LILIES IN THE OPEN-AIR GARDEN AND WOODLAND. 393 



twenty-five years of the behaviour of Lilias under culture, I am convinced 

 that there can be no hard-and-fast rules laid down, as one frequently 

 tinds species thriving under peculiar conditions quite opposite to those I 

 have stated. 



For instanc?, I have seen the capricious Hamholdti thriving perfectly 

 in a sun-exposed hardy fiowar border in Lanarkshire, where the c'imate 

 IS moist with frequent cloudy skie^. I recently saw Szovitsianiun 6 to 8 

 feet high under the rather dense shade of Apple-trees ; I have seen 

 cmididum and croceiim a' so in shade flowering year after year ; while at 

 Ivew one may see at the present time (July) the bulk of the Lily collection 

 growing in full exposure to sun the whole day, and among them such 

 .shade-lovers as superhum a,nd pardalinum gro^^dng and flowering magni- 

 iicently. 



The conditions, however, under which Lilies are gro^^Tl at Kew, where 

 frequent watering can be given, are not always attainable in private 

 gardens, where water as well as labour is often scarce. 



It is therefore the wisest plan to place Lilies under conditions in 

 Avhich they are likely to thrive Avith the minimum of care and attention. 



Such conditions as I have mentioned can be found in most gardens, 

 and particularly in those of large extent, where the exact spots suitable 

 for each kind of Lily can be chosen and the soil made suitable for each 

 group. 



The gardens in localities where the soil is light are the most favourable 

 for growing all the hardy Lilies with the least amount of preparation, and 

 the heavy clay and chalk districts, I find, are the most difficult to deal 

 with for Lilies, as in these districts peaty soil is rarely found in the 

 neighbourhood. 



The finest Lily gardens I know are those in the Heath and Pine 

 districts, such as are found in Surrey and Hampshire, particularly on the 

 southern slopes of the New Forest. In these localities one can often find, 

 in the limited area of a small garden, high open spots where the soil is 

 stiff, and low places where moisture collects, and where all the tribe of 

 American Martagon Lilies grow to perfection without much trouble in 

 the preparation of the soil. 



I will name one particular garden in Hampshire, in the New Forest, 

 where all the Japanese Lilies luxuriate. This is at Lord Manners' place 

 at Avon Tyrrell, in the neighbourhood of Ring wood. Here speciosum 

 planted among Kalmias and Azaleas and other shrubs on a southern slope 

 grows as much as 4 and 5 feet high, and auratum much taller, and 

 this has been the case for at least seven years, since the garden was made. 



The soil is peaty and sandy, and being on a slope with high gi'ound 

 behind, there is sufficient under-moisture to keep the Lilies in full vigour. 



In this c:ise I attribute the exceptional growth to the partial shade that 

 is given by a few of the smaller flowering trees such as Thorns, Amelan- 

 chiers, Pyruses, and such like, which cast a shadow at intervals over the 

 Lilies, so that they are neither fully sun-exposed all day nor in continuous 

 shade. 



A noteworthy example of a Lily garden in the Pine district in Surrey 

 is, of course, that of Mr. G. F. Wilson, F.R.S., who, as we all know, has 

 been a devoted slave of the queenly Lily for nearly half a century. 



I 



