HINTS ON LILY CULTURE 
PLANTING 
If possible the ground should be pre¬ 
pared for Lilies the fall before plant¬ 
ing. Frost and snow have a wonderful 
effect upon soil; and check the devel¬ 
opment of insect pests. Incorporation 
of leaf-mold will improve most soils; 
and with a heavy clay or light sandy 
soil such treatment is certainly indi¬ 
cated. 
If bulbs are to be planted near vig¬ 
orous shrubs or trees, a wooden box 
(capacity one bushel or more) like an 
apple box should be sunk and the bulbs 
planted in that. The boards will pre¬ 
vent the encroachment of the tree 
feeding roots until the Lilies are es¬ 
tablished. The bulbs may be surrounded 
by wire netting to prevent damage by 
mice or squirrels. The material sold 
as hardware cloth is about right. It 
comes in strips two feet wide, from 
which it is easy to make baskets eight 
inches wide with sides eight inches 
deep. If half-inch mesh is used, the 
bulbs may be planted in these buried 
baskets without hindering root growth. 
Plant Lilies with a spade, not a 
trowel. Dig up the ground for at least 
eighteen inches deep. Turn the good 
topsoil down where the roots will be. 
In “trenching” for Lilies or other 
plants, I like to put sods at the bot¬ 
tom of the bed. This is humus in its 
best form. It holds the moisture and 
feeds the plant. The various kinds of 
Lilies should be planted four to ten 
inches deep and will need as much 
more for root run. 
Many of the Asiatic Lilies and some 
of the European and American species 
make roots on the flower stem, in ad¬ 
dition to those on the base of the bulb. 
These are commonly referred to as 
“stem-rooting Lilies.” In this class¬ 
ification are auratum, speciosum, Hen- 
ryi, regale, formosanum, tiger, etc. 
Deeper planting is advised for these 
than for those that make roots from 
the base of the bulb only. The latter 
are called “base-rooting” and include 
candidum, pumilum, pardalinum. Mar- 
tagon and others. If in doubt ask your 
nurseryman when you buy bulbs. Per¬ 
haps the safest rule is, “Cover to a 
depth equal to three times the dia- 
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