192 NOTES ON LILIES 



which, at this time, are themselves seiulinc'' down roots,* by wliich they 

 can gain subsistence sufficient to make tliein independent of the parent 

 bulbs. Those who have carefully studied the connection that exists 

 between the old and the new bulbs, will understand this. When lifting, 

 I prefer leaving- a portion of the steins in the old bulbs, as they make a 

 convenient handle for movini,'- the new bulbs about, without rubbing and 

 breaking the scales with the hands. If this plan of lifting and replanting 

 annually, were adopted, I will venture to say, that the result would be far 

 better than by leaving the bulbs in the ground for some years undisturbed. 

 It seems to me to require no science to tell us this. If we lesive the bulbs 

 in the ground for a few years, what can we expect ? the offsets, instead 

 of being removed, are growing and drawing the essential principal of life 

 out of the expectant flowering bulbs";t and these offsets, transformed into 

 bulbulcs, will also generate offsets, so that all combined to the second and 

 third generations, will be drawing vitality from the fully-developed or 

 flowerinq-.bulbs ; the very reverse of what we have in view in giving 

 periodical supplies of nourishment in the shape of mulchings, top-dressings, 

 etc.'' — Dunedin, Garden, vol. 13, p. 28. 



§ 10. "Is a Lily an annual or a perennial, or is it between the two, a 

 biennial? A Lily is not an annual, a biennial, nor a perennial. Then 

 what is it? It may be said to be somewhat like two biennials joined 

 together, but, overlapping one another in their growth ; that is, one 

 portion blooming this year, while the other is growing, preparatory to 

 blooming next year." — Garden, vol. 13, p. 385. 



Auratuiii, which produced seven flowers — then thought sonietliing wonderful — and, 

 according to tiie usual i)ractice, he placed it, after blooming, under a stage, and allowed 

 it to staj- there until next Alarch, wlien lie determined to refjot it. On examining it, he 

 was surprised to find the pot full of new roots ; lie gave it a good sliift, without disturbing 

 it more than he could help, but ^lay came before there were any signs of a stem, and 

 when one was found, it was only half as strong as tliat jirodueed the jjrevious year, 

 and the top was deformed. This ultimately got l)roken off, when the stem began to 

 thicken enormously, so that by autumn it was more like tlie stump of an Hollyhock, 

 tlian tliat of Jiirafi'ni ; besides, it formed a number of yonng bulblets at its base, and at 

 the a.rt/s of the leaves, all indicating its great strength. It was allowed to remain undis- 

 turbed that winter, and next spring it threw up a magnificent slioot 5 feet high, and 

 ])roduced 3.'> perfect blooms on that one stem. This, wliicli was thought something 

 extraordinary, was noticed in all tlu' Edinburgh newsjiapers, and visited by the late 

 Mr. MacNab, and I may safely say, by hundreds of otliers. It really was magnificent, 

 and even now, when I have seen Imiidrcds of fine examples, I have never seen one 

 which 1 have admired more than I did that one, or one more perfectly formed. It 

 tau'dit me that a year's rest from blooming, gives strength, and does no harm, and 

 finally, that Indblcts on the stnn, shoin sigiis of vigour, and inust he considered to be a 

 'natural method of increasing the plan'." — Edina, in Carden, vol. 15,-7?. 82. 



* Surely the tender ends of these new roots would be damaged and broken by the 

 process of lifting. 



t I beg again to dilfer. I have not found in the autumn, many offsets, either on the 

 stem, or about the bulb, as large as a pen, without roots of tlieir own ; tliese oft'sets, 

 as soon as they are as Viig as a nut, which does not take many weeks, have 3 or 4- 

 lonf roots of their own, and are ipiite cajiable of taking care of themselves, without 

 drawing the vitality from the flowering bulb, whicli, according to Dunedin's views- 

 is one "'ear old, anil one year liigger than themselves, and must perish itself in the 

 followiuf autumn. How, then, can it be dejnived of vitality by tlie 2nd and Zrd 

 gouration! Dunedin forgets his biennial tlieory ; the fact, is simply this (sec p. 14), 

 that bulbs when at home increase and multi]ily, s(i tliat every 'ivA or 4th year, they must 

 be lifted, separated, and planted again with sutlicient room fur each bulb. Jlore than 

 this is nonsense. 



