12 NOTES ON LILIES 



Marmoratum opened ; on 28th, Monadelphum ; on 30th, Bulbiferum. 

 Our earliest Auratum opened out-of-doors, June 17th: on a light soil 

 this species blooms early : in August our Auratum, planted on heavy 

 land, came into bloom, and continued till December. Taken up and 

 potted before being injured by the frost, Auratum might easily be 

 bloomed up to Christmas under glass. A bed of 500 Longiflorum 

 came into bloom July 12th, and remained with us a mass of beauty, 

 the admiration of all beholding it, till Sept. 4th, when but three or 

 four blooms were left. These bulbs (in light soil) increased 500 per 

 cent. July 15th, Concolor came out with its charming red star 

 shaped flowers; it also remained for about six weeks in bloom, 

 admired by every visitor : Auratum, Tigrinum, and the Spedosum 

 group then came into flower and continued through the autumn to 

 afford us 50 or 60 flowers a day for decoration. The largest Auratum 

 we opened measured 13 inches from tip to tip of petals when expanded 

 to the full, but the extreme diameter of the cup as naturally open, 

 was only 8 inches, the depth of the cup measured 5 indies, the length 

 of a single petal 6| inches, breadth 2 inches. 



A few remarks about the growth of Lilies and their reproduction 

 may be acceptable. 



Lily seed, if sown directly it is gathered in the autumn may 

 appear the next spring, but generally it requires two seasons to 

 germinate when sown out-of-doors. The following directions by 

 Mr. Falconer may be useful. 



' ' Good flowering bulbs can be obtained from home-saved seed in 

 three or four years ; but for seed-producing the plants are better 

 grown in pots. Sometimes they set freely without assistance, but it 

 is perhaps the surest way to assist them by fertilization. The plants 

 grown in borders also produce seed pods, but, unless in the extreme 

 south of England, and a few other favoured localities, they commonly 

 fail to ripen the seed. The seeds may be sown in pots or pans of 

 peaty soil in early spring, the pots being placed on back shelves of a 

 greenhouse, pit, or cold frame, and near the glass. In these pots the 

 seedlings may be allowed to remain the first year. Next spring pot 

 them singly in large sixties or forty-eight sized pots, according to the 

 strength of the bulbs ; keep them in the greenhouse or frame 

 during the spring, but they may be placed outside on pieces of 

 slate or beds of ashes in summer. After being wintered like the 

 older ones, some may require another shift, and some may remain in 

 their last year's pots, with the assistance of a top-dressing. Their 

 summer treatment may be like the last. The next season some of 

 the plants may flower ; but if strong bulbs are the object, pick off 

 the flower buds, and increase instead the vigour and strength of the 

 leaves. They should be wintered as usual, and planted out in the 

 reserve grounds in beds or in nursery lines on a dry day in February.* 

 * Perhaps better in October. 



