August, i 9 i 6 
19 
The rather insignificant flowers are borne 
in upward curving clusters at the ends of 
horizontal, leafless stems 
THE AGAVE 
A single tall stalk rises from the basal 
leaves. This Agave werklei is a “century 
plant” and dies after blooming 
— A STUDY IN S 
Photographs by Dr. E. Bade 
Bulblets form on the flower stems and, 
dropping to the ground, take root and 
spring up after the parent dies 
ELF SOWING 
to make them look like dainty bells in their 
outlines; but one group is upstanding, 
forming natural cups or chalices, while 
the other droops and nods and sways for 
all the world as if it were actually a set 
of elfin chimes. So the first is called the 
cup or chalice form, while the other is 
appropriately known as bell shaped. 
The Colors of Lilies 
Thus we come to color. Well, there 
are just four distinct colors, including 
white, in the lily tribe, though there are 
several gradations which some list as 
separate colors. There are three degrees 
or shades of yellow, and there are red, 
pink and white. Some of the yellows are 
pale; some lean so to red that orange- 
scarlet results; the reds are all scarlets 
save in the speciosum and Japonicum 
strains; and the pinks are all rosy or with 
a tendency toward mauve rather than the 
salmon shade. Thus there are really two 
distinct reds to be considered: the scarlet, 
and the American Beauty rose or Bur¬ 
gundy red. All of the pinks are related 
to the latter, and are hideously inhar¬ 
monious with the former. So immedi¬ 
ately it is apparent that these speciosum 
or Melpomene lilies must never be as¬ 
sociated with any but the white lilies or 
others of their own kind; for there are no 
colors that clash more unpleasantly than 
do these two separate reds. 
At last we come to the final division of 
the lily family—the easy-to-grow and the 
not-easy-to-grow. With the former before 
you and the latter eliminated altogether, you 
are then ready to make your own especial 
selection, fairly forewarned. 
Easy Sorts to Grow 
Right at the beginning we must put 
Lilium elegans, from Japan. This may be 
classed as orange, though it is not always 
just that, being what growers call “vari¬ 
able.” It is an erect or chalice lily, with 
several varieties. The one called fulgens is 
really very splendid, a deep orange-red. 
Another is atrosanguinium, darker and a 
true, deep, rich red—of the scarlet alliance, 
always remember. Variety alutaceum is a 
good clear yellow, while bicolor is yellow at 
the center and red farther out. Any one or 
all of these are practically as easy to grow 
as grass; you can hardly fail with them. 
Running a close second to Lilium elegans 
and its varieties is the Chinese Lilium con- 
color, which is bright scarlet, and its va¬ 
The Madonna lily is superb in color and form. 
Take special pains to keep it free from disease 
after growth starts 
riety partheneion, which is a clear, true 
yellow. Confine yourself to one or the 
other of these species. There is not suffi¬ 
cient difference between them to warrant 
having both in one garden. 
In the rose-red division Lilium specio¬ 
sum, another from Japan, is supreme, and 
every garden ought to have a clump or mass 
of these, planted where you cannot see 
them and the scarlet lilies at the same time. 
For myself, I like them better than I do 
the more brilliant and glaring reds. Lilium 
speciosum, var. rubrum, is said to be more 
hardy and thrifty than the type (L. specio¬ 
sum), but I have found them both per¬ 
fectly satisfactory and no one will have 
any difficulty with either, I am sure. The 
type is almost white, overlaid with a deli¬ 
cate pink flush and dotted with rich red 
spots. It is a magnificent flower, indeed. 
The variety ( rubrum ) is a transparent 
carmine-red which also has the effect of 
being laid over white. 
The darkest of all lilies is L. Brownii, 
held by some to be not a distinct species, 
but only a variety of L. Japonicum, being 
native to the same parts of Japan. Hap¬ 
pily this is an “easy-to-grow” and espe¬ 
cially recommended to beginners by the 
authorities. It is not as showy as some, 
but nevertheless is very attractive, for 
the inside is white, while outside it is 
deep red-purple, and the flowers are large 
and fine. It belongs to the trumpet¬ 
shaped class, as do all of the lily family 
that are white on the inside. 
To this class the Easter lily of to-day 
belongs —Lilium longiflonim or L. Har - 
risii, according to whether the bulbs have 
been grown in Japan or Bermuda. The 
flowers of this are much longer than 
those of any other white lily that will 
grow in the garden, and it is as fine a 
garden lily as it is for pots, forced at 
Easter time—if you get healthy bulbs. 
To do this, buy L. longiflorum rather than 
the bulbs of L. Harisii, for the Japan grown 
bulbs are not likely to be diseased, while 
those from Bermuda are almost sure to be. 
Disease Prevention 
This Easter lily of to-day is not the true 
Madonna lily. This is seldom seen now, 
for its susceptibility to disease has made it 
unpopular. Then, too, L. longiflorum forces 
much more easily, and everyone seems to 
think an Easter lily must be a lily in a pot 
in the house at Easl :r time. 
As far as the disease is concerned, it is 
with a lily just as it is with any other plant; 
there is absolutely no use in trying to cure 
a disease, after it lias once taken hold. The 
only cure for plant diseases is prevention; 
therefore, to grow Annunciation lilies that 
are healthy and free from disease they must 
be kept healthy and free from it, from the 
instant they stick their heads above ground, 
by early and frequent sprayings with Bor¬ 
deaux mixture. This gives the spores which 
cause the disease no opportunity to germi¬ 
nate, and this is absolutely the only way to 
control the situation. 
(Continued on page 52) 
