AND THEIE CULTURE. 207 



CHAPTER XII. 



ON COLLECTING AND PACKING 

 LILY BULBS. 



The time to collect Lilies is when the flowering season is just over, 

 the leaves then turn yellow and fall off, and the stems die down. It 

 is true (see p. 9) that Lilies, even when in flower and full growth, 

 may be moved carefully and safely from one spot to another ; but 

 then they must be planted at once, and encouraged to finish their 

 growth ; this might be safely done by collectors, if anxious to obtain 

 decisive information as to any unknown species, by flowering a few 

 roots more conveniently at a subsequent date ; for in this way, bulbs 

 may travel safely some distance, be replanted, and subsequently 

 bloom. But it would not answer to collect Lilies thus in bulk, with 

 a view to sending them a long journey ; they might, perhaps, travel 

 this way for a week without much damage, if carefully planted out 

 afterwards and well watered; but a longer journey would endanger 

 the flower, and probably do damage to the future growth. 



Bulbs that are to be sent a month's journey and upwards, must be 

 taken up when ripe as aforesaid, dried, but not to such an extent as 

 to become flabby : the soil between the scales should also be dry, and 

 therefore it is of importance, that the weather should be dry, when 

 the bulbs are dug up ; they should be handled tenderly to avoid bruises, 

 as fhese are a very fertile source of loss. It is well also, to expose the 

 bulbs to the sun for a few days only, thoroughly to ripen and dry 

 them; they then acquire a tinted colour, varying from yellow to 

 purple. The roots and stems should be cut off close to the bulb, and 

 a dry material prepared for packing. 



For a month's journey, sawdust, dry sphagnum moss, cocoa-nut 

 fibre, or a mixture of these, with powdered charcoal, or other dry 

 material will answer well, but for a two months' journey or upwards,, 

 this mode of packing is not safe. One object being to exclude light 

 and air, and thus paralyse, so to speak, the bulb and deprive it of all 

 vital action. 



With this view, earth thoroughly dried (or charcoal) has been often 

 used. A yellow volcanic earth has been much used in Japa,n by 

 packers, but we prefer the cooler natural light soil, as we think the 

 bulbs arrive in better order when packed in this. Charcoal has the 

 objection of being very dirty, and of disfiguring the bulb greatly. 

 We have unpacked bulbs in splendid order after two months' journey, 

 which had been packed in coarse oak sawdust, smelling very strongly 



