88 THE BOOK OF THE LILY 



plants, rendering them very prone to the attacks of the 

 fungus. 



There is much to be said in favour of this theory, but 

 on the other hand, one often sees perfectly healthy plants 

 with uninjured leaves at flowering time growing in 

 cottage gardens in the eastern counties where the cold 

 winds in spring and early summer are notorious. 



Other observant growers assert as their opinion that 

 the disease has been brought about by over manuring, 

 and to support this theory they instance the fact that the 

 White Lily is seen to greatest perfection and without 

 disease in cottage gardens in which no manure is ever 

 put on or in the soil. 



The fact that the disease has been more rife since the 

 White Lily has been imported and grown more largely 

 for flower markets and in large private gardens than 

 formerly tends rather to support the over manuring 

 theory. 



The writer of this book is of the opinion that the 

 fungus disease is the result of the weakening of the 

 constitution of the Lilies by cold, and over-stimulation 

 by manuring, as similar instances of diseases in other 

 plants are explainable in this way. 



The White Lily and its very near relative or progeny, 

 L. testaceum, are most liable to this fungus disease, but L. 

 auratum, L. chalcedonicum, L. croceum and others are 

 attacked also. 



Various remedies for the White Lily disease have been 

 suggested. One is to syringe the plant with a dilution 

 of potassium sulphide, two ounces dissolved in three 

 gallons of water. Another is to sprinkle or dust the 

 foliage with flowers of sulphur, but in most cases such 

 remedies, though they may arrest the spread of the 

 disease do not eliminate it or restore the plant to healthy 

 vigour when once badly attacked. Some growers 

 sprinkle powdered sulphur on the bulbs thickly before 



