FIRST WEEK IN JULY 



and the beautiful pink lilies Krameri and rubellum ; and of 

 these the first mentioned is the hardiest and best known, 

 only requiring to be left alone in the garden from year to 

 year to form fine groups of its stately blossoms. This lily 

 will do well in city gardens, but the forcing to which it is 

 sometimes unfortunately subjected for decorative purposes is 

 very injurious to it, and whole districts have been affected 

 by an infectious fungoid disease, which is probably the result 

 of the unnatural conditions to which the plant has been 

 subjected, and the deprivation of its roots before the bulb is 

 purchased. Madonna lilies have no fibrous stem roots, and 

 depend entirely on their permanent lower roots, suffering 

 most severely when these are destroyed, so that these 

 should never be cut off or disturbed unnecessarily. Bulbs 

 from country districts free from the disease should be 

 planted as soon as they have blossomed, i.e., in July, taking 

 care to preserve the whorl of leaves which then appears at 

 the base of the stem, and, if possible, preserving the lower 

 half of this also until it has ripened away gradually. Diseased 

 bulbs are incurable, and should be burned at once, or they 

 may affect others. 



L. Harrisi, the Easter or Bermuda lily, as it is called, is 

 more safely forced for early bloom, where good whole bulbs 

 can be secured, with their roots uninjured in any way. But 

 this is difficult, except in the case of home-grown bulbs, and 

 these are the most desirable in every way, although there are 

 few horticulturists who supply them as yet ; and in private 

 gardens the bulbs are too often thrown away after they have 

 bloomed, when they should be carefully cultivated, giving 

 them plenty of sunshine, with enough water to prevent any 

 drooping, until the whole of the stem and foliage has 

 ripened off, gradually and thoroughly, for the leaves are 

 necessary to the plant whilst the important process of 

 maturing the blossoms for next season is going on in the 

 centre of the bulb, this process always taking place directly 

 after flowering. When all the greenery is gone, the bulb 

 should be kept fairly dry for a time, but never must it be 

 dust-dry, or the roots will shrivel and decay. During this 



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