AND THEIR CULTUEE. 



winter frost alone will not damage Lily bulbs, I cannot, I fear, make 

 the same statement respecting late spring (May) frosts. These have 

 been very severe during the last few years, and falling with fierce 

 fury upon the young tender growths, sometimes 18 to 24 inches long, 

 of L. Auratiim and L. Speciosum have demolished all hope of bloom 

 for that season, and not only so, but have destroyed the foliage and 

 materially injured the growth of the bulbs. Many forms, such as the 

 UtnbeUaium section, the Caucasian and Siberian kinds, are, however, 

 so hardy as to be unaffected even by this severe trial ; we may there- 

 fore state, that no amount of ordinary frost in our climate will hurt 

 the bulb in the ground, or the shoot just above ground before it has 

 unfolded its tender leaves. 



Wet, however, or rather stagnant moisture is more injurious than 

 frost, such bulbs as Broicnii with large open scales in a very wet 

 winter, like that of 1876-77, in many places perished; this may be 

 avoided : 1st by planting them in a place where good drainage will 

 remove all superfluous moisture, protecting them further by a conical 

 mound of earth, so as to throw the water off that particular spot : 

 2nd by adopting the Japanese custom, when planting, of placing the 

 bulbs on their sides, instead of upright on their base ; this will 

 prevent the water lodging at the insertion of the scales, which in a wet 

 summer is, I believe, the reason why so many tender bulbs decay just 

 at that part. Wet, moreover, is injurious by setting the soil tight 

 round the bulb, this must be met by a ft-ee admixture of sharp sand 

 with the soil. Lastly, wet favours the attacks of slugs, deadly enemies 

 to bulbs of all kinds and especially to Lihes : these pests must be 

 kept at a distance by the use of lime, ashes, or sharp sand placed 

 round the bulb, and by the use of traps, such as brewers' gi^ains, 

 lettuces, &c., to attract them to their destruction. 



It is, indeed, a very simple matter to take up the bulbs in late 

 autumn, and store them in some diy pit, shed, or cool cellar, where 

 they would lie cool but protected from frosts ; in that case, they 

 should be stored in earth, sand, or cocoa-fibre, and an occasional drop 

 of water is necessary during the winter months, to prevent the bulbs 

 drying up too much. They may be planted out again in February or 

 March ; but for reasons which we "^"ill adduce further on, we do not 

 recommend this plan, unless where absolutely necessary, owing to very 

 wet soils. So much for hardiness. 



2. As to Soil. — The Canadense section, to which belongs Super- 

 binn, Pardalinum, and Puleridum delight in moist boggy soil, 

 Parvwii the side of a running stream. L. Humholdtii, Wasldngtoni- 

 anum, Martagons in general, the Tiger group and Auralu^n family 

 delight in cool loam, and do well in peaty, moist soils. The 

 Umhclhdum section, Thunhergianum or Elegans, and Sp^eciosimi 

 families will do exceedingly well on light soils, so also ^vi\\ 

 Jjongijionnn, Candidum, and their allies ; Concolor never did so well 



