MAY 75 



The lily disease has attacked most of the 

 Madonna lilies again this year. I see that certain 

 authorities who have studied the disease, which 

 they call Botrytis cinerea, say that it is caused 

 by a fungus closely related to that of the potato 

 disease. The large spores produce other spores 

 with hair-like tails, which can sail about in water. 

 No remedy is known for the plague, and the only 

 thing to be done when a plant is affected is to 

 cut the stem down and burn it, to prevent con- 

 tamination to others. I believe that if the bulbs 

 are taken up when they are ripe and kept in a 

 bag with flour of sulphur for a little time before 

 replanting, they will be likely to resist the disease 

 the following year. It has been stated that this 

 disease attacks only those lilies which have been 

 imported ; certainly it is the case that a few of mine 

 which came some years since from a cottage garden 

 have never suffered from it, while others bought 

 from various salesmen have been struck down year 

 after year, and never seem safe. 



One of the last duties of the month is the 

 arranging of hanging baskets for the sheltered 

 entrance to the house which is always dignified 

 by the name of verandah. Departure from con- 

 ventional arrangements for these is not desirable ; 

 I have tried many and have failed in every one. 

 And, after all, there is nothing more suitable for 

 these baskets than the common pelargonium with 

 hanging sprays of blue lobelia, or tendrils of ivy 

 pelargoniums. These things are in their right 

 position for the summer season when they are used 

 to fill tubs and baskets, where they never look out 



