CULTIVATION OF THE LILY TRIBE. 



69 



Not found we believe in the vicinity of the 

 city, or rarely in this state. We have seen 

 it in New-York, and farther south. Stem 

 erect, straight, from three to six feet high, 

 bearing a large pyramid of orange coloured 

 flowers, amounting, not unfrequently, to 

 thirty or forty in number. Leaves lance- 

 linear, three-nerved, glabrous ; lower ones 

 whorled ; upper ones scattered ; flowers in 

 a pyramidal raceme ; corollas reflexed. 

 There appears to be a variety in the colours 

 from a yellow to an orange scarlet. 



LiLiuM CANADENSE, Nodding Meadow 

 Lily. The character of this lily when cul- 

 tivated, is very much improved, and when 

 in rich ground approaches the character of 

 L. siiperbum. The colours vary : varieties 

 may be found from light yellow to orange, 

 and nearly to a scarlet. A great portion 

 of our meadows are embellished with this 

 flower in the month of June. Stem green, 

 varying in height from one to three feet, 

 with lanceolate leaves surrounding it in 

 distant whorls ; flowers from one to three 

 or even more, on terminal peduncles ; co- 

 rolla nodding, bell-shaped, spotted inside ; 

 petals lanceolate, turned outward, but hardly 

 reflexed. In the garden we have seen this 

 lily growing four or five feet in height, 

 graced with at least twenty of its beautiful 

 pendulous flowers. 



LiLiuBi PHiLADELPHicuM, Common Red 

 Lily of our pastures and dry fields. Of 

 equal beauty with the canadense, but of 

 different habit. Its height rarely exceeds 

 two feet ; leaves whorled, a few sometimes 

 scattered. Flowers, one, two or three, sup- 

 ported on a long claw, upright, of a dark 

 Vermillion colour, spotted ; corolla bell- 

 shaped. The character of this species will 

 no doubt be as much improved as cana- 

 dense, by cultivation. It will then form 

 one of the most showy ornaments of the 

 'Tarden, as the colour of the flowers is rich 



and brilliant. If ten or fifteen can be pro- 

 duced on one stem, the effect of a group of 

 plants will be surpassingly rich. 



We have succeeded in transferring our 

 indigenous lilies from the fields or mea- 

 dows when in flower, by taking up a ball 

 of earth with the roots. 



Among other beautiful species and varie- 

 ties in this interesting order, are L. catesbai, 

 a native of the south, with orange coloured 

 flowers, and dwarf in its habits ; L, caroli' 

 nianum from Carolina, somewhat like 

 stiperbum ; L. pyrenaicum, with reflexed 

 dark orange flowers, from the PjTenees ; 

 L. monadelphwn, a species of martagon 

 from the Caucasus ; L. croceum, 'pumilum, 

 and many others, which may be obtained 

 from the Dutch florists. Lily bulbs, when 

 transported across the Atlantic, will hardly 

 flower the first year, even when conveyed 

 in the best condition . more than one-half 

 usually perish when packed in the best 

 order. These bulbs should be planted as 

 soon after taking up as possible. 



In addition to the varieties described, 

 some splendid species or varieties have 

 been recently introduced from Japan, which 

 are to be found in a number of collections 

 in this vicinity, viz., Liliitm spec'wsmn 

 and landfolium-album. We are indebted 

 to Dr. Van Siebolt for this magnificent ac- 

 quisition, who brought them from Japan to 

 Europe. These bulbs have commanded an 

 extravagant price. But one individual, to 

 our knowledge, has tried them in the open 

 ground in this neighborhood ; we under- 

 stand they stood the winter with some little 

 protection. Should they prove hardy upon 

 further trial, they will be eagerly sought 

 after, as they surpass in beauty and fra- 

 grance every other species or variety in this 

 extensive family of plants. L. speciosum 

 has a pink and white frosted ground, finely 

 spotted with a deep crimson ; L. la7icifoliuvi' 



