ie 
THE EASTER LILY IN NORTHERN CLIMATES. 27 
and had an added covering of another foot of dry leaves. These 
bulbs kept in good condition up to the 1st of May. 
SIZES OF MERCHANTABLE BULBS. 
Imported stocks of Easter lily bulbs range in size from 6 to 12 
inches in circumference, the price charged being roughly propor- 
tional to the size of the bulb and indicating in a general way that 
there is merit in large size which is of advantage to the florist. 
There is a difference of opinion on this point, and some of the best 
erowers use the smaller sizes. 
Commonly, the prices quoted are the same per case for all sizes. 
In a recent quotation by one of the leading importers, five sizes of 
Formosums, running from 6 to 11 inches, are advertised at the same 
price per case; but the number of bulbs in the case varies from 100 
for the large size to 350 for the smaller. Here there is a difference 
of 34 to 1 when the number of bulbs is considered. 
It is believed that the yield from the successful culture of 1m- 
ported bulbs is somewhere between three and five flowers per plant 
for all sizes. There are no comparative records of the performance 
of different-sized bulbs available, but practical growers express sat- 
isfaction with the yield mentioned. 
Investigations by the Bureau of Plant Industry are not yet ex- 
tensive enough to warrant more than partial conclusions with ref- 
erence to these matters, but the few records which have been made 
are very suggestive and seem to indicate that the performance of 
domestic stocks is superior to that of the imported bulbs; at least, re- 
sults which are superior to those just mentioned are secured. This 
may be due to the better condition of the bulbs, owing to the short 
time during which the domestic stocks are out of the ground. It is 
not believed that the manner of handling accounts for the better 
behavior. Whatever be the cause, it has been possible to obtain an 
average yleld of more than five flowers from bulbs only 5 to 6 inches 
in circumference, the smallest size that the florist uses, or smaller. 
This in reality is a very important matter. It means that if sat- 
isfactory results can be secured under forcing conditions from do- 
mestic bulbs 5 to 7 inches in circumference, they can be produced 
abundantly in one year from stem bulblets. This is not less than a 
year shorter time than is at present required to produce bulbs in 
foreign countries. 
It should be noted that the best of the stem bulblets will blossom 
the first year of independent existence and grow to forcing size. 
(Fig. 13.) In one test an average of more than two flowers per bulb 
was secured under forcing conditions from 110 selected bulblets. 
some producing five and six flowers. (Fig. 14.) 
