AND THEIR CULTURE. 5 



complete development of tlie upper wig of roots. A much longer 

 interval for these purposes is thus afforded, before hot weather sets 

 in^ than ever we can hope for in this climate, and this throws, I 

 think, much light on the premature scorching of the roots, so 

 frequent with us, and points out the necessity for growing these 

 Japanese Lilies in moist, shady, cool spots. 



If a Lily stem be detached from the bulb^ and planted with its 

 roots undisturbed, it will flower and flourish vigorously, and may, 

 perhaps, if there be time before autumn sets in, form tiny bulbs at 

 the base of the stem to perpetuate itself, otherwise it dies, but not 

 till the season is over ; and if the transplanting has been carefully 

 done, it is impossible to detect any check to the foliage and flowers. 

 It dies in the natural course of Natui-e, and there is no bulb left to 

 renew life the following year. Again : Lilies may get their stems 

 eaten ofl", injured, or destroyed in various ways, or from some cause 

 may lie over, as it is termed, and not emit shoots. But are the bulbs 

 damaged ? Not so, the roots at the base of the bulb are put forth, 

 and the bulbs make their growth as usual ; perhaps even the more so 

 because there is no stem to draw nourishment from them.* 



This, then, we submit, proves the independence of bulb and stem, 

 the necessity for two sets of roots, and the true use of the bulb ; onef 

 set of roots sei'ving for the nourishment of the stem, leaves, and flower 

 alone, the other set for that of the bulb. And what is the bulb but 

 a receptacle of stored-up force during the winter months to preserve 

 life and perpetuate spring growth ? If these views are correct, then 

 it is clear that the leaves turned brown and died, as aforesaid, because 

 the upper set of roots, being scanty and unhealthy, could no longer 

 obtain the moisture necessary;]: to existence, the first hot sunshine 

 scorched and withered leaves and stem. In no single instance in 

 which these unhealthy Lilies were examined were the roots healthy 

 and plentiful. 



A recent writer on Lily Culture, under the pseudonym of Dunedin, 

 has promulgated the remarkable statement that these upper or stem 

 roots do harm (Garden, p. 371, Oct. 26, 1878). He says: — "A 

 fruitful source of injmy to the successional bulbs is the stem roots, 

 which some actually encom-age by top-dressing and heaping up the 

 soil around the lower part of the stems. These stem roots are some 

 of them of great length, they go down, and not only impoverish the 



• "We could relate an instance of this where no growtli was made above ground, but 

 ■the bulbs which had been supposed to have perished (having made no sign), were in the 

 autumn found much finer than when planted the previous spring. 



t Compare Mr. ililes' statement (chap, iv.) of Lilies llowering without any roots 

 emitted from base of bulb. 



t We have seen one or two Lilies in a clump thus turn brown and fail, while the 

 ■others were in full vigour. Our explanation of this is, that the weakest has gone to the 

 wall, and the roots of others have been more vigorous and obtained the necessarj' sujiply 

 <of moisture, those that failed to do so sickened. 



