LILY OF THE VALLEY. 429 



cents each. The clumps of roots, or the single erowna 

 are usually imported, these giving better bloom than 

 home-grown stock. 



Single crowns are preferable to clumps, as they produce 

 more flower, and bloom equally all over the pot. 



The crowns should be potted firmly in any soil (for they 

 will not make much root), the roots being cut off to within 

 two inches of the crown, at equal distances, in pots, pans, 

 or boxes. Keep the crown above the soil, as otherwise the 

 plants come up irregularly, and an even surface of bloom is 

 to be desired. 



Place the pots in a cold-frame, and give moderate water- 

 ing. It is a good plan to cover the crowns with a layer of 

 sphagnum moss, as thus they swell evenly, and to keep 

 them covered until they begin to develop. 



Bring them gradually into heat, and plunge them in bot- 

 tom-heat in a close frame, say from 80 to 90. They will 

 stand any amount of bottom-heat, and may be forced into 

 bloom in three weeks, but if forced too rapidly there will 

 be all bloom and no foliage. This is desirable for cutting, 

 but for beauty both flower and foliage should be produced 

 together, and to do this the plants must be forced gradu- 

 ally. 



It is a good plan to let the pots be exposed to frost be- 

 fore beginning the forcing, as thus the flower is much finer. 



