LILY. 173 
seedsmen’s catalognes, prominent in the cultural instruc- 
tions, and the trustful beginner, not taking the proper 
precautions, loses his bulbs. So well established has this 
opinion become, that failure wholly due to frost is 
attributed to some unknown cause. ‘This opinion is 
founded on the fact that the species denominated hardy 
ure natives of either cold, or temperate climates. A more 
erroneous opinion, or one fraught with more danger to 
the plant, could not well be entertained. ‘The species 
that are truly hardy in New York, other than those 
indigenous to the soil, are remarkably few; indeed, they 
are the exception rather than the rule. While it is true 
that some of the species are found in the coldest parts 
of the habitable globe, growing most luxuriantly, it is 
equally true that those same species, grown in temperate 
climates, are not hardy to a degree which renders it safe 
to plant them in our borders without protection. 
It is but proper to remark, at this time, that there © 
is no climate so severe on every class of bulbs, such 
as are usually considered hardy, and left in the open 
border during winter, as that of the Middle Atlantic 
States. This is particularly applicable to the Atlantic 
coast, from Massachusetts to Virginia, where the ther- 
mometer often indicates forty degrees of frost when 
there is not a particle of snow on the ground for the pro- 
tection of vegetation. In these localities the frost pene- 
trates the earth to a great depth, and is soon thawed 
out. These constant changes from freezing to thawing 
cause the earth to contract and expand to such a degree 
as to frequently tear the bulbs in pieces. We have 
known whole fields destroyed in this manner. This 
shows the mechanical effect of freezing. Now let us be 
more specific. Siberia affords us a striking illustration 
of climatic influences on growth and preservation of 
bulbs. There the beautiful little Tenuifolium is indige- 
nous, and there it is largely employed as an article of 
