AMEBIC AN BULBS UNDER GLASS 17 
Instead of growing bulbs and forcing them the grower may plant 
seed annually about November 1, prick off the seedlings into 2-inch 
pots, transfer to the field when danger of frost is past, and transplant 
from the field to pots for forcing before winter sets in. This sort of 
handling can be done in the very cold North, for the plants are 
not out during the winter. A house for this kind of culture is 
shown in Plate 7, and a batch of plants sized to come in at different 
times during the winter in Plate 8, B and C. A more complete dis- 
cussion of this subject will be found in Department Bulletin No. 
962. 2 
THE MADONNA LILY 
The Madonna lily (Lilium candidum-, pi. 8, A) has been forced 
from bulbs grown on Puget Sound three or four seasons. The 
results have always been commensurate with the quality of the stocks 
forced. Bulbs for forcing should be firm, symmetrical, single nosed, 
and preferably above 20 centimeters in circumference. The prac- 
tice has been to keep the pots in a cool house until January and 
then put them in a temperature of 55 to 60° F. at night. In 1924 
they blossomed the middle of March. 
As brought out in Department Bulletin No. 1331, 3 the Madonna 
lily must be grown on a well-drained soil in order to produce bulbs 
suitable for forcing. On heavy soils, especially with an impervious 
clay subsoil, the autumnal growth and the central scales are broken 
off, decidedly weakening the bulbs. When properly grown, the 
American bulbs force as well as the imported. 
LILIUM UMBELLATUM 
Forms of Lilium umbellatum are comparatively easily forced and 
very easily produced, but it is not the purpose to pass judgment upon 
this lily as a florist flower. The lily should be potted in the fall 
and left in the heeling ground until late in December or early in 
January. Some freezing seems to be desirable. In 1923 and 1924 
bulbs grown at Bellingham, Wash., were potted in September and 
left in an uncovered frame until the middle of December. They 
blossomed very satisfactorily by the middle of March. 
This lily should not be brought into heat early, because if it is 
it will not start until January, and the bulbs are almost certain to 
be materially injured by two or three months in heat before growth 
starts. The only safe course is to leave them outside until the first 
of the year. They will then take a temperature of 50 to 60° F. at 
night very well. 
MUSCARI (GRAPE HYACINTH) 
When brought along slowly for late February flowering with 
good lighting, the Muscari varieties Heavenly Blue, Conicum 
(pi. 9, A), and Azurea make especially fine subjects for either pots 
or cut flowers. Their worst character is the long leaf so difficult 
to keep in good condition. However, these leaves are an asset when 
2 Griffiths, D. The production of the easter lily in northern climates. U. S. 
Dept. Agr. Bui. 962. 31 pp.. illus. 1921. 
3 Griffiths, D. The madonna lily. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 1331, 18 pp., illus. 1925. 
