16 NOTES ON LILIES 



" I am not a little surprised to see the allusion made to the native 

 habitat of L. Wallicliianum. As I infer from the collector's notes, it 

 flourishes only in deep dells, and the temperature stated, viz., 120, would 

 certainly lead any one to doubt its hardiness. On this matter I am in a 

 position to give an opinion, as it has been planted out in these gardens for 

 above 16 years, and flowers every year. It has never had any protection 

 beyond the fact that its bulb is covered with about 6 inches of light peaty 

 soil. Although cultivated for so long, it is very shy of increase, possibly 

 six or seven represents the plants that I have been in a position to 

 distribute from it, and once I very nearly lost it through an endeavour to 

 divide what appeared to be a perfectly formed offset. This, as well as 

 the scarceness in its native locality, must render it, I fear, for many years 

 to come as rare in cultivation as it is beautiful. Permit me to add, that 

 hints from collectors are most valuable, and I trust and it is a feeling 

 which all cultivators of Lilies will heartily endorse that all similar 

 communications will be published. Take, for example, the value of the 

 hints as to L. Thomsonianum, with the culture of which I have never been 

 successful, never dreaming of a limestone gravel being the sine qua non" 

 James C. Niven, Hull Botanic Gardens. 



L. Thomsonianum. "Permit me to say, in answer to Mr. Mven's 

 remark about L. Thomsonianum, that flowering bulbs of this species can 

 be easily produced even without the sine qua non of limestone gravel. 

 The bulb of this plant is annually formed anew, the old one entirely 

 decays. This latter serves for some time as nourishment and support for 

 the shoot, which soon makes its growth independently from the decaying 

 bulb, and so much so that it nourishes even a quantity of small bulbs that 

 are produced between the scales of the newly forming and those of the 

 decaying bulb. These small bulbs are sometimes produced in such large 

 quantities that they cannot keep their first position, which is next the 

 root-stalk, but are driven onward, remaining, however, in connection with 

 the root-stock by a sort of navel string, and deriving, as it appears, their 

 nourishment from, and to the detriment of, the newly forming bulb. Now, 

 it is only necessary to look to the bulbs about now, or even later in the 

 season, to scratch off the soil round the bulb, and to cut off the old still 

 fresh scales, as well as the above described young bulblets, taking great 

 care not to hurt the root- stock and the leaves. This done once or twice 

 the bulb must be left to itself. In May begin to withhold gradually the 

 water, and the result will be that out often plants operated upon at least 

 five good flowering bulbs will be at hand, which, when the leaves get 

 withered, must be taken up and kept dry for two months." Max 

 Leiclitlin, Carlsrulie, Baden. 



" In regard to elevation much depends upon latitude and longitude, as 

 plants which are found in the North- Western Himalayas where the climate 

 at 5,000 and 6,000 feet of elevation is temperate, will extend their range 

 upwards to 8,000 and 9,000 feet in the warmer Eastern tracts of Nepaul 

 and Sikkim. First, then, as regards L. Roseum (Thomsunianum). The 

 elevation of its locality about Mussooree runs from about 5,000 to 6,000 

 feet on the outer or Southern spurs running down towards the plains. 

 The latitude about 26 N. The temperature of these slopes in March and 



