BERMUDA LILY. 191 



having a plan of his own ; or, at least, in visiting many 

 of the largest growers, we hear very different opinions 

 expressed, in regard to the size of the bulb to be grown, 

 for the greatest profit ; the temperature required to bring 

 them forward to the best advantage, and whether they 

 are best grown in pots or on benches. 



We find the better plan is to pot the bulbs as soon 

 as received from Bermuda, and that a careful selection 

 of sizes is % matter of great importance. It was, for 

 some years, thought that the larger the bulbs, the greater 

 would be the chances of success in their flowering ; but 

 now the smaller sizes are more generally used. It is 

 found that well-matured bulbs, of from three to five 

 inches in circumference, well grown in a five-inch pot, 

 will give from one to three flowers each, and that the 

 small bulbs will produce their flowers in a much shorter 

 time than the largest sized ones. As the flower stems 

 are cut, for decorative purposes, close to the pot, as soon 

 as two or three flowers are opened, the plant from the 

 small bulb will bring very nearly as much as the other, 

 which costs three times as much at the start, and as 

 much more to grow. The plant sells for a given price 

 per flower, and, as there are not usually more than three 

 open at a time, the unopened buds are of no value. The 

 profits of a grower depend largely upon how much he 

 can cut, or grow, on a given space, and in growing Lilies 

 he finds he can get double the number of stalks from a 

 bench planted with small bulbs, from what he could if 

 planted with the largest ones, consequently they are far 

 the more profitable. 



There is another important consideration in the use 

 of small bulbs, viz., the time in which they can be 

 brought into flower. One florist, last season, cut his 

 first flowers at "Thanksgiving," and they came on rap- 

 idly thereafter. At this season flowers for decorative 

 purposes are in good demand, consequently they bring 



