PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



development of the flowers, but by first bringing them 

 into a cool shed or cellar, and sprinkling them enough 

 to keep them moist, and keeping in this position for a 

 week, then placing them in heat, a saving of nearly half 

 the time in bringing them into bloom will be made. 

 This plan is but little known ; one of our best growers 

 having found it out by accident a few years ago. He 

 now practices it entirely, with the best results saving 

 five or six days in time in getting forward each batch. 

 Lily-of-the- Valley flowers are now obtained every month 

 in the year, by placing the roots, when they arrive, in 

 "cold-storage" warehouses. Where the temperature is 

 being kept just above the freezing point, the roots can be 

 kept dormant for twelve months, if desired. In this dor- 

 mant condition they are taken out of the cold storage, 

 placed in the necessary heat, and forced into flower at 

 pleasure. Many other kinds of Bulbs could be retarded 

 in this way, only that in all other cases except the Lily- 

 of-the- Valley, Bulbs so retarded would require to be 

 placed outside to form young roots, in the manner 

 already described, before they could be forced into flower, 

 but in the case of the Lily-of-the- Valley roots, this is not 

 necessary. 



Lilium Harrisi, or Bermuda Easter Lily, was intro- 

 duced into general cultivation about 1878 ; there is some 

 question whether it is a " sport" from the old Lilium 

 longiflorum or Trumpet Lily, or whether long years of 

 cultivation in the congenial climate of Bermuda has so 

 changed the nature of the plant as to give it the wonder- 

 ful free flowering properties it possesses. I am inclined 

 to think the variety is distinct from L. longiflorum, for 

 it is not only much more prolific in flowering, but the 

 flowers are wider and the whole plant more robust, a re- 

 sult not to be expected from any temporary cultivation in 

 a climate, no matter how congenial. The rules for the 

 cultivation of the Bermuda Easter Lily are almost iden* 



