THE EASTER LILY IN NORTHERN CLfMATES. 19 



A summer mulch is considered as important in the culture of this 

 lily as a winter one. Most lilies groAv where there is a soil cover 

 of some kind — many of them where this cover is a grassy one and 

 others where the ground is just as effectively protected by brush, 

 under and between which the lilies grow, sticking their heads above 

 the canopy to flower. 



Lilium longiforum^ with the forms of which we are dealing, pro- 

 duces a mass of roots from the stem above the bulb and near the sur- 

 face of the ground. For the best results these roots, as Avell as those 

 from the bulb, must have good conditions for development and must 

 not be disturbed. This condition is admirably produced by a manure 

 mulch, which not only furnishes plenty of fertility but prevents the 

 soil from drying out and baking and also equalizes its temperature 

 to a remarkable degree. One should keep in mind that this lily, like 

 most other lilies, likes to have its feet moist and cool and protected 

 both summer and winter, but its head must be in full light. 



FLOWERING TIME FOR SEEDLINGS AND MATURE STOCKS. 



Attention has been called in a general way to the irregular blos- 

 soming of a seedling generation. The experimental stocks in 1920. 

 sown on November 1, 1919, began to flower in early July, at the 

 same time as the out-of-door vegetatively propagated plants. The 

 last of the progeny did not open its flowers before the end of May, 

 1921. All of these seedlings were kejjt under precisely the same con- 

 ditions from the time of sowing the seed, and all operations, such 

 as pricking off, potting, etc., were performed in as short a time as 

 ordinarily would be possible. In spite of this identical handling, 

 there was an extreme variation of 11 months in the time of flowering. 



In all progenies which Inne been gi'own in the last six years the 

 behavior has been similar. When, however, these same bull)s have 

 been handled normally for vegetative stocks, i. e., planted in No- 

 vember, they have all flowered within a short space of time. (Fig. 9.) 

 Two or three Aveeks cover the entiiv blossoming i)eriod, which is 

 as close as would be the case with imported vai'ieties grown out of 

 doors in the same Avay. 



THE CUT FLOWERS. 



As in bulb culture, tiiere is always a temptation to utilize the 

 trop of flowers when there is sale for them. It has been fonnd that 

 it is practicable to cut off half of the stem in the first flowering of 

 the seedlings in the greenhouse and still preserve the bulbs for start- 

 ing vegetative propagation by planting out in the spring. The pots, 

 after the cutting, are dried off rather quickly and the bulbs left in 

 the soil until ready to plant out. There are no data on the compara- 

 tive value of stocks thus floAvered and those Avhich have had their 



