6 BULLETIN 1459, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
drained Whatcom silt and Lynden sandy loams. The development, 
however, is accelerated very decidedly when planting occurs on the - 
partially ameliorated and well-drained peat soil of the region. 
Seedlings start off very satisfactorily and grow most vigorously on 
these peaty deposits and succeed admirably also on the ordinary 
neutral imported peat commonly sold on our markets. 
At Arlington Experiment Farm, Rosslyn, Va., field cultures were 
attempted on both upland clay and a sandy loam fill. Success was 
obtained on the latter but not on the former, although the lily does 
succeed very well on clay loams provided the tillage is deep and 
good drainage is assured. The failure on clay soil is attributed to 
lack of water percolation through the soil beyond the plow depth 
of 10 to 12 inches, giving a water-logged condition, especially during 
the winter season. The reaction to this condition is more fully dis- 
cussed on a subsequent page. 
PLANTING AND SOIL PREPARATION 
As with practically all lihes, a bed form of planting is advised 
because of the thick and heavy crop which assists in furnishing its 
own protection for the soil and obviates the necessity of cultivation 
near the plants. The Dutch-bed method seems well adapted to the 
culture of this lily and has been the one employed in the investiga- 
tions detailed here. 
The soil for a lily planting should be very thoroughly and deeply 
tilled. At Bellingham, Wash., this culture has consisted in plow- 
ing to a depth as close to 15 inches as possible. A subsoiler has 
then been used to break the ground 6 inches below this. An en- 
deavor is made to get as good a tilth as possible by turning under 
crops of rye and vetch or rotting sod, or by incorporating straw, 
manure, or any organic material that can be had; but no manure 
or straw is used within six months of planting time, and a full year 
is better. 
The land is carefully laid off and the end of the plot squared. 
The beds are laid off with taut lnes and marked by cutting the 
edges deeply 3 feet apart and alternating with 18-inch paths. The 
soil is thrown out of the first bed to a depth of 4 inches or more. 
Bone meal at the rate of about 1,500 pounds to the acre applied 
in the excavated bed is cultivated and raked in. The bed is then 
marked with rows running crosswise. | 
If large bulbs of the Regal or any other lily are to be planted 
and left two years, as is usually the case, the rows are made 9 
inches apart. Small-sized bulbs and seeds are planted in rows 6 
inches apart, or at times seed is put in 38-inch rows. It will be 
seen that the planting does not differ except in minor details from 
that of tulips, daffodils, and other Dutch bulbs. The method is 
more fully described in another bulletin of this series. 2 
As stated above, the first bed is excavated not less than 4 inches 
deep. If rather large bulbs of the Regal lily are to be planted, 
say those 5 to 7 inches in circumference, they are planted seven to 
nine to the 3-foot row. Usually in planting this lily the bulbs will 
grade into about three sizes, one above 5 inches, one 3 to 5 inches, 
| GRIFFITHS, D. THE PRODUCTION OF TULIP BULBS. U.S, Dept. Agr. Bul. 1082, 48 pp., 
illus., 1922. 
