POPULAR GARDEN PLANTS. 



463 



of a similar character only produce basal roots. 

 The root action commences about the middle of 

 October or earlier, and continues during the 

 winter. They should therefore be lifted before 

 root action takes place, as if lifted later the 



Fig. 570.— Lilium giganteum. 



roots get damaged or dried and the plant 

 receives a serious check. There is no doubt 

 that the late planting of Martagon Lilies, after 

 root action has been checked, is often the cause 

 of their failure the first season. 



Species with two root actions, viz. L. umbella- 

 foivrij L. Thunbergianum, L. Browni, L. Batemannm, 

 L. longiflorum, L. speciosum, L. Hgrinum, L. Henryi, 

 L. odorum, L. Krameri, &c, do not make such 

 stout basal roots, and do not require such care 

 when being lifted, nor is it necessary to lift 

 them so early; they can be planted any time 

 during the autumn and spring without experi- 

 encing any serious check. The stem roots of 

 these Lilies are, so to speak, the main support 

 of the flower-stem, affording it nourishment 

 independently of the bulb. It is most impor- 

 tant that they should be kept cool and moist 

 (especially when grown in pots), for if they once 

 get thoroughly dry or scorched by the sun the 

 stem at once suffers, the leaves turn yellow, 

 drop off, and often the whole plant succumbs. 

 This is often the cause of failure in L. auratum, 

 which more than any other Lily likes coolness 



at the root. For trade purposes it is always 

 best to lift all Lilies as soon as growth is 

 finished, and keep them cool and fresh in a -lied 

 or frame: by this means root action is held in 

 check. 



Imported bulbs of Japanese Lilies may be 

 planted as late as March and April, provided 

 they are in a fresh and sound condition. They 

 should be put in the soil about three times their 

 own depth: the soil should be well dug, and it 

 is beneficial if a little peat, turfy loam, leaf-soil, 

 and sea or silver sand be added (the sand should 

 be placed all round the bulbs), we use sea-sand 

 largely for this purpose, generally covering the 

 bulb entirely with it. It is always moist, and 

 being of a gritty nature prevents the attacks of 

 slugs and worms, also keeping the soil from 

 setting hard round the bulbs. When planting 

 Lilies amongst Rhododendrons and other shrubs, 

 I would recommend the use of casks cut in half, 

 with the ends knocked out. They can be sunk 

 in the beds and filled with a good mixture of 

 soil, and will serve to keep the roots of the 

 shrubs and trees from interfering with the bulbs. 

 Lilies planted in this manner generally succeed. 

 A little well-decayed manure — cow manure for 

 preference — may be worked in beneath the bulbs 

 when planting, but it must not be used too freely. 

 After planting, the surface of the soil may be 

 covered with ashes to a depth of 3 inches: this 

 serves as a protection in winter. It is preferable 

 to cocoa-nut fibre, which holds moisture and 

 attracts frost. 



Lilies generally are successfully grown at 

 Kew. The following is a brief account of the 

 treatment they there receive. Most of the 

 species do well in peat, but a few do better in 

 loam, and some do equally well in either. The 

 species which do best in peat are L. auratum: L. 

 superbum, grows 7 feet high, with between 

 twenty and thirty flowers on a stem; L. Grayi, 

 5 feet high, with as many as twelve flowers on 

 a stem; L. coneolor and the variety, condiou, 

 grows 2 feet high, and bears four to six flowers ; 

 L. speciosum in all its forms, should be lifted 

 and the bulbs sorted every second or third 

 year; L. canadense, forms large masses in two 

 years, the stems 5 to 7 feet high; L. elegans 

 and all its forms; L. Browni and its varieties; 

 L. pomponium, L. sulphureum, L. Loicii, and L. 

 lon'gifolium. These are planted in beds among 

 Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Sedums, Kalmias, 

 Ericas, and other dwarf peat-loving evergreen 

 shrubs, which not only keep the soil cool in 

 summer, but also shelter the young growths 

 from cold winds and frost in spring. It is 



