CONVALLARIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



CONVALLARIA 



the first year's growth only, and 

 therefore require at least another 

 year's nourishment before they reach 

 the flowering stage. 



When planting, the crowns should 

 be placed from 3 to 4 ins. apart, and 

 it is best to put them in in straight 

 rows. Fine rich sandy loam and 

 leaf -mould, if possible, should be 

 worked in between the crowns, the 

 tops of which should be about 2 ins. 

 beneath the surface. Once properly 

 planted, a Lily of the Valley bed may 

 be left undisturbed for several years 

 until the plants are so obviously 

 overcrowded that replanting becomes 

 a necessity. To secure a good display 

 of blossom, it is advisable to give a 

 good mulching or top-dressing of 

 well-decayed manure every autumn 

 about September or October, when 

 the foliage has died down and is in a 

 rotting condition. When the plants 

 are coming into flower, a great 

 improvement in the purity of the 

 blossoms may be easily secured by 

 placing an old light or two over the 

 plants, to ward off the rains and 

 wind. A piece of thin canvas 

 stretched over them will answer the 

 same purpose. 



Many amateurs completely ruin 

 their stocks of Lily of the Valley by 

 the injudicious way they pick the 

 flowers. When picking these, the 

 stalks should be given a sharp up- 

 ward jerk. If leaves are also wanted, 

 it should be borne in mind that as 

 each plant usually has only two 

 leaves, at least one of these should 

 be left to carry on the work of assimi- 

 lation from the atmosphere. If both 

 leaves are cut from each plant, it is 

 impossible for a fresh store of atmo- 

 spheric food (carbonic acid gas) to 

 be secured hence the root-stocks 

 languish for nourishment, and are 

 unable to throw up any flower-stems 

 the following season. 



FORCING. Millions of crowns of 

 Lily of the Valley are forced into 

 early growth during the winter 

 months, to supply the constant 

 demands of the florist in the big 

 markets. The " crowns " are planted 

 almost side by side in boxes, pots, or 

 pans, in a finely sifted sandy compost, 

 the points being about level with the 

 top of the soil. They are plunged in 

 coco-nut fibre, ashes, or soil for a few 

 weeks until root action begins. They 

 are then brought into a dark chamber 

 with a moist atmosphere, and a 

 temperature of 80 to 100 F. during 

 the day and night. Abundance of 

 water is given, and in a short time 

 the leaves shoot up thin in texture 

 and yellowy in colour, and after them 

 the flower-stems. The plants are then 

 given a little more light each day to 

 develop the beautiful soft green eau 

 de Nil colour in the leaves, and in 

 from fourteen to twenty -five days 

 the pure white blossoms will be 

 developed under these conditions. 

 Both flower-stems and leaves, which 

 are much longer grown in this way, 

 are cut, and the forced and exhausted 

 root-stocks are thrown away, being 

 of no further value. This work of 

 forcing is carried on from November 

 till March and April, batches of 

 plants being placed in the forcing 

 chambers at different intervals, to 

 secure a proper succession. 



RETARDING. Just as great heat 

 and moisture start Lilies of the 

 Valley into premature growth in 

 winter, so the converse conditions 

 cold and dryness prevent the plants 

 from starting into growth. By means 

 of refrigerating apparatus, millions of 

 crowns of Lily of the Valley are kept 

 by trade growers at a temperature of 

 about 30 F. for as long as necessary 

 during the summer months. The 

 plants that would thus have natur- 

 ally bloomed in May and June are 



150 



