ing rhythm of MacDowell's musical tribute ^Jp^USTER 



OF LILIES 



to it: 



"Here by this pool, 

 I am aware of the splendor that ties 

 All the things of the earth with the 

 things of the skies.'' 



Not only because the lily family is so impor- 

 tant in point of numbers and influence does 

 it interest the botanist so greatly. As a family 

 of plants it is of great importance to science 

 because it furnishes striking examples by which 

 are illustrated interesting facts in plant struc- 

 ture, customs of plants, and their history. If 

 the purpose of this book were to teach botany, 

 it would be a delightful task to write this chap- 

 ter of biologic botany, but the writer confesses 

 that the lily has another and greater interest 

 for him, perhaps because he is not a botanist, 

 but only a lover of the flowers, and with a 

 special love for the lily. 



The lily is one of the flowers of distinction of 

 antiquity. It grew in the classic gardens of pre- 

 Christian times. Its very name is of Roman 

 origin. We find it described in the oldest 

 [105] 



