THE CULTIVATION OF HARDY LILIES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 
21 
or border for these flowers, choice should be 
made of a spot naturally rather dry; the bed 
or border should be dug eighteen inches deep, 
and the bottom six inches should be dry brick- 
rubbish or lime core; upon this some leaf- 
mould, to make a good inch as a bottom. Fill 
up the bed with loam, peat, and decayed cow- 
dung, in equal portions; and in this plant the 
flowering bulbs, in such form as you think best 
adapted to the purpose you require. If, for 
instance, it is a long ornamental border, they 
should be planted in patches of three, forming 
a triangle of a foot from point to point; this 
looks well at first, and allows the offsets to 
grow and bloom, for they ought not to be dis- 
turbed until the end of the third season, 
during which period many offsets will have 
grown to blooming roots, and each group will, 
in the third season, have made a rich ap- 
pearance. If the object were to form clumps 
or beds, they should be planted one sort in a 
clump, and a foot apart every way; but in any 
case they should be left three years undis- 
turbed. In the usual way, where lilies are 
cultivated in collections, the beds are long 
and formed as we have described, and the dif- 
ferent kinds are grown in short rows across 
the bed ; but in general borders, of a mixed 
character, these flowers are to be used in the 
same way as any others, for the sake of their 
colours, and the diversity which they produce 
or assist. In May, June, or July, there is no 
flower to eclipse them; and the most distinct 
characters should be chosen where the number 
is to be limited. For instance, the following 
can hardly be dispensed with, whatever may 
be done with regard to others. 
The White Lily, (Lilium Candidum,) which 
has a leafy stem, four feet high, ending with 
a spike of beautiful white flowers ; of this 
Fin. 3. 
species there are several varieties, but some 
are rather distinctions than differences. 
The Orange Lily, (Lilium Bulbiferum,) with 
a leafy stem, three feet high, terminating with 
rich orange-coloured flowers: a good contrast 
to the white, and fit to be placed nearer the 
front of a border, because a foot shorter. This 
variety has the scaly buds, which fall off and 
grow to regular underground bulbs, like the 
parent. Of this there are many varieties 
also. 
The third sort to be recommended for 
limited growers is the Martagon, of which 
Fig. 4. 
there are different colours, say four kinds: these 
are as gay as any of the tribe, and are about 
the same height as the orange lily, or between 
that and the white. Lilium Chalcedonicum is 
called the scarlet Martagon, although not 
named among the Lilium Martagon. 
The Lilium Japonicum is a noble flower, six 
or seven inches broad, on a stem five feet high. 
To these may be added the Turk's-cap Lily, 
(L. Canadense,) and the Tiger Lily, (L. Tigri- 
num ;) these are some of the most showy of 
the tribe, that can be grown out of doors, 
almost without care or trouble, but which come, 
nevertheless, so much finer with a little of 
both, that they will repay us. If, then, 
flowers are grown in unprepared borders, the 
offsets should be regularly planted in beds 
prepared as we have mentioned, and allowed 
room to grow. The offsets should only be 
taken from the old roots once in three years, 
as we have already mentioned. This should be 
when the bloom has gone off and the stems 
have died down ; they must then be carefully 
lifted, for the scales of the bulb easily break 
off, and that damages the plant. The offsets 
should be carefully detached, and laid on 
one side; the old bulbs should be replanted, 
or if not, should be packed in sand, for they 
must not be allowed to dry up. "When they 
are disposed of, and the offsets of all sizes are 
taken away, the bed in which they are to 
be grown should be dug well, and the soil well 
bruised or broken; then either draw drills 
across the bed three inches deep, or have a blunt 
dibber, large enough to make holes appropriate 
