FOURTH WEEK IN FEBRUARY 



of March, when the tender points of the lilies will be found 

 beneath them ; great care must, however, be taken that these 

 are not injured, and no spade should be used in removing 

 the ashes. 



The liliums which may now be planted mostly come from 

 Japan, but a few good hybrids of European origin may be 

 added. One of the best of these is L. testaceum, a hybrid 

 between the Madonna lily and the Turk's-cap, a pale yellow 

 flower of great beauty. L. Marhan, too, the result of 

 hybridisation between a white martagon lily and the yellow 

 variety of L. Hansoni, is remarkably handsome ; but the 

 golden lily of Japan (L. auratum), with its fine varieties, 

 plat yphy Hum and rubro-vittatum, is perhaps the most 

 popular of all, its grand blossoms filling the garden with 

 perfume. In fact, the fragrance of this flower is often too 

 strong for a room, and it should, therefore, be grown either 

 in the border, or in a pot or box, for the balcony, where all 

 the lilies here mentioned will do well. 



It is easy to plant the bulbs in pots or boxes on the same 

 lines as in the border, i.e., to lay good drainage and some 

 fibrous loam, &c., below them, and to place the bulb half- 

 way down the pot (which should be 8 or 9 inches across 

 at the top), only covering the bulb, however, with an inch 

 of the compost, and reserving the rest of the space for 

 repeated top-dressings, to be added later on. Ashes may 

 be used to protect the pots from frost and wet until April, 

 or they can be placed in a frame ; but they should not 

 be given much fire heat at any time, as this makes them 

 weakly, and they are sure to become a prey to aphides if 

 kept too warm. With regard to their water supply, it must 

 not be forgotten that, although but little moisture is needed 

 in winter (when the bulbs are more or less dormant), they 

 can scarcely have too much water when in growth ; liquid 

 manure, too, or soot- water, should be supplied when the buds 

 begin to appear, especially during dry weather. 



The beautiful crimson-spotted blossoms of L. speciosum 

 rubrum (of which the variety Melpomene is one of the finest) 

 contrast charmingly with the pure white satin and silver of 



73 



