LILIES, VALLEYS AND MONTBRETIAS 201 



at least four inches deep, and planting in sand, as suggested on page 

 187, is desirable. In sandy soil deeper planting is of advantage. But 

 under no consideration use green manure on lily beds or bulbs of any 

 description. If lilies are to be grown in beds for cutting, it is con- 

 venient to make them about three feet wide and as long as desire'd. 

 But rather a better effect can be secured by planting in clumps with 

 perhaps a dozen bulbs of each variety in a clump by itself. It is better 

 to have fewer kinds and mass them in this way than to have only one 

 or two each of many kinds scattered here and there. The lilies 

 look well and are protected from the winds if planted against shrub- 

 bery background with tall trees south of them, so that they are on 

 the northern exposure this suggestion being of increasing value in 

 the hotter parts of the state. As the bulbs are deep, the surface of the 

 bed may be lightly forked between growths, and surface application 

 of well rotted manure made from time to time. After flowering the 

 beds will need little water if thus protected from surface baking. 



Lily of the Valley. Lily of the Valley is considered very difficult 

 to grow except under artificial conditions of moisture and shade, such 

 as can be had under glass. In the central coast district fairly satis- 

 factory results can be had with lilies of the valley grown on the east 

 side of buildings, fences, etc., while they would fail if placed on the 

 south and west sides of these barriers, where the springtime heat may 

 become very high and the air very dry. The bulbs or roots come in 

 two distinct conditions, in single crowns, called pips, and in clumps. 

 The pips are imported for forcing purposes, and they probably cannot 

 successfully be forced without artificial heat, and even under this treat- 

 ment they are first subjected to a freezing point. This makes the pips 

 not very satisfactory to the amateur, and, although thousands are sold 

 annually to amateurs on account of their cheapness, disappointment 

 is general. Clumps are necessary to insure success to the amateur. 

 They flower in due time and if bedded out in a sheltered, partially 

 shaded situation, with proper care they can readily be established and 

 produce their flowers from year to year. But they must not be allowed 

 to dry up completely; they must receive at least a moderate supply of 

 water throughout the entire summer season. 



Montbretias. Montbretias, or perhaps more properly tritonias, are 

 a very easily grown and satisfactory plant with foliage resembling a 

 gladiolus and flowers of similar style, but small and because of yellow 

 and reddish coloring, very showy in contrast with the light green 

 leaves. The small bulbs are planted early in the rainy season, the plant 

 starts in early spring and makes a midsummer bloom. The bulbs 

 multiply with great rapidity and clumps or rows rapidly widen. The 

 plant needs ample summer moisture or the foliage becomes rusty and 

 unhandsome even before the bloom appears. 



