The Lily. 127 



of their blooming, which is confined to the months of May and 

 June, except the dwarf early blooming Tulip, T. Suaveolens, 

 another of our exotics, which blossoms somewhat earlier. Phil- 

 lips, from whom the most of the preceding is taken, says, the 

 proper time for committing the bulbs to the ground is late in the 

 fall, and a circular spot from two to three feet in diameter will 

 be sufficient to plant eighteen bulbs. Having prepared the spots, 

 lay little patches off, where each bulb is to be placed, and then 

 cover with light sandy soil, piled above ; lay the compost gently 

 over the clump, covering the bulbs three inches higher than the 

 rest of the border, so as not to retain rain. The brown coat of 

 the bulb , must be carefully taken off before doing this. The 

 decay of the stem and leaves shows the time for taking up the 

 bulbs, which should then be placed in a dry, airy, shaded situa- 

 tion, without touching their skins. The Suaveolens is the kind 

 used for forcing in pots, and they prosper better in earth than 

 water, for in the latter their bulbs uniformly perish after flower- 

 ing. It belongs to the class Hexandria; order, Monogynia. 

 The generic characters are : corol six-petalled, liliaceous ; style, 

 none ; thick stigma, with an oblong, three-sided capsule. The 

 Yellow European Tulip — Tulipa Sylvestris, has a very 

 fragrant, just perceptible smell ; it has a one-flowered, smooth 

 stem, bearing a nodding flower, with sharp petals bearded at the 

 end, and lance-shaped leaves. Their medicinal qualities entitle 

 them to no consideration ; though in common with the natural 

 order, Liliacese, to which they belong, bitter and acrid principles 

 may prevail in the buds. 



The Lily. 



Aime Martin remarks that this delicate and beautiful flower 

 has for centuries received its tribute of admiration from the lovers 

 of nature. Who has not felt a glow of delight in perusing that 

 gorgeous description of the Lily which Christ himself gave to his 

 disciples ? Of all the poetry ever drawn from flowers, none is 

 so beautiful, none so sublime, none so imbued with the very spirit 



