IN MY LADY'S GARDEN 



any rich food, and will be the better for several slight 

 mulches of old hot-bed material as they grow. 



These remarks do not, however, apply to the hardier 

 lilies of our gardens, such as the scarlet Turk's-cap lily 

 (L. chalcedonicum), the Madonna lily (L. candidum), and 

 others (easily distinguished by the absence of fibrous surface 

 roots), although in every case it is not desirable to plant the 

 bulbs in soil which contains fresh manure. 



A position which is slightly shaded, and at the same time 

 well drained, should be chosen for Japanese lilies in the gar- 

 den ; and if the soil should be a heavy clay, it will be neces- 

 sary to take special precautions to ensure thorough drainage. 

 A pit about 2 feet deep should be dug, laying 6 inches of 

 broken crocks at the bottom ; these can be covered with 

 ashes, and turfs, with their grass side downwards, should be 

 laid over the drainage, filling the hole to within 4 or 5 

 inches of the surface with turfy loam, fibrous peat, and leaf- 

 mould, with a liberal admixture of sand and charcoal, 

 especially just below the bulbs, the upper part of which 

 should be 4 inches below the surface when planted and 

 covered with the same compost. When put in during the 

 autumn it is necessary to add a conical pile of fine coal- 

 ashes over the bulbs, for the double purpose of protecting 

 them from the frost and preventing a settlement of water 

 above the bulb ; this is not so necessary at the present time, 

 as the bulbs will shortly begin to make growth, and are not 

 then in so much danger from moisture ; during a severe 

 frost, however, a covering of some sort should be given ; 

 a piece of glass raised on bricks 4 inches above the soil, or 

 a layer of litter, will be sufficient protection. Manure, 

 which keeps the surface wet, should never be used as a 

 mulch in winter, for it is the aim of the cultivator that the 

 soil should then be as dry (and, therefore, as warm) as 

 possible ; but when the first hungry roots appear on the 

 stem of the lily in May, it will be well to feed them with 

 rich material, which will then be of service in keeping the 

 surface cool and moist. Where a pile of ashes has been used 

 to cover the surface, this should be removed towards the end 



72 



