182 BULBS AND TUBEROUS-ROOTED PLANTS. 
importance; to many they seem vital points. Our opin- 
ion, based upon the experience of many years, is, that 
the condition of the soil is of far greater importance than 
its character, and it is upon the former that success 
largely depends. We have grown Lilies in every variety 
of soil, from the lightest sand to the heaviest clay, and 
have met both success and failure in all their various char- 
acters. Our preference is for a light loam, because in 
it propagation is more rapid, and, in all cases, perfect 
flowers are results of perfect development of the plant ; 
should we not have such a soil, we plant in whatever we 
have, knowing full well that the soil that will yield an 
abundant crop of garden vegetables, or field crops, will 
also produce Lilies and other flowers in profusion. It is 
a great mistake to think that each and every plant must 
have a soil with certain specific characters in which to 
grow, in order to attain perfect development. It is true 
that any given plant will do better in a soil congenial to 
it, one similar to that of its native habitat, but it is 
equally true that it will do well in a variety of soils 
where other conditions are favorable. Plants do not live 
on soil alone; they live in the soil, it is their home. 
The soil contains certain elementary substances that con- 
tribute to the growth of plants; the atmosphcre con- 
tains an equal number; the two acting in harmony pro- 
duce the plant. These conditions, in any given locality, 
always exist; consequently, whether you have a clayey 
or a sandy soil, you will have in the atmosphere condi- 
tions favorable to it, so, in either case, the results will 
be the same. In the one case you will be obliged to use 
more labor, in the other more manure, to accomplish the 
same purpose. 
But can all the species be successfully grown in the 
same soil? We answer, yes, as nearly as those of any 
other genus of plants with which we are acquainted. 
Make a heavy soil rich, and provide good drainage, 
