59 
In cutting the cheaper varieties for florists’ use, it 
is well to insert the point of a small knife blade into 
the spike, then by bending the spike forward and back¬ 
ward it will break at this point and in most varieties 
can be pulled up and out so that nearly all the leaves 
will be left on the plant, and the resulting bulb will 
have a higher crown and more bulblets than if more of 
the leaves had been sacrificed. 
In the shallow planting, which is the method we 
must use if we desire to get the greatest bulblet in¬ 
crease, we must do the topping early or in the more vig¬ 
orous varieties it will be necessary to stake. By early 
topping we mean cutting off all the top part of the 
spike except the two bottom flower buds, leaving them 
to open later so as to see that the variety is coming true. 
These may then also be cut off and staking will not be 
necessary. 
Our largest bulblets often make spikes from three to 
four feet tall, and such vigorous varieties as Mrs. Leon 
Douglas, Golden Measure, or Rose Ash, will frequently 
o'o six feet or better from a good bulb. Unless early 
topping is done it will be necessary to stake these. For 
a few, green stakes with white tops will look best, but 
for a large number, ordinary lath set about four feet 
apart, connected by one or two strands ot twine run on 
either side of the row, from one to three feet high, will 
suffice. We have frequently placed a lath at each end 
of a seven foot row, with one or two strands of twine on 
each side of the row, and this has proved sufficient. 
When the topping is done after the first floret has 
opened, the tips may be saved and placed in frogs or 
bowls. A bowl of these will make a very fine lily pond 
for table decoration. 
