A double variety of the autumn crocus (Colchicum Atumnae), naturalized in the grass. 
Bulbs for August Planting—By Thomas McAdam 
LILIES AND FREESIAS FOR CHRISTMAS BLOOM 
Flowers light purplish rose. 
New 
Jersey 
MUST BE PLANTED NOW—ROMAN HYACINTHS FOR 
THANKSGIVING—ALSO THE SPANISH IRIS, MADONNA LILY, AND FOUR SEPTEMBER-BLOOMING BULBS 
a eer advance guard of the fall catalogues 
appears in August, and the prudent 
florist orders his Bermuda lilies then. One 
of the pretty things that a gentleman who 
owns a greenhouse may do is to flower some 
lilies for Christmas. The lily is the symbol 
of the Nativity, as well as of the Resurrection, 
and has a certain sacred character which no 
other flower possesses in like degree. For 
Easter bloom an October start is usually 
early enough, but for Christmas lilies you 
must get your bulbs in August. 
The seven-to-nine-inch bulbs are the fa- 
vorite for Easter, but the five-to-sevens are 
thought to be better adapted for Christmas. 
Put them into 4-inch pots, plunge them 
in a frame, and cover them with sifted coal 
ashes or excelsior. As soon as they have 
made good balls of roots bring them indoors, 
transfer them to 6-inch pots, give them a 
night temperature of fifty degrees until they 
seem at home and then change to sixty. 
BULBS FOR HOUSE CULTURE 
Nothing is sweeter at Christmas time than 
the fragrance of freesias, and their lovely one- 
sided horizontal spikes are always welcome. 
In ordinary house culture, freesias hardly 
bloom before February and if you want them 
during the holidays you should order the 
bulbs in August. The pure white variety is 
most esteemed. Plant seven bulbs in a 
5-inch pot. Be careful not to keep the soil 
wet all the time or the freesias will rot at the 
surface of the ground. 
Roman hyacinths can be had at Thanks- 
giving without a greenhouse if bulbs are 
ordered in August. The Roman hyacinth 
is the most accomodating of all bulbs. It 
requires the shortest period of root growth 
in a dark, cool place, and can be had in 
bloom from November to May by means of 
successive pottings. The Roman hyacinth 
has none of the stiffness of the common hya- 
cinth. The extra early strain will bloom 
in October. 
TWO IMPORTANT HARDY BULBS 
The Madonna lily and Spanish iris, unlike 
other hardy spring-blooming bulbs, ought 
to be planted in August because they have to 
make a leaf growth in autumn. The Madonna 
or Annunciation lily (Lilimm candidum) 
is the best hardy white lily there is. It is also 
Q7 
the earliest common lily, blooming in June. 
Its fragrant bell-shaped flowers are four or 
five inches across and as many as twenty-five 
are borne on a stem, though eight or ten 
would be nearer the average. It is important 
to dust the bulbs with sulphur to kill disease 
germs. 
The only common bulbous irises are the 
Spanish and English, which must be planted 
in the fall. The German, Japanese and 
Siberian are rhizomatous and are best planted 
in the spring. The Spanish irises have the 
merit of blooming a fortnight before the 
English and though smaller, the flowers are 
of brighter and more varied colors, including 
self-yellow, which the English irises do not 
have. There- are about fifty varieties. 
Thunderbolt is said to be the showiest; it 
has bronzy purple standards and the falls are 
chestnut-brown, with a large orange blotch. 
Belle Chinoise is the earliest self-yellow. 
Mon Bijou is blue. Snowball is perhaps the 
best white. 
FOUR SEPTEMBER-BLOOMING BULBS 
It is a wonderful thing to see hardy bulbs 
blooming in the garden in September, espe- 
