160 THE LILY. 



lished species or varieties : by seed alone, new hybrid varie- 

 ties are produced. The culture of the lily is very simple. 

 Most of the species like a deep, rich soil, enriched with well- 

 rotted manure ; but care must be taken that water does not 

 stand round the roots in winter, as this often rots the bulbs. 

 Many of the species like a sandy loam, and most are benefited 

 when first planted by placing in the hole a handful of sand. 



The generally received opinion is that lilies should only 

 be transplanted in the autumn. In our experience, however, 

 they have done quite as well removed in early spring ; care 

 being taken to keep the bulb from drying, and not to injure 

 the young roots or shoots. In transplanting, the bulb should 

 be kept out of the ground the shortest possible time. It is the 

 drying process the bulbs have undergone which causes such 

 loss in imported lilies ; more than one-half of them, in spite 

 of every care, failing to come up the spring after planting. 



Lilies once planted should be disturbed as seldom as pos- 

 sible, and only when rendered necessary by the increase of 

 bulbs : for most species, unless propagation is the object, 

 once in five years is often enough for the health of the plant. 

 As the bulbs cannot be disturbed after planting, the prepara- 

 tion of the bed becomes a matter of the first importance. 

 The soil should be deep, that the plants may not suffer from 



