THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



39 



There are double-flowering forms of some 

 Lilies ; for instance, of the tiger and marta- 

 gon ; some, as our common white Lily, have 

 variegated leaves, and many, as the common 

 white, testaceum, Parryi pomponium, and 

 albanium, are sweetly fragrant. 



SEASONS OF FLOWERING. 



Lilies may be had in bloom from June till 

 September. Among the earlier sorts are 



LILIUM SPECIOSUM. 



tenuifolium, colchicnm, daniricum, S-oritda- 

 num, albanium, croceum, chalcedonicum, Thun- 

 bergianum, piilclicllum, niartagon, and jiarvum. 

 These are soon followed by elegans and its 

 varieties, the Canada Lilies, and the common 

 white Lilies ; these are succeeded by Parryi, 

 the white trumpet Lilies, and our swamp 

 Lilies (superbum ); and to bring up the rear 

 are the different kinds of tiger Lilies and the 

 lovely speciosums, that bloom in August and 



LILIUM TIGRINUM, DOUBLE. 



September. Lilies do not maintain an un- 

 broken sequence; that is, those that were the 

 earliest in bloom last year were third and 

 fourth this year. Strong bulbs bloom earlier 



than weakly ones, but the bulbs that were I 

 the strongest and flowered the best this year 

 may not yield the strongest plants for next 

 year. Especially is this the case if seed is j 

 allowed to ripen. 



CULTIVATION. 



Plant ordinary Lilies some six or eight 

 inches deep, and California!] ones about 

 twelve inches. Candidum bulbs should be 

 planted in July and August, most other 

 kinds from the time they have done bloom- 

 ing till just before they begin to grow again. 

 Once planted, Lilies should remain for 

 years undisturbed, as they become stronger in 

 consecpience ; but should they begin to get 

 overcrowded, better lift, divide, and replant 

 them. Lilies of the longiflorum section, that 

 bear so many bulbs on their stems in the i 

 ground, need lifting and dividing once in a J 

 few years. We cannot expect Lilies to bloom 

 as well the next season after planting as 

 they will when established for a few years. 



Lilies will grow in any good garden soil 

 that is well drained, but prefer a rich, friable 

 loam. Many do well in a peaty compost, 

 but, apart from our yellow Canada and 

 swamp Lily, few thrive in a mucky soil. 

 Our common wood Lily (PhiladelpMcum) 

 prefers an open situation and a dry, sandy 

 soil. Black, waxy land is not so good for 

 Lilies as that which is less consistent, but its 

 nature may be favorably ameliorated by a 

 liberal admixture of sand or other rough 

 material, a heavy summer mulching of grass, 

 litter, half -decayed leaves, or a mat of other 

 plants as Petunias or Verbenas, or a thicket 

 of dwarf bushes, as Deutzias. Light, sandy 

 soils are much benefited by heavy additions 

 of thoroughly rotted manure or leaf soil, but ! 

 this should not be introduced so deeply as 

 to touch the bulbs ; better fork it in lightly. 



The common white Lily, trumpet Lilies, 

 speciosum and its varieties, and several oth- 

 ers, thrive luxuriantly in open, unshaded posi- 

 tions in our gardens ; but mostly all Lilies 

 prefer shelter and faint shade, as that afford- 

 ed by being planted at the north or west | 

 side of a fence, hedge, shrubbery, or tree- 

 clump, but they dislike the overhead shade 

 of and drip from trees. Lilies that thrive 

 apace in the garden border when thickly as- 

 sociated with other plants may refuse to do 

 well if isolated — they have such an aversion 

 to a naked and parching surface soil. But, 

 although Lilies prefer a cool, moist, and 

 shaded soil in summer, they love to lift 

 their heads above the bushes and the plants 

 around them, and blossom unrestrained. 



DUTCH BULBS. 



Under this name are comprised nearly all 

 our most beautiful spring flowers, Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, Crocus, Narcissus, Snowdrops, etc. To 

 the genuine lover of flowers, these harbingers 

 of spring are indispensable, and when it is 

 considered how easily and cheaply their 

 brilliancy and fragrance may be secured with 

 the coming of the first warming rays of spring, 

 it is surprising that their cultivation is not 1 

 more general. 



By planting at different times, a succession 

 of flowers may be had during the entire win- 

 ter in the parlor or window garden, and in 

 the open ground, often before snow has dis- 

 appeared from the surface, till the middle of 

 May. 



Any good garden soil is suitable for grow- 

 ing bulbs ; but to obtain the best results, the 

 beds should be well drained, the ground dug 

 over to a depth of two feet, and, if necessary, 

 enough sand, muck, and well decayed ma- 

 nure added to produce a rich, light, friable 

 loam. 



The bulbs may be planted at any time from 

 the middle of September till the freezing of 

 the ground, choosing a dry day when the 



LILIUM AURATUM. 



ground is not heavy and cloggy. Hyacinths 

 should be planted so that the crowns are four 

 to five inches below the surface ; Tulips and 

 Narcissus three to four; Crocus and other 

 small bulbs two to three inches. A light 

 covering during winter is beneficial. 



When grown in pots for winter blooming, a 

 rich light soil is necessary. The bulbs are 

 planted so that the crowns are level with the 

 surface. The pots tire then placed on a por- 



LILIUM LONGIFLORUM. 



ous bed, and all is covered with six inches of 

 soil. Boots will soon commence to form, and 

 in about two months the pots may be re- 

 moved to a warmer place for forcing. 



