THE EASTER l.TLY T^ NORTHERN ("T.TMATES. 9 



CONDITIONS IN THE FIELD. 



The experience of the Bureau of Phint Tn(Uistry with tlie^^e lilies 

 has been restricted to a heavy retentive clay soil ameliorated by the 

 use of some sand and plenty of very rough stable manure. Xone of 

 these stocks have as yet been gi'own on sandy soil. 



The seedlinos have usually been set out in 3-foot beds 5 to 8 inches 

 apart each way. which seems to aiford ample space. Between the 

 beds a 15-inch path has been left, which is also ample ; a 12-inch 

 path might 'e sufficient. 



After planting, it is desirable to work a little mulch of some 

 suitable material l:>etween the plants to assist in preventing the 

 ground from baking, preserving moisture, and keeping the soil cool. 

 For this purpose sand and spent manure from sweet-potato beds, old 

 manure, and even fresh very strawy manure have been used. The 

 care of these plantings during the summer has consisted in keeping 

 down the weeds by hand and watering during dry weather. In well- 

 prepared soil, mulched with some debris, hand weeding is not a seri- 

 ous matter. 



DEVELOPMENT DURING THE SUMMER. 



Lily plants set in the field from 2-inch pots in late April or early 

 May will begin to throw up scattering stems in Juh', and some blos- 

 soms will appear late in the month. These early-flowering forms 

 will be short, few flowered, and in general disappointing. As the 

 season advances the stems become longer and bear a large number of 

 flowers, but never are the plants in the field as tall as those in the 

 greenhouse, although they often reach a height of 24 inches or more. 

 ^Mien the time for frosts arrives there will be plenty of i^lants show- 

 ing either flowers or buds to the number of three to seven, and in 

 rare instances as many as a dozen. Possibly 25 per cent Avill have 

 flowered, and the earliest Avill be maturing their seed, but most of 

 the plants, nearly 75 per cent of them, will be in the form of large 

 rosettes of basal leaves and plants which have started to form stems. 



REPOTTING FROM THE FIELD. 



Before thei-e is danger of severe frosts in autumn the lily seedlings 

 should be repotted for winter flowering. The minimum temperature 

 to which they should be subjected out of doors is about 28° F. 



The plants can be dug conveniently with a spading fork, ordinary 

 care being used not to bruise them. (Fig. 5.) Most of the dirt 

 is taken oflf the roots, and they are laid loosely in boxes, to be trans- 

 ferred to the packing shed. Here within three or four days they are 

 put into the smallest-sized pots into which thev will go. Most of 

 them, though, will have to go into 6-inch pots, for the reason that on 



48307''— L'l 2 



