The Treatment of Japan Lilies. 257 



would fain hope, however, that I am mistaken, and that 

 those who state that these Hlies are suitable for open-border 

 cultivation are right. The experience of your correspondents 

 in this matter would, I am sure, form a useful page in a 

 future number of The Florist, and I invite attention to the 

 subject. I would, however, take the liberty of stating, that 

 we have already a sufficient number of periodicals open to 

 articles savoring of controversy, and that the conductors of 

 The Flo7ist are right in determining that it shall continue 

 the vehicle of well-authenticated facts and mature experi- 

 ence. I would on that account invite only such persons to 

 reply as have tried Album and Rubrum for at least two sea- 

 sons in the open border ; and then the locality in which they 

 succeeded or failed should be mentioned, I am aware that 

 many flower Rubrum in perfection out of doors, and so do I ; 

 but then the plants were in pots, and were artificially for- 

 warded before they were placed in the open border, and 

 without this assistance I have never found it to do any good. 

 Our damp atmosphere, moreover, too soon disfigures it with 

 black spots, and the flowers are but short lived, which I have 

 also found to*be the case with Album. 



While I cannot agree with many, however, in recommend- 

 ing these lilies as border-flowers, I am of opinion that they 

 deserve the most extensive cultivation as pot-plants. For 

 the conservatory or greenhouse they are decidedly the most 

 splendid of autumn flowers. Those who intend to procure 

 bulbs of the diff"erent varieties should do so when they are 

 dormant, for they then sufl'er least from the accidents com- 

 mon to travelling. If the bulbs are received in the pots in 

 which they have made their season's growth, shake the soil 

 from their roots, and repot them in fresh material, giving a 

 gentle watering to settle the soil, and place them in a cool 

 frame or greenhouse, where they may remain without further 

 attention until the beginning of March, by which time they 

 will be showing signs of activity, and may be moderately 

 supplied with water. I generally find the pots to be well 

 filled with roots towards the latter end of April ; and, when 

 such is the case, I carefully shift them into a pot which I 



VOL. XVIII. NO. VI. 33 



