The Garden Magazine, November, 1921 



161 



A GIANT GOLD-BANDED LILY (Lilium auratum) 



This magnificent specimen throwing out thirty-four 

 flowers at the height of nine feet from the ground, 

 evidently finds conditions to its liking in the shallow 

 soil of the terraced N. Carolina garden shown at right 



firm potting are essential. A suitable soil can be 

 made up with a mixture of good garden loam, three 

 parts, leaf mold one part, and sand one part; with 

 either bone meal, dried cow manure or other fertilizer 

 to supplement it. During summer water liberally and 

 give occasional doses of liquid manure until the flowers 

 appear. — Ed. 



Is This the Largest Gold-banded Lily? 



To the Editor of The Garden Magazine: 



LAST season 1 sent you a photo of our special 

 J auratum Lily, at that time something about 8 

 ft. with 14 blooms on a single stalk. This year it was 

 9 ft., 2 in., with 34 blooms on one stalk. This is 

 such an unusual growth that I am tempted again to 

 send you photographs of it. Its position amongst so 

 much shrubbery and absence of open background 

 makes a poor picture and does not do it justice. Many of our 

 visitors saw it and declared it to be the most marvellous flower 

 display on a single stalk they had ever seen, and I am inclined to 

 believe it is the largest auratum Lily ever produced in the country. As 

 I received a good many letters after its appearance in your publication 

 last February this may again interest others in the possibilities of this 

 very beautiful and fragrant flower. The young lady in the photo is 

 nearly 6 ft. tall and you will note that each flower is nearly as large as 

 her head. The entire flower group is a solid mass about 3 feet long and 

 20 inches in diameter. 



The soil in which this remarkable specimen grows, so far as I know, is 

 the same as in other parts of the garden which is built in terraces on the 

 hillside; it was difficult to excavate to any depth at this particular 

 point owing to rotten or disintegrated rock, so that there is not more 

 than 10 inches of soil where the Lily stands. The roots have evidently 

 found favorable conditions in this decayed rock, gray clay, and sand 

 with some felspar — this may give some stimulating quality, but I think 

 in all probability it provides perfect drainage, and at the same time pro- 

 tects against frost or more especially against field mice, or moles, or 

 some animal that eats the bulbs. The especial point of interest is this — 

 I see continuous complaints about field mice or moles and find from 

 experience that field mice destroy many bulbs and I think many Lily 

 bulbs as well as Tulips, Hyacinths, Gladiolus, etc. I believe that, if 

 gardeners would not object to the trouble, any bulb can be pro- 

 tected successfully for many years by surrounding it by 2 inches of 

 •coarse sand, and outside of this 4 inches of gravel on the sides. If 

 planted 10 inches deep, as a Lily should be, and on its side, it is better 

 not to mulch, as this also attracts field mice. — Henry W. Sloan, High- 

 lands, N. C. 



Increasing Lilium Auratum 



To the Editor of The Garden Magazine: 



I ORDERED three bulbs of Lilium auratum last summer but as it 

 was well into December before they arrived, they wintered in a box 

 of sand in the cellar, which was never allowed to get entirely dry, but 

 was never very wet. When they were taken out as early as possible 

 in the spring there were a few loose scales. I had learned from experi- 

 ence, inspired by The Garden Magazine, that Lilium candidum could 

 be increased in a box of sand, when small bulbs would form at the base 

 of the scales; so I thought I'd try the same thing with these scales. I 

 dug one or two out about the middle of June, but there was no sign of 

 little bulbs. I hadn't much hope, but watered them occasionally, until 

 the other day my small son tipped the box upside down for a seat. 

 What was my surprise and delight to find, on picking them up, that 

 those scales had little bulbs growing not only at the base, but up and 

 down the sides. They are now beginning to send up little green shoots 

 of promise that when the large bulbs in the garden fail, there will be 

 others — perhaps enough for a good big "mass" to take their place. — 

 Rachel Calghey, Antrim, N. H. 



Another New Rose 



To the Editor of The Garden Magazine: 



IT MAY interest your readers to know that the following Rose has 

 been offered for registration and passed upon by the Registration 



Committee of The American Rose Society: name— William Wright 

 Walcott; class — H. T. Forcing; parentage — sport from Richmond & 

 Ophelia; description: habit of plant — vigorous upright; character of 

 foliage — dark green no black spots; freedom of growth and hardiness — 

 grows free, hardiness not tested; flower — full; color — two shades pink; 

 outer petals deep pink, inner light; form — outer petals reflexing; 

 fragrance and bud — very fragrant good bud; petalage — 45 to 56; 

 freedom of bloom and lasting quality — very free, good keeper, good 

 winter Rose. Offered for registration by Robert T. McGorum. 



If no objection to such registration is filed with the Secretary of the 

 Society the registration will become permanent. — John C. Wister, 

 Secretary. 



Saving La France Raspberry for Posterity 



To the Editor of The Garden Magazine: 



YOUR note about the "saving of the Poet's Narcissus" by Mr. J. 

 K. M. L. Farquhar in September issue is an interesting illustra- 

 tion of the narrow margin by which many treasures are nearly lost to 

 man. A somewhat similar case is La France Raspberry, the existence 

 of which in commercial quantities is really the result of the interest and 

 energy of one keen-eyed individual. I have just recently eaten some 

 of the fruits, and simultaneously decided to procure some of the plants 

 e'er snow flies. I feel that we are generously indebted to Fate — or 

 whatever is responsible — for the continued existence of La France. 

 The facts, briefly, are these: in 191 3, Alius, superintendent of the 

 estate of Mr. J. B. Cobb of Stamford, Conn., noticed rising out of a 

 jungle of tangled, neglected Raspberry vines of many varieties a few 

 canes of unusual size, vigor, general appearance, and prolificacy. More- 



