LILIUM 



LILIUM 



915 



this disease than the Japan species. The disease is com- 

 mon in our wild Lilies and is sometimes found on them 

 in their natural habitat. In cultivation the disease often 

 ruins flowers, foliage and the stalks of L. Canadense 

 without seeming to affect the bulbs. It is common on L. 

 candidum, and we now seldom find bulbs entirely free 

 from it. The Bordeaux mixture has been found bene- 

 ficial in fighting the Lily disease, but the best results 

 are attained by using it as a preventive, applying it to 

 the foliage before any blight appears. 



In planting new bulbs, it is well to use ground that 

 has not had Lilies for some years. All stalks and foli- 

 age affected by blight should be removed and burned, 

 and blighted bulbs and scales, especially such as are 

 worthless from decay, should be burned, as these may 

 help to propagate the disease. 



As a rule, Lilies like a rich soil, but it seems to be the 

 general opinion of all who have had experience in grow- 

 ing them that manures (particularly fresh manures) 

 should not be allowed to come in contact with the bulbs. 

 Many advocate the application of all manures as a 

 mulch, letting the rains carry down their fertilizing in- 

 gredients. When the enrichment is not allowed to come 

 in contact with the bulbs, but is placed within the reach 

 of the extended roots from the bulb, well composted 

 manures seem not injurious. Lilies, as a rule, do better 

 when set at considerable depth. They seem to resist 

 drought better, and the bulbs are no doubt kept cooler 

 in hot weather. Most Lilies throw out many roots along 

 their stems between the top of the bulb and the surface 

 of the soil, and deep setting is rather necessary to this 

 root-growth. Deep spading should go with deep setting, 

 and it is not too much to say that the ground should be 

 spaded twice as deep as the bulbs are placed. Sphagnum 

 moss has been found beneficial to some species. Among 

 such are L. auratum and candidum. Two or three inches 

 of the fresh moss may be placed under the bulbs. It 

 has been used with success under others, and is espe- 

 cially good for L. testaceum. 



Lilies are propagated from seed, from scales and from 

 offsets. With one or two exceptions, the production of 

 bulbs from seed is a very tedious process. Several spe- 

 cies seldom, if ever, produce seed in this country. 

 Among these maybe mentioned L. candidum, speciosum, 

 testaceum, maculatum, Brownii, tigrinum, Chalcedoni- 

 cum, and some varieties of elegans. Some species, such 

 as L. auratum, seldom germinate until the second sum- 

 mer after planting. L. tenuifolium is, however, an ex- 

 ception to most species, for not only does the seed ger- 

 minate the first year, but it is not rare for some of the 

 bulbs to bloom the second summer. 



In growing Lilies from scales, it is a good plan to re- 

 move outside scales from strong bulbs when quite ripe 

 or in early spring, and plant these scales where they 

 will be kept moist and warm. They generally change 

 into bulblets the first season and make a fairly good 

 growth by the second autumn. If well cared for they 

 are large enough to sell by autumn of the third season. 

 Lilium tigrinum, bulbiferum and sulphureum have 

 bulblets in the axils of their leaves, which, if gathered 

 as soon as mature, may be planted, and with good care 

 usually bloom the third or fourth year. In many other 

 kinds offsets form along the stems beneath the surface 

 and down to the bulb, which, when planted out, make 

 good bulbs in about 3 years. 



Lilium longiflorum, Maximowiczii , especially the red 

 variety, and most of the varieties of elegans, have a 

 large number of offsets along their stems under the sur- 

 face of the ground. The number is larger in seasons 

 when plenty of rain comes during their growth than in 

 dry seasons. L. candidum is set with best results as 

 soon as the foliage begins to turn in August; and it is 

 at this same season that its scales should be planted for 

 propagation. When good, healthy scales of this species 

 are planted out early, they usually change the same 

 autumn into bulbs, and most of them will send up leaves 

 before winter. F . H< HOKSFORD. 



LILIES IN CANADA. Some of the species generally 

 recommended for garden culture as hardy do not stand 

 at Ottawa. Those that have failed are L. candidum, 

 (of late years from disease), Krameri, cordi folium , 

 speciosum, Kroetzeri, Canadvnse, Harrisii, auratum, 

 and vars.picfwm, platyphyllum, hyemale, Wittei. Those 



that have held their own, but have not increased, are 

 L. Maximowiczii, pomponium, Pyrenaicum, elegans 

 semi-pleno and elegans incomparabile. Those that have 

 increased and been perfectly hardy are L. *longi- 

 flortim, * Brownii , *croceum, *Batmannice, %Wallacei, 

 maculatum, *Dahuricum, elegans and vars. *citrinum 

 and others, L. *tigrinum, tigrinum, var. Fortunei and 

 flore-pleno, L. speciosum vars. '^alburn, *roseum, rubrum 

 and *Melpomene, L. *Martagon, *superbum, *pardali- 

 num, ^'testaceum, * pomponium. Those starred (*) are 

 the most satisfactory. It would be well to warn growers 

 that in the average garden L. aiiratum, in all its varie- 

 ties, will not last more than 2 or 3 years without renew- 

 ing. Some of the more expensive varieties flower only 

 once. 



An important characteristic of Lilies is perfume, a 

 point in which they differ very much. It is very strong 

 in L. candidum, longiflorum and the auratums, and 

 the atmosphere is full of the delicious odor on a quiet 

 evening. It is fainter in L. testaceum, and rank in 

 L. croceum and related species, and a positive stench 

 in L. pomponium almost unendurable in the garden 

 and unbearable in the house. Beautiful as L. pom- 

 ponium is in color and habit, the odor outweighs these 

 good points, and makes it undesirable and not to be 

 recommended. R. 3. WHYTE. 



THE EASTER LILY. In North America a tall and 

 large-flowered form of Lilium longiflorum, and one that 

 can be readily forced in a relatively high temperature, 

 has come to be known as the Easter Lily. This variety 

 was introduced from Bermuda. About 1875, a Philadel- 

 phia woman, in returning from Bermuda, brought with 

 her two Lilies in bloom and presented them to a local 

 florist. The bulbs were increased to one hundred in the 

 next three or four years, when the plants were seen by 

 W. K. Harris, an enterprising Philadelphia florist. The 

 earliness of blooming and prolificacy of the bulbs were 

 striking features, and led to their purchase by Mr. 

 Harris. In 1882, the Lily was introduced under the 

 name Lilium Harrisii. It had been exhibited previously 

 in New York and Philadelphia, where its early flowering 

 brought it into prominent notice. While the Lily was. 

 being increased prior to its introduction, other florists 

 who had seen it were gathering bulbs in Bermuda and 



1278. Lilium Japonicum (X%). 



endeavoring to secure a stock. In 1882, it was also in- 

 troduced by a Philadelphia florist under a long Latin 

 name, and later by a New York florist as the Ber- 

 muda Easter Lily. Practically all of the names except 

 Lilium Harrisii have been discarded. To botanists it 

 is known as L. longiflorum, var. eximium. The dis- 

 tinguishing trait of L. Harrisii and this gives it its 

 emphatic commercial value is its power to stand a 

 high temperature, allowing it to be forced into bloom. 



