BULBS 



49 



POTTING LILIUMS 



A, drainage; B, bulb in soil; C, space 

 for topdressing. 



main it may be said of them that they are easily grown, but they 



are not entirely without their likes and dislikes, with which the 



prudent grower will take care to make 



himself acquainted for their and his own 



benefit. Some like sun, and others shade. 



A few, while robust and hardy, do best 



when planted in such a position that they 



have spring shelter for their young growths. 



Some do best in peaty and others in loamy 



soil. These peculiarities will be pointed 



out in the present notes ; but first a few 



general remarks. 



Liliums that are to be grown in pots 



for greenhouse and conservatory decoration should have a rela- 

 tively deep and narrow pot provided for them, because they 



differ from most bulbs in producing a 

 mass of roots from the growing stem, 

 just above the bulb, and there should 

 be space for putting on top soil when 

 these roots come. Such pots are made, 

 but owing to the inconvenience of hav- 

 ing flower-pots of different shapes and 

 odd sizes, they are not often used. If 

 an ordinary flower-pot is employed the 

 grower must provide for the stem-roots 



TOPDRESSING LILIUMS 

 Top Left-hand Figure: Right Method.-A, in OnC f tWO WayS I by putting the 



pT\ f ^ tu i f; B ' w m " ro \J op bulb very low down in the pot, or by 



Right-hand Figure : Wrong Method. J J 



A, fine soil and lumps pressed down care- potting at the USUal level and placing 



lessly ; B, stem-roots broken. Bottom r 



Figure. A, A, space to be topdressed ; a high Collar inside the rim of the OOt 

 B, original compost. 



when the time arrives for applying fresh 



soil. The latter is the better plan. It is not desirable to put 

 the bulbs very low in the pots, because it brings them close to 

 the drainage, which contains very little nutriment for the lower 



