176 BULBS AND TUBEROUS-BOOTED PLANTS, 



food. In its native habitat it is perfectly hardy ; at least, 

 it is never injured by the excessive cold. Here it is 

 not hardy, and must be protected against frost in order 

 to secure blooms. Why? Simply because, in its Sibe- 

 rian home, the first indication of winter is a snowstorm 

 that covers the ground so deeply that frost rarely, if 

 ever, enters the ground at all. In our temperate clime 

 the earth is frozen to a depth entirely unknown there, 

 notwithstanding their climate is much the colder. 



The same is true in regard to the Mart agon, the 

 bulbs of which are largely used by the Cossacks as a 

 vegetable; with them it is perfectly hardy ; with us, in 

 a much milder climate, it will rarely survive but a single 

 season, unless protected, but with that precaution, it 

 srrows with much more vigor here than in its native 

 home. In England all the Turks' Cap Lilies grow to a 

 size unknown where they are indigenous. This is be- 

 cause, in England, the frost never reaches them, and the 

 other conditions of growth are more favorable. 



The White Turks' Caj:> Lily, Lilium Martagon 

 album, m the northern part of New York, in the North- 

 ern States, and in Lower Canada, thrives with all the 

 vigor of a native plant. We have known this bulb, in 

 one locality, to increase so fast that it crowded out other 

 bulbs in the garden, and was regarded as a native plant. 

 Near the ocean it is rarely seen, in fact, cannot be grown, 

 excepting it be protected from frost, either by a frame, 

 or by mulching. Away from the Atlantic coast, and in 

 Germany, its native home, the snow affords ample 

 protection. 



In many sections of our country, where the ground 

 is usually covered with snow during winter, Lilies of all 

 kinds grow to the greatest perfection. We have seen 

 finer bulbs of the Auratum, Brownii, Chalcedonicum, 

 Martagon and other species grown in Vermont, where 

 they were protected by snow, than we have ever seen 

 grown in any other country. Here the Auratum is 



