68 THE BOOK OF THE LILY 



until the seeds germinate ; this keeps the soil in an 

 equable state of moisture. 



The seed pans or pots should be clean and well 

 drained, and filled to within an inch of the rim with a 

 mixture of equal parts of loam and peat and about a 

 fourth part of silver sand. 



On this the seed should be scattered evenly and 

 covered with from one-third to half an inch of the same 

 soil. An ordinary unheated garden frame is the best 

 place for the seed pans. 



Seeds of some kinds of Lilies sown in the summer 

 germinate the following spring, seeds of others lie 

 dormant much longer. In the case of young seedlings 

 raised in pots or pans they may be planted out in a well- 

 dug and sheltered border, free from weeds, the second 

 year, and shaded by branches stuck in so as to shade 

 slightly, but not exclude light. 



The raising of Lilies from seed requires a good deal 

 of patience, as the time the seedling bulbs attain flower- 

 ing size varies from three to seven years or longer. 



Propagation by bulb scales is largely carried out in 

 the case of some Lilies. 



There are not many Lilies that cannot be increased to 

 a greater or lesser extent in this way. Some, such as 

 L. candidum, L. dauricum, L. tcstaceum, L. croceum, L. 

 auratum, L. longiflorum produce young bulbils freely not 

 only from the bases of the scale, but often from the 

 edges that is, if placed under conditions favourable to 

 their production. 



To obtain scales from which to propagate, the bulbs 

 at the lifting period should have such of the scales 

 removed as can be taken away from the parent bulb 

 without much injury to the bulbs. 



The scales should be treated in the same way as 

 seeds ; the young plants will in most cases make their 

 appearance in less time than the seedlings. 



