SEPTEMBER 175 



in their later stages the soil should be no nearer 

 than an inch to the top of the pot, and the crown 

 of the bulb may be about the same distance below 

 the surface of the soil, which should have plenty 

 of sand in it, and if convenient some leaf mould 

 also. Those bulbs which are the strongest will 

 generally be the first to start, and the weaker 

 ones will be later, so that, broadly speaking, their 

 value for the future may be gauged by their willing- 

 ness to shoot. When top-growth has begun they 

 must have plenty of light, and should be kept close 

 to the glass, or they will become uncomfortably 

 tall. As they get to maturity they will be attacked 

 by aphis, but the horror of this and other insect 

 pests departed with the invention of the X-L All 

 fumigator. There need not be so much as a spider 

 in the greenhouse in these happy days. 



It is no use to grudge the spending of money 

 over Harris lilies ; the most expensive must be 

 bought, for good ones cannot be had cheap. The 

 best I ever saw were grown in an amateur's green- 

 house of the very smallest dimensions ; they bore 

 from ten to thirteen blooms on a stem, and the 

 happy grower of them had given carte blanche to 

 Messrs. Protheroe and Morris to send him from 

 their auction-rooms the finest bulbs that could be 

 had, irrespective of price. Harris lilies will bear 

 a considerable amount of forcing if required, but 

 the ordinary gardener will flower them in March 

 and April. 



The bulk of winter bulbs may be planted either 

 in September or in October, as best suits the 

 gardener. I think the wisest plan is to get them 



