LILY OF THE VALLEY FORCING. 257 



planting, and many growers have been tempted to lift them at 

 that age ; but experience has taught me that the percentage of 

 flowering crowns is smaller and the increase of planting crowns 

 less than when they are left a year longer undisturbed. It is 

 generally understood that lilies of the valley must be three years 

 old before they flower, and that they will then flower every 

 alternate year. This is the rule, but there are exceptions. By 

 good cultivation — i.e. high feeding at the proper time with liquid 

 manure — and if special care is taken to remove the flower as soon 

 as ever it is open, by pulling its stalk right out of the crown, 

 such crowns will bloom several years in succession ; and hence it 

 is obvious that lily crowns can be made to bloom twice within 

 twelve months, viz. once at their natural time in May, and again 

 taken up the following autumn and forced into bloom before 

 J anuary. 



To force lilies of the valley successfully it is of the utmost 

 importance to have well-ripened and well-matured crowns that 

 have fully completed their growth and are perfectly at rest. 

 Before they have undergone a period of rest, be it ever so short, 

 you cannot force them, no matter what amount of heat you may 

 give them. Much also depends on where and how the crowns 

 have been grown. The best are undoubtedly those that have 

 been grown in light sandy soil, heavily manured and well ex- 

 posed to the sun, as they will complete their growth and go 

 sooner to rest than those grown in heavy soil and shady places. 



Forcing operations may commence about the end of October 

 or beginning of November ; the methods adopted are various, 

 but for early flowers, in November and December, a close pro- 

 pagating or forcing pit is absolutely necessary, in order to main- 

 tain a moist and even temperature. If pots are used plant about 

 twelve crowns in a 5-inch pot in the following manner : Place 

 four crowns in the palm of your left hand, then a layer of soil 

 on the roots, again four crowns and more soil, and then the 

 remaining four crowns, keeping the crowns all level ; close your 

 hand and drop the whole into a 5-inch pot, working the soil well 

 in between each crown, so as to have them equally divided and 

 all crowns standing level just above the brim of the pot. Give 

 them a good watering, and plunge the pots in a bed of either 

 moss or cocoanut fibre ; cover lightly with two or three inches of 

 clean moss, and close the bed with boards, to keep it perfectly 



