Washington, D. C. vV December, 1926 
THE REGAL LILY 
By Davin GriFrFitHs, Horticulturist, Office of Horticulture, Bureau of Plant 
Industry 
CONTENTS 
Page Page 
Difficulties in accumulating stocks ~- Pas Mertwazerse ss sets tA. okt oe Pee 10 
Time of seed planting_____________ 2) Seed production_=— = 22-22 s- si So iat 
Seed inci ee 2 ae Be 2 | The habit of the Regal lily____-___ 12 
Careiineninst years> O7t? ts Bier ob oe BONS eyityls s.r sr ee ere Oe re 
Length of time in seed bed_____--_~_ HEY MOSS! ks 2 eee eS ee a 13 
Fall or spring planting of bulbs___-_ 5 | The Regal as a forcing lily________ i3 
N@ie een a APs ce 5 | The Regal lily in beds and borders__ 15 
Planting and soil preparation ______ 6 | The Regal lily as a cut flower______ 16 
Care after the first year__________- Stir) werasisplambim ct — is Soe) ees ta eS 16 
Mulch and hardiness ___-_____--_~_ 7 | Transportation of seedlings ________ 16 
NM Sesea Fae LAS Re a eh ea eh 8 | Sipping the bulbs__————- 22 = sk 17 
Stordoese tow 5. ee et 8 | To cut or not to cut the roots______ 3 ly ¢ 
Reproduction from stem bulblets____ 92 -Summaty ==] 26 2 ee ee eee is 
The best way to produce stock_____~- 10 
DIFFICULTIES IN ACCUMULATING STOCKS 
American experience with the Regal lily (Zzliwm regale) embodies 
a fine demonstration of the inherent difficulty connected with the 
establishment of a new crop. The species was discovered by E. H. 
Wilson in north-central China in 1903 and was introduced by 
him into the United States in 1908. In spite of the fact that it is 
a plant of the most easy culture and propagation, only now, after 
18 years of optimism with reference to its possibilities, is the culture 
beginning to assume a commercial status. Even yet there are those 
who are skeptical about our ability to produce satisfactory bulbs 
in this country. This skepticism is due in largest measure to unsat- 
isfactory experience with market materials which have been kept 
down in size and quality by excessive demands, lack of experience, 
and want of information. . 
We have here the anomaly of a market offering of only a few 
hundred thousand bulbs of all sizes, and a prospective demand in a 
very short while for a dozen millions if the bulbs were offered. The 
eager taking up of the stocks before the bulbs have time even to 
flower prevents the accumulation of propagating materials. The 
demand is so great and the prices so attractive that the tendency 
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