50 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



September, 1913 



work better than when the whole amount Easter Lilies for June Blooming 



is put m at once. 



The sulphuring kills certain bacteria, so 

 'tis said, that would make the pears rot, 

 and they are much whiter after being 

 sulphured, too. 



After sulphuring, the fruit is laid out in 

 the sun for two days, after which the trays 

 are again stacked up and allowed to stand 

 until the drying is completed. If the trays 

 were left in the sun longer than two days, 

 the fruit would be dark colored. If you 

 are going to sell your dried fruit, the market 

 will not yield you as much for discolored 

 stock, and if you are drying it for home 

 use, you want as good quality fruit as you 

 would buy at the stores. 



For those we sold last year we got $90 

 a ton. It takes about five pounds of fresh 

 fruit to make one pound of dried fruit, so 

 we really got about $18 a ton for the fresh 

 fruit. We figure that it takes about $2 

 worth of time to cut and handle a ton. 



Malita, Cal. 



J. M. Evans. 



TT WAS five years ago this September 

 that I planted the first Easter lily bulb. 

 We had just remodeled our house and I 

 wanted the outside to be in keeping with 

 the inside. I had noticed some beautiful 

 lilies in the yard of a neighbor and found 

 him more than willing to divide with me. 



I started with one bulb, but that has 

 multiplied until now I have a big bed on 

 both sides of the porch. Here in California 

 we have the great advantage of being able 

 to grow out-of-doors what are house plants 

 in the East. Easter lilies thrive outside 

 even better than in the greenhouses. 



Last year I counted 25 blooms on one 

 stalk, and a more beautiful flower you 

 never saw. The petals develop the most 

 exquisite lustre. It seems to have more 

 character to it than on the blooms that open 

 inside. 



I have given my bulbs no special care. 

 The books say that you ought to trans- 

 plant every year, and perhaps you should, 



but I have obtained the splendid result 

 I speak of without transplanting. Of 

 course I intended to follow the con- 

 ventional methods in the beginning, but 

 I gradually fell into the habit of leaving 

 the bulbs in the ground the year around 

 and the results have been more than I 

 had expected. 



September is a good month for getting a 

 start with these lilies. I started with one, 

 but I would certainly advise others to begin 

 with more if possible. Then you get the 

 full benefit from the beginning. 



For cut flowers, I know of nothing better. 

 If they are cut when the blooms first begin 

 to open, they will last in the house for two 

 weeks — just about as long as they last 

 on the stems out-of-doors. 



Set the bulbs rather deep, about five 

 inches. It is usually best to throw some 

 sand into the bottom of the hole before 

 putting in the bulb unless your soil happens 

 to be very loose. 



Rincon Valley, Cal. Mrs. G. G.Youker. 



Subtropical (palms for instance) and desert plants (agaves, yuccas and such like) give a striking tone to the California garden 



