LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY 



LIME 



1879 



LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY (Convallaria majalis, which 

 see) is forced in large quantities in the United States 

 all the year round. It is native in Europe, where it 

 grows wild in the woods. It is grown and cultivated in 

 large quantities in Germany for the export trade and 

 is shipped to every country, millions reaching the 

 United States every season. 



The growing of lily-of-the-valley roots for the trade 

 is an important branch and is done in Germany by 

 experts. No effort and pains are spared to develop the 

 pips and to produce superior stock. They are planted 

 out in the open in the fall after the fields have been 

 well prepared, deeply plowed and heavily manured. 

 Every fall a certain field is planted and another taken 

 up. The average "valley" is grown three years in the 

 open field; but the best product is derived from a two- 

 year crop. The man who assorts his planting stock 

 carefully and does his growing better, raises the finest 

 "valley" in two years and gets the highest prices. 



Lily-of-the-valley propagates itself through runners 

 or suckers. In taking up a field in the fall, the pips are 

 assorted. The best ones are used for shipping, the 

 seconds and culls for home consumption and are forced 

 during the winter season. The runners are carefully 

 sorted out and are used for planting stock the next 

 year. They are planted in furrows about 1 foot apart, 

 covered with about 2 inches of soil. Later in the season 

 they should receive a top-dressing of rotted horse- and 

 cow-manure. However, when the soil is heavy, a top- 

 dressing of clean river sand should be applied. The 

 soil of the northern part of Germany is so fertile that 

 an application of sand acts as an amendment. These 

 top-dressings are repeated every winter. 



During the summer, the fields should be kept free 

 from weeds by hoeing and cultivating. In dry seasons 

 motor watering-wagons are used for sprinkling. The 

 utmost care should be given during the planting season 

 to protect the roots and keep them fresh and free from 

 mold. The many complaints in this country about 

 poor forcing results are usually traced to careless 

 handling at the time when the "valley" is harvested 

 and the stock is spoiled in storage. Good "valley" 

 pips should be strong and have plenty of fine fibrous 

 roots. This is very essential for forcing purposes, as 

 the "valley" does not root in the forcing-bed. If the 

 roots are spoiled or affected through mold, the plants 

 become worthless. The successful growing of lilies- 

 of-the-valley in the open field requires large acreage. 

 Different crops should be grown for three or four years 

 before lilies-of-the-valley are again planted in the 

 same field. It can not be grown successively on the 

 same ground, as the stock deteriorates and becomes 

 practically worthless. 



The forcing of lilies-of-the-valley is done mostly by 

 specialists in this country, where a steady supply is 

 kept up every day in the year for the cut-flower trade. 

 The importing is done in the fall, and on arrival in 

 this country the pips are placed in cold storage. 

 They keep best in a temperature of 28. After resting 

 two or three months, they are taken out as desired. 

 Cold storage lilies-of-the-valley are much more satis- 

 factory and should be grown at all times. They do not 

 require any special management nor strong forcing, 

 and do best at a temperature of 65. It hardly pays a 

 florist to force lilies-of-the-valley in small quantities 

 unless it is for home trade for the holidays, for basket- 

 work and in pots. The commercial success depends 

 on many things, and much money has been lost in this 

 country on lilies-of-the-valley. A successful grower 

 must know where his stock comes from and when to 

 grow the different kinds as grown abroad. For early 

 forcing it is best to have "valley" grown on light soil, 

 which forces easier; for late forcing and cold-storage 

 purposes, "valley" grown on heavier soil is to be 

 preferred. 



The specialist devotes separate houses to the forcing 



of lilies-of-the valley, where he is able to give the right 

 atmosphere and ideal conditions for successful growing. 

 Plant right in the benches, which are about 3^ feet 

 wide. Fill benches about 5 inches deep with clean 

 sand, not too fine. After planting, keep them well 

 watered all the time. For the first ten to fourteen days 

 keep them dark. For this purpose, the benches are 

 boxed in and covered with boards or cloths. Give light 

 gradually after the stalks are well up, and finally 

 remove the shade entirely in order properly to develop 

 the flowers, give them more substance, and color to 

 the foliage. It requires about three weeks properly to 

 force lilies-of-the-valley in a temperature of 68. 

 New "valley" requires a good bottom heat of about 

 70 to 75. Cold storage "valley" does not need any 

 bottom heat. After cutting, the flowers are placed in 

 the cooler over night and put up in bunches of twenty- 

 five for the market. They are mostly used for wedding 

 and corsage bouquets, and also for baskets and table- 

 decoration. 



Lilies-of-the-valley are hardy and are easily grown 

 in the garden. They require no special attention. 

 They are adapted for planting around shrubbery, 

 porches or shady places, where they come up every 

 season and bring an abundance of beautiful flowers. 



H. N. BRUNS. 



LIMATODES (perhaps from the Greek for meadow, 

 referring to the habitat of the plants). Orchidacese. 

 Similar to Calanthe, but the spurred labellum is not 

 adnate to the column but closely wrapped around it. In 

 Phaius, and in Calanthe also, the leaves are not articu- 

 lated to the stem and therefore wither on the plant 

 instead of falling. One species in India. 



After resting season of limatodes is over, say from 

 February to May, shake off the old potting material. If 

 plants are large, divide them and pot them moderately 

 tight. For the American climate, chop finely some good 

 turfy loam well mixed with old rotten cow-manure and 

 a little leaf-mold and sharp sand and place in a shaded 

 house, temperature 70 to 90. Do not water till roots 

 are well out, and sparingly till leaves are well started. 

 After that and during flower-sheath growth, they will 

 enjoy profuse waterings and spraying; water with weak 

 liquid at intervals of ten days or so, and every plant will 

 be a marvel of beauty. (Wm. Mathews.) 



rosea, Lindl. (Caldnthe rosea, Benth.). Pseudobulbs 

 4r-8 in. long, pyriform or fusiform, grooved: Ivs. 8-18 

 in. long, elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, plicate: scape 

 from the base of the pseudobulb, 12-18 in. long, slender, 

 bearing a many-fld. villous raceme; fls. large, rosy, 1^ 

 in. across; sepals ovate-lanceolate; petals oblong, acute; 

 lip 1^2 hi. long, with a large obovate-oblong midlobe; 

 base yellow, edged with scarlet. Jan. Burma. B.M. 

 5312. A hybrid of this species and Calanthe vestita, 

 Lindl., is common in cult, under the name Calanthe 

 Veitchii, Lindl., which see. It has been said that L. 

 rosea bore fls. as large as those of Calanthe Veitchii, and 

 more brilliant in color. HEINRICH HASSELBRING. 



LIME. The use of lime in agriculture antedates the 

 Christian era. In modern times it has been an indis- 

 pensable adjunct to potassic, phosphatic, and nitrog- 

 enous manures in restoring and maintaining the fer- 

 tility of immense areas of soil derived from sandstone, 

 granite, mica schist and certain shales and slates. Even 

 limestone soils sometimes become so lacking in lime 

 near the surface that they stand in great need of its 

 application. 



Without the use of lime, the wonderful transforma- 

 tion of Limousin in France, the sandy regions of 

 Germany, and particularly the reclamation of the sour 

 peat (Hoch-moor) soils of northern Germany would 

 have been difficult or impossible. Its great value has 

 also long been known in Scotland. 



It is now recognized that lime is greatly lacking in 



