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BIBLICAL LILY 



RANKS AMONG BEST 



Thought to ie the lily of the Bihle, Lilium candidum has many sobri- 

 quets, such as Madonna, Annunciation, or St. Joseph's lily. Magnificent 

 in the garden and useful to the florist, this lily deserves the praise it receives 

 from this writer, who grows it splendidly. 



ULBS of the ever-popular 

 Madonna lily, Lilium can- 

 didum, usually arrive in 

 America during Septem- 

 ber. The crop in the north 

 of France is reported this 

 year to be small and the 

 bulbs, owing to the pro- 

 longed European drought, 

 smaller than for some 

 years. While there can be no doubt 

 that this is the purest and most beauti- 

 ful of all our hardy garden lilies, every- 

 one does not succeed with it, and this 

 article is penned with the intention of 

 assisting some who may have failed 

 with it and, perhaps, have become dis- 

 couraged. 



As L. candidum matures its bulbs 

 early and commences quickly to make 

 a circle of new leaves, it must be 

 planted as soon as possible after being 

 received. Not infrequently the bulbs 



By W. N. CRAIG. 



will be found with both roots and leaves 

 on them. In such cases, if the ground 

 for them is not ready, they should be 

 placed at once in 4-inch or 5-inch pots of 

 sandy loam and stood in a coldframe, 

 where they can be protected from 

 drenching rains until established. The 

 plants can, if necessary, be carried over 

 winter in pots in a cold, unheated cel- 

 lar, but they should be kept outdoors 

 until they have had several freezings. 

 They should be planted out in spring 

 as soon as the ground is free from frost 

 and workable. 



Planting the Bulbs. 



Where the ground is ready for the re- 

 ception of bulbs in the fall, plant them 

 immediately on arrival, to an average 

 depth of four inches. Put a layer of 

 broken charcoal below them; over this 



spread some coarse sand and cover the 

 bulbs with sand. Let no fresh manure 

 come near them. If you want to use 

 manure, spread it on the surface and let 

 the juices leach down. Used thus, 

 manure is distinctly beneficial, while 

 incorporated in the soil it would be 

 harmful. 



An excellent way for those having 

 greenhouse facilities to grow Lilium 

 candidum is to plant a number of bulbs 

 in 10-inch or 12-inch pots or small tubs. 

 I have used tubs up to fourteen inches 

 in diameter, each containing a dozen 

 bulbs. As some of the larger bulbs will 

 throw two spikes each, such tubs make 

 a magnificent show when in flower. 

 Some years ago I was able not infre- 

 quently to get thirteen to fifteen flow- 

 ers on the best stalks, but of late few 

 carry more than eight or ten. These, 

 however, when grown as suggested in 

 a cool greenhouse, will attain a height 



Lilium Candidum as Grown Outdoors by W. N. Craig in Eastern Massachusetts. 



