96 THE BOOK OF THE WINTER GARDEN 



chance of securing early trusses, but those brought on 

 for flowering ere the turn of the year sometimes **go 

 blind." Sometimes the leaves extend but the flower does 

 not. Shortening the former, and placing an inverted 

 pot over the latter, may do good. Narcissi treatment 

 suits. The flowers often require neat stakes. The bulbs 

 are much better massed in shallow pans. Two colours 

 look well together, dark blue and yellow, or crimson 

 and white, for instance, and good dealers could supply 

 varieties that will come into flower together. 



Japanese Lilies 



Lilium longifloruniy L. auratufn, and L. speciosum, etc., 

 may be had in retarded bulbs, which are quite necessary 

 if winter lilies must be had. The two former should be 

 potted during the first weeks of September, the latter in 

 the first week of August, for Christmas and New Year 

 flowers. Keep the tops of bulbs 2 inches below the 

 soil, and place three bulbs in a y-inch or larger pot, 

 according to their size. After removing from the 

 plunging material, place in an airy house, with a 

 temperature of 55 to 6^ degrees. Good winter lilies 

 cannot be had in the dim lower regions of overcrowded 

 hothouses. Black fly may cause trouble ; it must be 

 checked by frequent mild fumigations, or by dipping 

 the plants in soap and water. When the pots are filled 

 with roots, give weekly doses of very weak fertilisers. 

 Stake the shoots. 



'* Spiraea" 



{Astilbe japonica) is at its best in this country when 

 forced. Retarded plants should be used for flowers at 

 and before the New Year. Pot the clumps up entire 

 and treat as valley lilies, but remove after a week's 

 shading into more and more light, and keeping a 



