CHAPTER XIX 



THE LILY DISEASE 



There is one disappointment that growers of Lilies 

 must occasionally be prepared for, namely, the Lily 

 disease, often taking a form that is known as " spot." 

 In some cases spots of brown decay appear on the 

 leaves, in others decay seizes some part of the half- 

 grown stem as well, as if it had been subjected to 

 a jet of scalding steam, and the stem falls over. 

 Sometimes an almost full-grown stem is attacked 

 at a late stage of its growth and it is able to open 

 one or two flowers, which present a miserable 

 appearance, crowning the whole stem-length of 

 decaying rags of leaves and blemished stalk. Evi- 

 dence from the best amateurs shows that disease is 

 much more prevalent in imported bulbs than in 

 those that are home grown, and that are therefore 

 stronger and better able to resist its attacks. 



In the matter of disease Lilium candiduin is as 

 mysterious as in its other ways ; for one year a whole 

 row will be in perfect beauty and the next they will 

 be all infected. Its near relative, testaceum, is also 

 commonly subject to disease, and of other Lilies 

 auratum is one of the most frequent sufferers. 



When the disease appears in candiduni some growers 



