202 How TO Grow Cut Flowers. 



beneath the bench. Cloth screens should also be 

 hinged that may be either used on the under side of 

 the glass, or as a cover for the beds as desired. 



Before putting the pips in the forcing house, trim 

 the roots so they will more readily absorb water. They 

 need not be left more than two inches long. Plant 

 them in the sand in rows, letting the rows be from two 

 to three inches apart according to the amount of foliage 

 they will make. The sand in which they are planted 

 should indicate from 80° to 85°, and the top tempera- 

 ture 65°. Use water liberally and let it be of the same 

 temperature as the house. After the bells are formed, 

 water must be given between the rows, as the bloom is 

 very easily injured if water comes in contact with it. 

 Matured flowers may be kept several days by freshly 

 cutting the ends of the stems, changing the water, and 

 keeping them in a cool place. 



The forcing of lilies has increased rapidly during the 

 past few years. With some growers, near our large 

 cities, these constitute the main crop for Easter. Mr. 

 James Dean, an extensive grower of lilies, thus gives 

 his method of preparing them for Easter : 



"Fully three-quarters of all the lilies that are now 

 forced are Harrisii, which is a great deal more profitable 

 to grow, as it flowers more freely than the Longiflorum, 

 and the plants are not liable to come blind. It can be 

 forced with safety at a higher temperature than the 

 Longiflorum, and if the plants are removed to a tern- 



