WORTHY OF GENERAL CULTURE. 
37 
Summer Mulching of Growing Plants. —The first is to cover the bed with some neat mulching in order to keep 
the ground cool and moist ; this is not only necessary for the full development of the flower, but for the growth of the bulb, 
the plant's storehouse of food, with which it commences operations the coming season. For this purpose we should advise 
the use of some low-growing plant, the annual Dwarf Petunia, the Moneywort, Sedums, or any other plant that will not 
offend the eye and cover the ground quickly, con¬ 
tinuing in flower the whole season. Last season we 
tried several rows of Longiflorums mulched with 
Pansies, with excellent effect. 
Directions for Planting. —The next impor¬ 
tant 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 prepare 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 sus¬ 
tain the plant until there is root and leaf development 
sufficient to carry on the work ; it is simply a store¬ 
house 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 
important to have the soil above the bulb rich as it is below, as most species feed near the surface through their thousands 
of roots thrown out from the stem just under the surface of the ground. 
Time of Planting. —Our next consideration will be when to plant. This is also an important one, the neglect of 
which is one of the many causes of failure. The Lilium candidum should be removed in August, and not kept out of the 
earth but three or four weeks. The Excelsum, which belongs to the same class, does not ripen so early ; we find the better 
time to remove the bulb is in September. This rule will also apply to the Martagon and its varieties. All the other species 
can be taken up in October, replanted at once, or packed away in leaf mold until the ground is in proper condition for 
planting in spring. Bulbs should not remain dry but for a very short period ; every day they are out of the ground 
materially weakens them, often beyond their power of recuperation. We do not marvel that growers get discouraged in their 
efforts to get a Lily bed established, when we see them go to a seed store and get bulbs that have been kept in dry saw¬ 
dust, or exposed in the dry atmosphere of the seed room from September until May. Such bulbs will not recover until long 
after the hopes of the amateur are blasted, and he has bestowed his blighted affections on some other plant. When Lilies 
have become established frequent removals are not desirable ; they should remain undisturbed as long as they flower satis¬ 
factorily. It is well to remove the small bulbs that form at the base of the stem in early spring and transfer them to the 
reserve ground to complete their growth and be ready for future use. 
In conclusion, let me say that in making a selection you cannot well go wrong, for there is not a species or variety that 
is not worthy of a place in the garden. If you are successful in their cultivation, as you will be if you deserve to be, you 
will be sure to increase the number of varieties annually until you have either filled your grounds or have secured a com¬ 
plete collection. You will also have observed that your investment, heavy as it may have seemed at the start, has 
relatively been small, as plants that are steadily and rapidly increasing in number, though they may cost one dollar each 
when you commence, are in the end much cheaper than those that require to be renewed annually, like all of the popular 
bedding plants. 
the Turk’s cat i.ily—naturalized in the grass. 
