THE BULB BOOK 



LILIUM 



if they are to yield good results. 

 The soil should be of sandy loam, 

 peat, and leaf-soil in about equal 

 proportions, as for the second group ; 

 but in addition there must be an 

 abundance of moisture, but nothing 

 in the way of stagnant water. 



The border of a running stream, or 

 brook, or on the edge of a lake or 

 pond where the water is constantly 

 being freshened, would therefore suit 

 this particular group of American 

 Liliums admirably. 



With the exception of such kinds 

 as L. Loivi, L. iiepalense^ L. 

 neihjherense, L. Wallichianvm, L. 

 Bakerianum, L. primulinuvi, and 

 L. philijypinense — which are too 

 tender for most parts of the United 

 Kingdom, all the other kinds may be 

 grown in the open air. Special 

 cultural hints are given below in 

 certain cases. 



Time to Plant. — Lilies may be 

 planted in the open air in early 

 autumn or in spring. Autumn, 

 however, is the better season, as the 

 roots from the base of bulbs become 

 established in their action before the 

 winter, and thus keep the bulbs well 

 supplied with nourishment. When 

 planted in spring — and bulbs imported 

 then must necessarily be i>lanted at 

 that period — the bulb itself is already 

 anxious to send up its leafy stem 

 before basal roots have formed, and 

 more or less at the expense of the 

 reserve material in the fleshy scale- 

 leaves. At this period, however, the 

 autumn-planted bulbs are already 

 well established, and in addition to 

 basal roots from the bulbs a fresh 

 supply of roots is being developed 

 from the joints of the stems in 

 many cases. This action is so well 

 known to growers of Liliums in pots, 

 that the bulbs are not at first covered 

 with soil, but left exposed. In 

 due course roots emerge from the 



aerial stems, and handfuls of soil 

 are added from time to time for 

 them to work in. The two sets of 

 roots thus absorb large quantities of 

 food from the soil, and enable the 

 plants to flower well in due course. 

 Some kinds develop stem roots more 

 readily than others. 



Depth to Plant.— The bulbs of 

 Liliums are not all of the same size — 

 some being larger than others. In 

 the case of autumn planting, a good 

 rule to follow is to plant the bulbs in 

 holes about three times deeper than 

 their own diameter. This means that 

 some bulbs will be from 6 ins. to 10 

 ins. deep, having from 4 ins. to 6 ins. 

 of soil over the crowns. This deep 

 planting is necessary, mainly as a 

 protection against winter frosts, 

 depredations of mice, etc., and also 

 because the soil is several degrees 

 warmer a few inches down than it is 

 on the surface. 



When planting bulbs in spring, the 

 same methods may be adopted, if the 

 bulbs are to remain in the soil during 

 the winter, but it is not essential to 

 bury the bulbs so deeply, if it is 

 intended to lift them in autumn, as 

 the weather gradually becomes more 

 genial. 



Position. — As a rule, Liliums 

 should be planted in spots sheltered 

 from cold biting winds, and where 

 they may receive a little shade, ci\st 

 from trees, during the hottest portion 

 of the day. It is useless to plant 

 them beneath trees with branches 

 almost sweeping the ground ; but 

 between deciduous or evergreen 

 shrubs, not too close together, 

 Liliums often flourish and are 

 l)rotected at the base by the stems 

 and leaves of their neighbours. 



Pot-cultuke. — Many Liliums are 

 cultivated in pots for the decoration 

 of the greenhouse or conservator^', 

 and also in thousands by market- 



332 



