the season may commence 
inside early in December, and a succession of flowers 
be secured thenceforth until June. Lilies of the Valley 
may be propagated by seeds, which ripen freely if 
allowed, and should be sown in spring, outside. The 
usual method of propagation is by the numerous crowns 
which form at the points of creeping roots or under- 
ground stems (see Fig. 433). If clumps are allowed 
to grow undisturbed, the crowns become too thickly 
crowded, and do not produce such fine flowers as when 
more space is afforded. 
Preparation of Crowns for Forcing. Size, and, conse- 
quently, good quality, in the flowers of the Lily of the 
FIG. 434. FLOWERING STEM OF LILY OF THE VALLEY. 
Valley (as represented in Fig. 434) depend entirely on 
the cultivation and attention given to the preparation 
the crowns. Immense quantities of these are 
annually imported from Germany, to meet the demand 
for forcing purposes in this country. It is important 
to observe that those coming from Berlin are far better 
for early forcing than those received from Hamburg. 
The latter are generally much larger, but, for some 
reason, they cannot be depended upon to start well 
before January at the earliest. By adopting a system 
of annually preparing crowns for forcing, excellent ones, 
equal in every respect, if not superior, to those imported, 
may be obtained in this country. The following is a 
Lily of the Valley—continued. 
method which may be pursued: Select or prepare a piece 
of good ground in a border, with either an east or a west 
aspect. It should be manured and well trenched. The 
crowns should be lifted in autumn, or at any time before 
growth commences in spring, and placed together accord- ` 
ing to their sizes. In planting, a shallow trench should 
be cut out, the crowns placed upright in it, about 2in. 
apart, so that their points are just below the surface, 
and the soil filled in. Other trenches may then be pre- 
pared and planted in a similar way, leaving a space of 
about 9in. between them. Hoeing occasionally, to keep 
the surface open and clean, and watering in dry weather, 
until the leaves die away, will be all that is necessary 
afterwards, Crowns thus treated may be lifted for 
forcing the following winter, if required; but they are 
much stronger if allowed to remain until the second 
year. Young crowns being so freely produced. it is not 
usually difficult to obtain a supply from reserve clumps 
or borders where the ordinary system has been in prac- 
. tice. The sizes of crowns aged respectively one, two, and 
: e 
FIG. 435. CROWNS OF LILY OF THE VALLEY, 
Preparation for Forcing. 
a, One Year Old; b, Two Years Old; c, Three Years Old. 
three years, are represented at a, b, and e, Fig. 435. The 
first, or small size, lifted at any time when at rest, in 
winter, will produce nothing beyond leaves the following 
year. From the second size, flowers of medium strength 
may be obtained. The large ones will be certain to flower, 
either indoors or outside, if placed under proper treat- 
ment. Clumps for forcing are prepared by planting a 
few crowns in a bunch, and allowing them to grow for 
two or three years previous to lifting. It will be seen 
that many of the crowns in such clumps cannot be of a Si on 
