LILIUM SPECIOSUM. 



THIS section of the lily 

 family is often listed as 

 L. Lancifolium. There 

 are all of twenty sorts in 

 commerce in America at 

 present. They are favorably 

 known throughout the north 

 as high-class and very hardy 

 lilies. The flowers of some 

 surpass the Auratums in 

 rich colorings, and rival them 

 in fragrance, all flourish and 

 increase where the beautiful 

 but capricious Auratums 

 would fail. 



The speciosums are natives 

 of Japan, their time of bloom- 

 ing is from July to October, 

 the flowers are drooping, the 

 petals "in all the varieties re- 

 curve so as to nearly touch the flower 

 stem, showing off their rare color and 

 shadings to perfection. The usual 

 method of propagation is by division, 

 one bulb planted in rich soil will have 

 made quite a clump at the end of three 

 growing seasons. When transplanted 

 they should be given well enriched, 

 deeply dug soil, the small bulbs and off- 

 sets had better be planted separately. It 

 is rarely advisable to replant lilies of 

 any kind oftener than once in three 

 years. 



Many recommend shade or partial 

 shade to have these plants in their 

 greatest beauty. The only advantage of 

 shade seems to be the moisture that is 

 nearly always present where there is 

 shade. Varieties of Speciosum will do 

 quite as well when fully exposed to the 

 sun, if care is taken that the ground does 

 not want for moisture. 



Where the winters are severe the 

 bulbs should always be planted in soil 

 that is well drained and comparatively 



Fig. 1101.— Speciosum RosEasi. 



dry during their dormant season. Where 

 the extreme cold renders protection ab- 

 solutely necessary, forest leaves, held in 

 place by a rough frame of boards, ever- 

 green boughs, strawy manure, or any- 

 thing, may be used that will prevent the 

 ground about the bulbs from freezing 

 and thawing. 



Speciosum Roseum is certainly the 

 most popular of all, the color is deep 

 rose, distinctly spotted carmine, towards 

 the centre of the flower the color shades 

 to a frosty glistening white. The variety 

 Rubrum is often catalogued, we have 

 never found sufficient difference in the 

 flowers to think of growing them sepa- 

 rately. 



Album is a white variety of chaste and 

 pure color. 



Monstrosum Album has flattened 

 flower stems, which carry from thirty to 

 fifty flowers. Its floriferousness under 

 good culture is wonderful. 



Melpomene and Opal are varieties of 

 recent introduction that deserve special 



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