EASTER LILY 



The new species had larger flowers and more of them than 

 the Madonna Lily; it was two months earlier, requiring only 

 thirteen weeks for development under favorable conditions; and, 

 best of all, it took kindly to forcing-house temperature. For a 

 few years its vogue was tremendous, its position unrivalled. It 

 adorned the pack of Santa Claus, 

 it lay upon the altars of Easter, 

 it wreathed the soldiers' monu- 

 ments on Decoration Day. 

 Thousands of bulbs were im- 

 ported from Bermuda and from 

 Japan. But the effort to comply 

 with the demand for early bloom 

 wrought destruction to the Ber- 

 muda crop; the bulbs were not 

 allowed time to ripen and the 

 entire crop became for a time 

 seriously diseased. This, of 

 course, was a passing condition. 



Under the general title of 

 Easter Lily there is now offered 

 by the trade not only Lilium 

 Harrisii, which is the Bermuda 



variety, but Lilium longiflorum, the original type; also, a species 

 from the Philippines. 



When this lily is in the shops the flowers are usually mutilated; 

 frequently not only the anthers but all the stamens are removed. 

 There are two reasons for this: one, the abundant pollen which 

 would soon be scattered over the inner surface of the flower and 

 so mar its exquisite whiteness; the other, that if fertilization is 

 prevented the life of the flower is extended; the florist knows that 

 the flower lasts longer even if he does not know the reason why. 

 There are those who will not buy mutilated lilies, but their number 

 is small. 



Easter Lily. 



Lilium longiflbrum var. 

 eximium 



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