LILIUM 



THE BULB BOOK 



LILIUM 



growers, the latter being particularly 

 partial to such kinds as L. longi- 

 Jlorum, L. speciosum (or laneifolium), 

 L. tigrinum, and L. candidum. The 

 bulbs are placed in pots about twice 

 their own diameter, the compost used 

 being chiefly good turfy loam with a 

 little peat or leaf-mould, and sand. 

 Root action is established before 

 much heat is applied, but afterwards 

 the temperature is raised to hasten 

 growth. When the plants have ceased 

 to flower, they should be plunged 

 outside in ashes or soil, and kept 

 dryish, and when quite withered 

 should be stored in a cool airy place 

 till spring. The bulbs should then 

 be shaken out of the old soil, and 

 repotted in fresh compost. At the 

 same time all offsets should be placed 

 apart for increasing the stock if 

 necessary. 



There is now a very large trade 

 done in imported bulbs by market- 

 growers, and they never worry about 

 propagation. The bulbs, however, 

 are not all grown at one time. Some- 

 times they are forced into early 

 growth by heat, if wanted during the 

 winter months. At other times they 

 are kept in check or "retarded" in 

 refrigerators, and taken out in 

 batches as required; while still 

 another section may be grown on 

 under what may be called natural 

 conditions. 



PROPAGATION. Liliums may be 

 propagated by (i.) offsets from the 

 older bulbs ; (ii.) by bulb scales ; (iii.) 

 by bulbils or vegetative seed-like 

 bodies in the axils of the leaves of 

 some species, e.g., L. bulbiferum and 

 L. tigrinum ; and (iv.) by seeds. The 

 first three methods are easy enough. 

 The offsets, scales, or bulbils should 

 be placed in beds of rich sandy and 

 well-drained soil, or in pots or pans 

 if there are only small quantities. 

 It will take the scales and bulbils 



from two to three years to reach the 

 ilowering stage, but good offsets may 

 develop more quickly. 



As many species of Lilium deterior- 

 ate in our climate and are apt to die 

 out altogether in time, it is a good 

 practice to save seeds when possible, 

 and raise plants from them. In this 

 way a new and acclimatised race 

 may be produced that would be 

 likely to last longer than their 

 progenitors. The seeds, when 

 thoroughly ripe should be sown in 

 pots or pans of rich gritty loam and 

 leaf -soil, and covered with about ^ in. 

 of mould. They should be placed in 

 a cold frame or greenhouse, and in 

 due course, when the seedlings are 

 large enough to handle easily, they 

 may be carefully pricked out into 

 similar pots or pans, or even into 

 gritty soil in a cold frame. The soil 

 must always be kept moist when the 

 seedlings are growing, otherwise the 

 newly forming bulblets may suffer 

 beyond recall. It will take from five 

 to ten or eleven years to obtain 

 flowering bulbs from seed. 



There are a few hybrid Liliums 

 (noted below), but not so many as 

 there might be. No doubt as time 

 goes on, greater attention will be 

 devoted to developing a new race. 



Imported bulbs often arrive in a 

 more or less injured or diseased 

 condition. These should be over- 

 hauled immediately, separating the 

 sound bulbs from the diseased or 

 injured ones. All good bulbs may 

 be planted immediately ; shrivelled 

 ones are best stored in dampish coco- 

 nut fibre for some time, until they 

 " plump up " ; but all diseased portions 

 should be burned. 



The following is a list of Liliums in 

 cultivation at present : 



L. Alexandras (L. Uke-Uri}. Sup- 

 posed to be a natural hybrid between 

 L. longiftorum or L. jap&nicum and 



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