CONSIDER THE LILIES 27 



scientific. But dig up a few of these Lilies and note 

 carefully the exact conditions under which they grow. 

 It will be found that the bulb rests on a stone or a 

 piece of rock, or in a tuft of firm sod, or nestles in 

 gritty sand. The roots are in wet mud or may even 

 hang free in the water; but the bulb is so placed that 

 water cannot stagnate immediately under and around 

 it, and in winter it is fairly dry. 



A few swamp Lilies like the native L. superbum and 

 the Panther Lily (L. pardalinum) of California may 

 be grown without difficulty among Rhododendrons ; but 

 for those requiring more moisture, if their culture be 

 attempted, it is a good plan to invert a flower-pot at 

 the requisite depth, place the bulb on the upturned 

 base and surround it with silver- or gritty river-sand. 



Sun-loving Lilies, although the upper part of their 

 stems are fully exposed and their blossoms flaunt in 

 the sun, really require a certain amount of protection 

 from the direct rays in the early stages of their growth. 

 Lilies are not desert plants, and the most sun-loving 

 among them are never found in areas where no other 

 plant grows. True, some of them are denizens of 

 semi-arid regions but they are ever associated with 

 grasses or twiggy shrubs, among and through which 

 their young shoots are upthrust and which break the 

 sun's direct rays. Some species like the Regal Lily 



