THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
315 
common and pertinent question, to which we answer, 
Yes, as nearly as any other genera of plants with which 
we are acquainted. Make your heavy soil rich, and 
provide good drainage, and you will get an abundance 
of beautiful Lilies. Make your light soil rich, and care¬ 
fully protect from the burning sun by some suitable 
mulch or screen, and you will get the same. 
A common cause of failure in Lily culture is in plant¬ 
ing in wet situations; too much water around the bulbs 
in winter is about as injurious to the plant as too many 
degrees of frost. In situations where water covers the 
ground for any great length of time when the bulbs are 
at rest, they will not be likely to succeed; in fact, they 
will very likely perish. There are many gardens that 
are noted for their productiveness which cannot be 
planted before the first of May, because of too much 
moisture; such an one is not the congenial home of the 
Lily. If such an one you have, your remedy is in a raised 
bed; this should be at least eighteen inches above 
the level, and is best made in the following manner: 
Cover a space of the required size with stone, which 
should be a foot high, and placed irregularly, leaving 
the spaces between not more than ten inches in any di¬ 
rection. Between the stones fill in with good, strong, 
rich soil, even with the tops; on this soil plant the bulbs 
in the manner we shall soon describe, covering to the 
depth of six inches. The bulbs should not be placed 
nearer than one foot to the edge of the bed, which 
should be nicely sodded and kept neatly trimmed dur¬ 
ing summer. This bed will require mulching during the 
winter the same as if the bulbs were planted in the 
ordinary border. With these precautions, Lilies of all 
denominations, excepting one or two that we shall 
mention in our selection for the garden, can be grown 
in the greatest perfection, and reward the grower most 
liberally for all the care and attention given. 
The protection of a bed of Lilies is a simple and in¬ 
expensive operation. The best and most natural mulch¬ 
ing we have ever used is a covering, say six inches in 
depth, of newly fallen leaves; these kept in their places 
by a few brush, or pieces of board. Salt or marsh hay 
is also an excellent protection; corn-stalks answer a 
good purpose; in short, whatever material is the most 
convenient that will accomplish the purpose is the best 
to use. 
The next important consideration is, how to plant, and 
upon this much depends; it is also a part of the work 
but little understood and generally neglected. To pre¬ 
pare a bed properly, the soil should be thrown out to the 
depth of two feet; in the bottom there should be at 
least six inches of well-rotted manure firmly packed 
down, upon this eight inches of good garden soil, then 
one inch of clean sand, upon this, place the bulbs and 
cover them with sand, then fill up with the same soil as 
below the bulb; no manure should ever come in contact 
with the bulb, as it only tends to produce fungus and 
rot. The mission of the bulb is to sustain the plant until 
there is root and leaf development sufficient to carry on 
the work: it is simply a storehouse of food laid up by 
the plant this year for the commencement of its labors 
the next. The plant derives its sustenance far away 
from the bulb, and will increase in size and strength in 
proportion to the amount of food in store for it, until 
it has reached its maximum growth. It is quite as im¬ 
portant to have the soil above the bulb rich, as it is be¬ 
low, as most species feed near the surface, through 
their thousands of roots thrown out from the stem just 
under the surface of the ground. 
An important precaution is to have the Lily-bed par¬ 
tially shaded, or to protect the plants from the mid-day 
sun by a light lattice covering, say six feet above the 
plant, or to arrange a frame for a light canvass cover¬ 
ing, to be used in excessively hot w^eather. This will not 
only prolong the season of flowering, but the individual 
flowers will be much larger, the colors and markings 
better defined, and the whole plant will be stronger and 
more healthy. 
Selection is the last consideration, and which is an in¬ 
dividual work.depending upon the taste, the amount of 
room to be devoted to their culture, and the amount of 
money to be invested, all of which must be determined 
by the grower. If I could have but one of the species 
it would be the Candidum, because of its graceful habit, 
and the stainless purity of its noble white flowers. If 
my means were not limited, I should have every species 
well represented in the garden, excepting the Gigan- 
teum, Cordifoliznn and Thompsonianuvi, which should 
be included in a separate class, requiring, as they do, 
greenhouse culture. 
In addition to the above we should have for a medium 
sized garden the following: L. Brownii, which is also 
known as L. Japonicum,. a native of China, and remark¬ 
able for its long trumpet-shaped flowers, ivory-white on 
the inside and dark purple on the outside. This is usu¬ 
ally regarded as a tender Lily, and not much grown, 
because of its liability to perish. Yet we know of no 
Lily more hardy, or one that gives greater satisfaction. 
We know of a chimp of this beautiful species that has 
not been disturbed in a number of years—six, at least, 
and yields annually its gorgeous flowers in the greates, 
profusion. 
L. Auratum, for the open border has no superior. This 
is popularly known as the Golden-banded Lily. It is at 
most valuable plant, because of the size and color of 
the blossoms; it is not ah uncommon thing to see a 
single stem bearing from fifteen to twenty flowers, each 
a foot or more in diameter. The colors and markings 
of these flowers are variable, and the growers have 
selected several types and given them distinctive variety 
names; we have not found these to prove constant, and 
should consider what was known as the original type all 
that was desirable in making up a collection. 
L. Elegans is an early flowering Lily, and one of the 
best for general cultivation. It is commonly sent out 
under the name Tliunbergianum. It is a very variable 
species, there being a score or more named varieties. 
The type grows about one foot high, with stout, erect 
stems, furnished with numerous narrow leaves, and 
terminated with an umbel of dark orange-red flowers, 
each five or six inches across. 
Lilium Excelsum, is a superb Lily, which has a mixed 
history and a variety of names, it being called, besides 
the name above given, L. Isabellinum and L. Lostciceum. 
It has been generally supposed a hybrid between Can- 
didvm and Clialcedonicum, and is said to have been first 
noticed in a bed of seedlings in Erfurt, in 1846. Dr. 
Wallace says of it: “It has been thought not to have 
a Japanese origin, because no bulbs of it have ever been 
traced as coming over from the islands of the Western 
Sea, so productive of new and graceful forms; but, we 
have seen more than once, in Japanese drawings executed 
for us, years ago, by some of the best artists in Yeddo 
