638 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER- 
August 24, 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
A “Chop-Suey” Lily. —Tt is well known 
that the Chinese make free use of lily 
bulbe as a vegetable, cooking them in a 
variety of ways. They are seldom of¬ 
fered to foreigners, but travelers who 
have tried them say lily bulbs as served 
resemble onions in flavor, but are in¬ 
ferior. There would appear little neces¬ 
sity for their use, as the Chinese culti¬ 
vate an excellent little onion somewhat 
like the ciboule or Welsh onion. Allium 
fistulosum, yet lily bulbs are so well re¬ 
garded that they are higher in price in 
the land of cheap commodities than in 
Europe or America. The varieties used 
are commonly ascribed to the species 
Lilium tigrinum, the familiar Tiger lily 
of old gardens—but Mr. E. H. Wilson, 
a botanical traveler in Western China, 
reports the L. Sutchuenense, a handsome 
species quite new to science, is also eaten, 
both wild and cultivated bulbs being sold 
in market. Lily bulbs, as an article of 
diet, are regularly imported in quantity 
by Orientals in this country, the largest 
consignments arriving in January, and 
are offered in Chinese groceries at prices 
ranging from 15 to 25 cents the pound; 
from which it will be seen lilies are not 
regarded as cheap provender. Two years 
ago the writer bought a large bulb from 
a Pell Street importer. It was-a “four¬ 
nosed” affair, that is, it had four distinct 
eyes or growing centers, and was con¬ 
siderably over a pound in weight. The 
Chinese salesman insisted that it was “no 
good” to plant, being only fit for the 
table, and offered instead giant bulbs of 
the familiar oriental Narcissus or Joss 
flower, so freely sold everywhere by bulb 
dealers as the Chinese Sacred lily, for 
Winter blooming in dishes of pebbles and 
water. The true lily bulb, however, was 
planted, as soon as frost was out of the 
ground, at the base of a tall locust tree, 
bedding it in sand and woods earth, and 
covering it eight inches deep with similar 
material. In due time four thick sprouts 
appeared and grew vigorously, three bear¬ 
ing two enormous flowers each in July. 
The blooms approached those of Lilium 
auratum in size, being seven inches long 
and nearly six wide at the mouth. The 
color, at first pale yellow, soon changed 
to cream white internally, while the out¬ 
side was blotched with reddish brown or 
chocolate, which became less distinct as 
the flowers matured. They were delight¬ 
fully fragrant, and lasted in good condi¬ 
tion rather more than a week. This sea¬ 
son the bulb threw up five shoots, grow¬ 
ing nearly four feet high and bearing in 
all 16 perfect blooms. The plant in 
bloom is fairly well shown in Fig. 314, 
page 634. This fine specimen appears to 
be the form of Lilium Browni known 
both as L. odorum and L- Japonicum 
Colchesterense. Many other bulbs of 
similar appearance were bought last 
Winter and planted but all that bloomed 
turned out to be more or less typical L. 
Browni, having narrower flowers, white 
inside and reddish purple outside. No 
Tiger lily bulbs have been noticed in the 
markets, and it would appear that New 
York Chinamen, at least, prefer Browni 
lilies as an esculent to the ordinary kind. 
Seedling Lilies. —Few Old World 
lilies seed well in this country, though, as 
a rule, the plants are more easily grown 
in the Eastern States than native species 
from the Pacific coast. The Siberian 
Coral lily, L. tenuifolium, L. Henryi, the 
new yellow species from Western China, 
and L. Hansoni, the Golden Turk’s-cap 
lily, form seeds freely, when established, 
and may readily be propagated in this 
manner. A few others seed sparingly 
when their requirements are fairly well 
suited. The beautiful Speciosum lilies, 
probably the most popular of all, belong 
to this group. A clump established many 
years ago on the Rural Grounds, annu¬ 
ally ripens many well-filled capsules, 
whether the blooms are left to themselves 
or carefully emasculated, covered, and 
fertilized with pollen of other species. 
The final result is the same when seed¬ 
lings are grown to blooming size—there 
is no perceptible difference between the 
progeny of self and cross-pollinated seeds 
—all are Speciosums, varying only a trifle 
in the tinting of the blooms. Neverthe¬ 
less we keep on year after year apply¬ 
ing pollen of other species in the hope 
that a desirable hybrid may eventually 
result. Seedling Speciosums are beautiful 
and vigorous beyond those grown from 
imported bulbs, and are so easily raised 
when seeds can be procured that it ap¬ 
pears worth while to grow them in quan¬ 
tity. Fig. 315, page 635, represents the 
convenient method we have adopted, and 
which may be readily extended by the 
use of secure cold frames for Winter 
protection. The seeds ripen late—many 
green capsules are caught by the first 
hard frosts—but this matters little, as the 
stems may be cut and the seeds slowly 
ripened in a light room. When the pods 
or capsules dry and open the flat seeds 
may be shaken out and planted in pots or 
boxes, sowing them thickly—several to 
each square inch of soil surface. We use 
condensed milk boxes, six inches deep 
and approximately 12 by 20 inches in out¬ 
side measurement. 1 hese boxes are 
usually strong enough to give two or 
more years of service when thus used. 
Drainage is effected through nine or more 
inch holes bored in bottom. 1 he holes 
are partially covered with cinders or 
broken pots, over which an inch or two 
of rotted sods are placed. Then comes 
three inches of good rich garden soil and 
woods earth coarsely sifted together. 1 he 
final layer is wholly of sandy swamp 
soil that has been exposed to the weather 
over Winter. The seeds are sown as 
above directed, and thinly covered with 
the same material. The boxes are well 
watered and kept under the protection of 
wire netting under the shade of trees 
until hard freezing, when they are re¬ 
moved to an unheated greenhouse—any 
light shed might answer as well—and 
stored for the Winter, watering occasion¬ 
ally when the frost is out or the soil 
begins to dry. They must be placed 
next Summer in some secure place in 
nearly full sunlight, and thoroughly 
watered every day. Many seeds should 
germinate by midsummer, the leaf 
growth presenting the appearance shown 
in the box in the left of Fig. 315. 1 his 
appears quite sparse and feeble, but many 
germinating lily seeds make no leaf 
growth the first year. They merely form 
an underground bulb scale or two and 
wait another season before sending up 
foliage. Beyond careful weeding tbe soil 
in the boxes must not be disturbed for 
two years, but, when the feeble first year s 
leaf growth dies down in Fall the boxes 
may again be placed under shelter and 
in severe climates protected 'by a cover¬ 
ing of sand or sifted ashes that. should 
be kept moist by occasional watering. As 
mice will occasionally eat stored lily bulbs 
it is well to tack old wire mosquito net¬ 
ting over the boxes before storing. Next 
year’s treatment is similar to the first, but 
many seedlings will probably grow stems 
a foot or more high, and much foliage 
should appear where the surface was va¬ 
cant the preceding season. In the box 
shown at right of Fig. 315 there are 
growing 116 strong plants, and probably 
some of the smaller bulbs have not yet 
formed leaves. Watering should be care¬ 
fully attended to the second Summer, as 
the foliage rapidly exhausts the soil. 
When the leaves yellow in October tbe 
soil should be carefully turned out and 
the bulbs, some of which may be as large 
as a walnut, planted out in well-prepared 
beds', placing them about 10 inches apart, 
and covering at least six inches deep. If 
seeds are sown in deep roomy pots and 
the plants given greenhouse treatment 
blooms may often be had the second sea¬ 
son, but by the crowded box method 
without glass protection flowers, should 
not be expected until the third and 
fourth years. It is little use to plant lily 
and other slow-gaited seeds in the gar¬ 
den. The difficulties of weeding and 
culture for so long an interval, and the 
danger of moles, mice and other vermin 
is so great that the outcome is seldom 
worth the trouble. w. v. F, 
A low wagon 
at a low price. 
Handy for 
the farmer. 
Will carry a 
load any¬ 
where a horse 
can travel. 
Low Down Wagons 
soon earn their cost on any farm. 
Steel Wheels 
for farm wagons. Straight or stag¬ 
gered spokes. Any size wanted, any 
width of tire. Hubs to tit any axle. 
For catalogue and prices, write to 
Empire MIg.Co., Box 70 H Quincy, III 
Havana Low Wagons 
All stool, made to last; wood gears also. Save high 
lifting, hard pulling, avoid cutting up fields. Tires any 
width up to 8 Inches. STEEL WHEELS furnished TO KIT 
OLD GEARS. Write for free booklet. 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL CO., Box 17. HAVANA, ILL. 
Keen Your Money" 
K In Your Fist 
Don’t give us acentuntil 
you are satisfied. Bushel crates 
handle economically your crop of 
potatoes, garden truck, fruits, 
etc. They’re best for stor¬ 
age. Tier them high as you 
please; they hold a bushel 
even full. More time for 
other work, Quicker ser¬ 
vice, more profit from bet¬ 
ter kept fruit, less sorting 
when you use Geneva 
Bushel Crates. Write 
for information how we 
send goods—no cash in 
advance. Book free. 
Geneva Cooperage | 
Co., Box 20, 
Geneva, Ohio, 
Vv * 
MACHINERY 
f. IDE 
KJB Best and cheapest, 
Send for catalogue 
BOOMER & BOSCHERT 
PRESS CO., 
118 West Water St., 
SYRACUSE, K. Y. 
WE’LL PAY THE FREIGHT 
and send 4 lluifgy W heels, Steel Tire, on - if I. Tf> 
With Rubber Tires, $14.20. 1 mfg. wheels H to 4 iu. 
tread. Top Buggies. $28.75; Harness, $4.90. Write for 
catlog. Learn how to buy direct. Repair Wheels. $5.00. 
Wagon Umbrella FREE W.R.BOOB,Cincinnati,O. 
FERTILIZER LIME etc., address 
WALTON QUARHIES, Harrisburg, Fa. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
It. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
"a square deal." See guarantee, page 8. 
HURST SPRAYER ox FREE TRIAL 
FREE. 
No money in advance—Pay when con¬ 
venient. Sprays Everything—Trees ;Po- 
tatoes, Truck, etc. 4 rows at a time—20 
a day. Doubles Your Crop—extra 
one acre will pay for it first seas- 
A boy can operate. GUARANTEED 
YEARS. Wholesale Price (where no 
Agts. wanted. After trial,if you 
when - you can. Special 
for first one in locality. 
Guide"and full information 
H. h. HURST MEG. CO.. 50 North St. Canton,U. 
mtk.w It will pay you to spray your 
■t ni l JB NT Fruit Trees and Vines for protec- 
|/1#fl I tion from scale and all insect 
■% Iv • pestsandfungusdiseases.FKICE 
|J1 Instruction Book sllOWS the 
famous Garfield, Umpire King, Orchard 
Monarch and other sprayers; also gives a lot 
of formulas and other valuable information. 
GET THE BEST 
A Good Spray Pump earns big 
profits and lasts for years. 
THE ECLIPSE 
is a good pump. As 
kpractical fruit growers 
we were using common 
sprayers in our own orchards 
—found their defects and 
invented the Eclipse. Its 
success forced us to manu¬ 
facturing on a large scale. 
You take no chances. We 
have done all the experi¬ 
menting. Large fully illustrated Catalog and 
Treatise on spraying FREE. 
MORRILL & MORLEY. Benton Harbor, Mich. 
if the ' oa j’ 
omtuelo* 1 - 
. tea® ®> 4 
7vesSS°tB e 
> aveb _ from 
c oio eS .4 q 
te .?v,We®°« 
Home 
on Furlough 
There are few young men 
who could accomplish as much for 
themselves at home as they can in 
the Navy. The young man who 
makes his first visit home on fur¬ 
lough from the Navy can hardly 
realize that he is the same person 
who joined the Navy but a short 
time before. The things he has 
seen and learned, the training he 
has received, have probably 
worked a wonderful improvement 
in his ability, appearance and 
value to himself. The 
United 
States 
Navy 
needs a large number of bright young American citizens between 
the ages of 17 and 35 years. The increasing number of vessels in 
the Navy gives splendid opportunity for rapid promotion to 
those who prove efficient. 
Pay, $16.00 to $70.00 per month, including board, medical at¬ 
tendance, and clothing allowance at first enlistment. Special in¬ 
ducements and increased pay for re-enlistments. 
Navy Recruiting Stations are located in various cities where 
candidates may apply in person. If not convenient to Recruiting 
Stations, full information of how and where to join the Navy can 
be had by writing. 
Bureau of Navigation, 
Navy Department, Box M, Washington, D. C . 
