LILIES AND THEIR WHIMS 277 



preach dense shade for this flower; possibly because 

 they prefer leaves to flowers, or else that they are of 

 the sheeplike followers of tradition instead of prac- 

 tical gardeners of personal experience. One thing 

 grows to perfection in the garden of this commuter's 

 wife, and that is lilies-of-the-valley, and shade knows 

 them not between eight in the morning and five at 

 night, and we pick and pick steadily for two weeks, 

 for as the main bed gives out, there are strips here and 

 there in cooler locations that retard the early growth, 

 but never any overhanging branches. 



In starting a wholly new bed, as you are doing, it 

 is best to separate the tangled roots into small bunches, 

 seeing to it that a few buds or, "pips" remain with 

 each, and plant in long rows a foot apart, three rows 

 to a four-foot bed. Be sure to bury a well-tarred plank 

 a foot in width edgewise at the outer side of the bed, 

 unless you wish, in a couple of years' time, to have this 

 enterprising flower walk out and about the surrounding 

 garden and take it for its own. Be sure to press the 

 roots in thoroughly and cover with three inches of 

 soil. 



In December cover the bed with rotten cow manure 

 for several inches and rake off the coarser part in April, 

 taking care not to break the pointed "pips" that will 



