THE AHVM LILY. 131 



and very coiisidevaljli.' increase oT siock. It is iu its way a 

 proCiUilile business^ and demands tlie fewest and sim])lest 

 materials. The soil in anv ease must be rieh and stnaio' 

 — sa\^ two parts gned loam and one part rotten hotl)ed 

 manure; and there is uo need I'or saud, exeept when very 

 small offsets are ]iotted. While in free ga-owth the plants 

 slionid have ])lenty of water. ]<Jvery year, after Howtn-- 

 iui;', they shriuld be put oot of dnors, and kept moderately 

 watered until the leaves die down; then shake them out 

 and re-pot, using' emly one hollow t>3'ster-sliell for drainag-e, 

 and dividing' the plants as may seem best tn increase the 

 stock. The move you divide the smaller j'our plants will be. 

 If, therefore, you want large sjieeimens, you must pot a few 

 without dividing- them, and so ]iroeecd untd they become 

 too large to lie manageable, the size in any and e\'eiy ease 

 being determinable by the cultivator, if he «'ill l)nt wait 

 for the ]ilants to till the pots of the maximum size allow- 

 abli^ It is good jivactice, as snoii as the iiot-])lants ai'e 

 growing' freely, to stand them in [)ans of water ; but one 

 mi'h or even half an inch dejith of water is sntlicient. t)n 

 the suljject of p(jt culture there is really vei'v little moj-e 

 to lie said. 



A move profitalde mode of pvocedure consists in ]ilant- 

 ing them out as soon as they have flowered, in a ]>iece of 

 vioh moist soil, to make fvee growth during the summer. 

 In. the autumn they are lifted, and potted for the wintev, 

 and are Howered in the usual way under glass. They 

 are tc.en again ])lanted out, and at the same time divided 

 as ma)' be needful. For general puvjioses a combination 

 of the two systems mav be I'ccomnu'nded, as the jilants 

 that are grown wholly in jiois ilowei' earlier than th(is(> 

 that are planted out. 



