CONSERVATOR!* PLANTS— LILIES, SPIRAEAS. 



229 



lutely necessary, more especially in the form of bottom heat. This remark does not 

 apply to retarded crowns, as these start best in gentle heat, and employing them 

 obviates the necessity for very early forcing. By "retarded" crowns is meant those Avhich 

 are kept in refrigerators, thus enabling lilies of the valley to be had all the year round. 



If on receiving the stock of clumps and crowns (and it should be added, single crowns 

 are quite as likely to do 

 well as clumps, and in some 

 respects are preferable), 

 they cannot be placed in 

 pots or boxes at once, they 

 should be stored in soil or 

 sand, keeping them cool and 

 moist till they can be at- 

 tended to. Clumps have 

 to be placed in pots large 

 enough to hold them, 

 while crowns can be packed 

 from 1 inch to 2 inches 

 apart, in either 5-inch or 

 larger pots, with the pips 

 about half-buried. If forced 

 in boxes they can be made 

 up into pots after they are 

 in flower, as they form no 

 fresh roots, and do not flag 

 after moving. Forcing may 

 take place either immedi- 

 ately over hot-water pipes or a hot-bed, a bottom heat of 90° to 100 s not being too great. 

 If kept close, heavily shaded, and moist at the roots, they ought to be sufficiently 

 advanced in growth to move to a light position in about three weeks, but should not 

 be placed in a conservatory till the flower spikes arc well developed. 



SpiEiEA. — Immense numbers of Spiraea (or Astilbe) japonica arc annually forced, 

 and well-grown plants arc of the greatest assistance to the decorator. They can be had 

 in flower early in February, and onwards for three months with a sufficiency of strong 



TLX ASTILBOIDES 



