i8o The Flower Garden [Chapter 



conditions, provided there is sufficient room between 

 the plants for the Lilies to increase from year to year, 

 as once planted they should not be disturbed. If the 

 Lily-bed is to be by itself an angle of a building, or a 

 portion of the grounds protected by trees, or adjacent 

 shrubbery, on the west and north, should be chosen. 

 Such a site, if well drained, will give good results. 

 The bed should be dug deep and mellow, and enriched 

 with old, well-rotted manure. Strict attention must 

 be paid to this point only old, well-decomposed 

 manure must be used. The bed should be sufficiently 

 rounded to shed water. Lilium candidum will be 

 ready to ship in August, and should be planted as soon 

 as received. All Lilies are greatly injured by expos- 

 ure to air, and if it is necessary to keep them out of 

 the ground for any length of time they should be well 

 wrapped in tissue-paper, or otherwise protected. The 

 Japanese protect their great auratum Lily bulbs from 

 the air by encasing them in a ball of clay before start- 

 ing them on their long journey to the far West. Can- 

 didum Lilies make a fall growth of leaves, and must 

 be planted early; no other Lily is as hardy and satis- 

 factory with us as this. They should be planted four 

 inches deep and a foot apart each way, that they may 

 have room to increase, and left undisturbed for years. 

 The soil may be made very rich with manure, but 

 none of it should touch the Lily bulbs. Make a hole 

 of sufficient depth and size, put an inch or more of 

 sand on the bottom, place the bulbs on this and fill 



