366 



CONVALLARIA 



CONVALLARIA 



determined. It is essentially a shade-loving plant. 

 The species is C. majalis, Linn. R.H. 1886:84. Gn. 47, 

 p. 179; 52:1134 and p. 319 (the latter in fruit). A.F. 

 13:402. Gng 5:56-7. F.R. 2:4. G.C. III. 23:149 (var. 

 grandi flora ), Lowe, 42 (var. variegata). 



Lily-of-the-Valley is hardy, and is easily grown in 

 partially shaded places and moderately rich ground. 

 Old beds are liable to run 

 out. The roots and runners 

 become crowded, and few 

 good flower-stems are pro- 

 duced. It is best to replant 

 the beds every few years 

 with vigorous, fresh clumps, 



539. Lily-of -the- valley 

 pip. 



540. Raceme of 



Lily-of-the -valley. 



Natural size. 



which have been grown for the purpose in some 

 out-of-the-way place. Five or 6 strong pips, 

 with their side growths, planted close together, 

 will form a good clump in two years if not al- 

 lowed to spread too much. The mats of clean 

 foliage make attractive carpets under trees and 

 in other shady places. If the bed is made rich 

 and top-dressed every fall, it may give good re- 

 sults for 4 or 5 years ; and plants in such beds thrive 

 in full sunshine. One form has prettily striped foliage, 

 very ornamental in the early part of the season. Lilies- 

 of-the-valley bloom early in spring. They run wild in 

 many old yards, in cemeteries, and along shady road- 

 sides. There are double-fld. forms; also one (var. pro- 

 lificans) with racemes 2 ft. long. 



J. B. KELLER and L. H. B. 



Few cultivated plants give so much satisfaction at so 

 little cost as the Lily-of-the-Valley. It is one of our 

 earliest spring flowers. Its time of blooming is always 

 a subject of note to the household. It succeeds best in 

 partial shade, and may be planted in the wild garden 

 wirh good effect. It is especially appropriate for plant- 

 ing in irregular patches along the borders of wooded 

 drives. The Lily of-the-Valley is one of the few flowers 

 we seldom tire of. In and out of season, there is always 

 a demand for its flowers. Hundreds of thousands of 

 crowns are specially grown and matured in France, 

 Germany and Holland for early forcing. They are de- 

 tachod from the clumps, grown separately for two 

 years, sorted before shipment, and known as "pips." 

 Berlin pips are considered best for early forcing. They 

 usually come in bundles of 25, and to have them 

 force evenly it is considered essential to freeze them 

 for a week or two. This may be effected by leaving 



tham in the packing case, moss and all, in some open 

 shed, taking them out as required. They are often 

 placed in ice-houses, and frequently kept in cold stor- 

 age for summer use. In forcing, no new roots are 

 made. \n ordinary propagating bed, with bottom heat, 

 answers the purpose, and sand or sphagnum moss is 

 the plunging medium in most general use. The bundles 

 of crowns are given time to thaw out, the pips separa- 

 ted, and the crowns set in as thickly as possible. The 

 frame is covered to exclude light until growth com- 

 mences. The crowns are often put at once into a strong 

 bottom heat of 85 F. or thereabouts, but a better way 

 is to start with 50 and gradually increase the tempera- 

 ture. Batches intended for Christmas and New Year's 

 Day often fail because there has not been sufficient 

 preparation for the final high temperature. It is seldom 

 that any leaves appear, even if the flowers come. In 

 such cases, it is customary to put in a few leaf-eyes 

 from the clumps. Later and more carefully prepared 

 batches usually come well and with abundance of leaves, 

 without which the flowers lose half their charm. Bun- 

 dles of 25 pips are often potted in 6- or 7-inch pots, 

 for Easter sales. As the natural season approaches, 

 less preparation is required. The pots are usually set 

 under greenhouse benches, with a sprinkling of moss 

 over them, away from heating pipes, until some 

 growth is made, and afterwards finished in better light, 

 but not bright sunlight. Clumps are potted and treated 

 in the same way. As there is a large percentage of non- 

 blooming buds in the clumps, they lose in effectiveness. 

 There are rose-colored varieties, double varieties, and 

 varieties with foliage striped with white. 



T. D. HATFIELD. 



Millions of the single crowns, commercially called 

 "pips, "are grown on the European continent and ex- 

 ported for forcing. One English firm alone forces dur- 

 ing the year upwards of seven millions. We usually 

 receive the pips during the early part of November. 

 They should be unpacked at once, the best pips selected 

 for the earliest forcing, and the smallest kept for the 

 latest forcing. The pips are tied in bundles of 25. If 

 one forces a limited number, say 500 to 1,000 per week, 

 then put the bundles in 8- or 10-inch deep boxes, in 

 any quantity he may choose, place a little soil between the 

 bundles, and give them a good soaking. Then place 

 the boxes in a coldframe or some place where the rains 

 can be kept off this is important cover the tops of 

 pips with a few inches of hay or straw. Frost does not 

 hurt the pips in the least, but it is not essential. Never 

 try to force the newly imported pips before New Year's. 

 The cold storage pips are much best for the December 

 crop. In keeping them in cold storage they should be 

 removed from the frames and put into cold storage be- 

 fore there is the slightest movement of growth in the 

 spring. The boxes 

 should be covered 

 with slats, so that 

 one box can be 

 put on another, 

 or charge for stor- 

 age will be exces 

 sive. The tem- 

 perature should 

 be from 28 to 30 

 Fahr. 



The principal 

 thing in forcing 

 Lily-of-the-Valley 

 is to obtain a 

 strong bottom 

 heat with a cool 

 atmosphere. So, 

 to obtain this, the 

 bed for forcing 

 should have a 

 slate bottom with 

 6 inches of sand on it and be over some hot water 

 or steam pipes. The temperature of the sand should 

 be 80 to 90 and the atmosphere 50. As spring ap- 

 proaches less bottom heat will be needed. A copious 

 watering should be given the sand daily, but when the 

 bells are showing color they should not be wet. Keep a 

 covering of boards or cloth over the pips for the first 10 



541. Section of flower of Lily-of- 

 the-valley (X4). 



