30 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Jan. 



The New Japan Lilies. 



These Lilies are, we think, without excep- 

 tion, the richest floral gems that modern zeal 

 and research after novelty has hrought to notice. 

 Combining the most striking and beautiful com- 

 bination of colors, with an exquisite perfume, 

 and at the same time being of the most easy cul- 

 tivation, either in the open border, or in pots in 

 the house, they must become universal favorites. 

 In the winter of 1846 we obtained from Col. 

 Wilder, of Boston, the President of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Horticultural Society, who has the 

 finest collection in this country, a few bulbs of 

 several species, (album, punctatum, and several 

 of his own hyhrids,) and although the bulbs were 

 small, and had made some growth when they 

 were taken out of the pots and sent us, yet we 

 had a splendid show of flowers in July and Au- 

 gust. The novelty and beauty of these flowers 

 excited the surprise and admiration of all who 

 saw them, and has done something towards intro- 

 ducing them in this section. The high price of 

 the bulbs as yet prevent many from purcliasing ; 

 but, being easily propagated, in a variety of 

 ways, and from the competition that exists among 

 commercial growers, we may expect the price, 

 in a few years to be greatly reduced. The fol- 

 lowing excellent remarks on their character and 

 culture, from the pen of Col. Wilder, appeared 

 in the first number of the current volume of the 

 Horticulturist : 



The Lily, from time immemorial, has been 

 the theme of the poet, and the subject of sweet 

 allusions by men of taste and learning ; fre- 

 quently and beautifully is it referred to in the 

 Scriptures, for its exquisite fragrance and love- 

 liness, and for magnificence, Divine authority 

 has declared " that Solomon, in all his glory, 

 VfdiS not arrayed like one of these." 



It is not my purpose, at present, to inquire 

 whether the species or variety thus sublimely 

 spoken of, was the Ldly of the Valley, belonging 

 to the genus Convallaria, as some have supposed ; 

 the Lilium candidum, of Pliny, or the splendid 

 tribe with which this chapter is introduced to 

 the notice of your readers. 



Of the many remarkable plants imported into 

 Europe, within the last half century, few can 

 claim such a pre-eminence for beauty as the 

 Lilies discovered bv Dr. Von Siebold, during 

 his researches in Japan, in the years 1831 to 

 1833 ; and it is no exaggeration to state, that 

 none have since been introduced, more deserv- 

 edly popular, or more highly attractive. 



Dr. VoN Siebold informs us, in his Flora 

 Japonica, that he brought with him from Japan, 

 more than twenty kinds of Lilies, the most con- 

 spicuous of which, however, are the JJlium spe- 

 ciosum, (sometimes called rubrum,) the L. Ian- 

 eifolium album, and the L. lancifolium puncta- 



tum, or rosewn. All these have reflexed petals, 

 and may be briefly described as follows : 

 LILIUM SPECIOSUM. 



Shoioy Crimson Japan Lily. 



Flower, ground color, clear rose, shading to 

 white, covered with numerous projections of 

 bright crimson, and which gives it the appear- 

 ance, as Di-. Lindley remarks, of being " all 

 rugged, with rubies and garnets and crystal 

 points;" a plant of two to three feet in height. 



LILIUM LANCIFOLIUM ALBUM. 



White Lance-leaved Lily. 



Flower, pure virgin white, crested with the 

 same peculiar projections as the former species, 

 but these are without color, and which may be 

 compared to frost work and snowy stalactites ; 

 grows to the height of three or four feet. 



LILIUxM LANCIFOLIUM PUNCTATUM, OR ROSEUM. 



Spotted Lance-leaved Lily. 



Flower large, white ; the petals studded with 

 pale rose or blush projections, and beautifully 

 spotted with rose-color. The plant is of more 

 robust habit than either of the sorts named above, 

 often attaining to the height of four or five feet. 



The virgin whiteness of the album, the roseate 

 leopard-like spotting of the jmnctatum, and the 

 jewel-like brilliancy of the speciosum, all redo- 

 lent with the fragrance of Arabian spices, will 

 ever render these, objects of especial favor and 

 admiration, and place them among the very 

 choicest plants of the conservatory or flower 

 garden. 



Hybrids. — The strong development of the sta- 

 mens and pistils of the Lily tribe, almost directly 

 invites the skill of the cultivator to cross impreg- 

 nations. A multitude of seedlings have been 

 produced in this way, from these Japan Lilies. 

 In my own collection, I have now about 150 

 in bud, from which it is hoped some good and 

 distinct varieties may be obtained. Of the seed- 

 lings that have already bloomed, those raised 

 from L. speciosum, fertilized by L. L. Album, 

 and from L. L. album, by L. speciosum, have 

 been almost identical in character with the for- 

 mer red species, varying only in the petals dis- 

 playing a clearer delineation of the white. All 

 efforts to interbreed these with Lilium candidum, 

 (common mnie Lily,) L. tigrinum, L. Phila- 

 delphicum, L. superbum, and L. Canadense, 

 have proved abortive. 



Soil. — In cultivating these new Lilies, the 

 following soil will be found thoroughly adapted : 

 Two parts from an old hot-bed, composed of 

 leaves and horse manure, at least two years old ; 

 one part rotten sods, or any good mellow loam ; 

 one part sandy peat ; [if not sandy it will be 

 well to add a little sand.] 



Potting and shifting the bulbs. — About the 

 middle of January, these will commence vege- 

 tating, when they should be potted in small pots, 

 repotting or shifting them to a larger size every 

 two months, or as often as the pots are filled with 



