SPRING FROSTS 
Occasionally late spring frosts raise havoc, especially when they 
follow an early warm good growing period. Those lilies that tend to 
start into growth very early as do L. regale, L. Hansonii, and the 
Martagon-Hansonii hybrids are naturally most liable to injury. On 
this account we recommend a good winter mulch over these lilies in 
areas liable to late frosts. The mulch tends to keep the bulbs dormant 
in spring so that when they emerge and the buds show, danger of 
frost injury is pretty well past. If manure, peat moss, leaves, straw 
or pine needles are used this material may be left on through the 
summer, thus working into the soil and adding humus content. If 
boughs or similar material is used it should be left on as late as pos- 
sible. Lilies planted through perennials or light shrubbery are fairly 
well protected by the foliage of these surrounding plants. 
BOTRYTIS 
Botrytis is troublesome in some localities. This is the fungus that 
forms brown spots on the leaves during damp weather, particularly 
in spring and early summer. Attempts to control it are primarily for 
the sake of appearance.’ Unless the condition is serious the bulbs are 
not affected though they may not achieve their full growth for the fol- 
lowing year. In districts where it is prevalent, those districts having 
extended damp weather in spring, preventive measures are recom- 
mended. A spray or dust of Bordeaux! applied early will help to ward 
off an attack. This should be repeated whenever the weather is damp. 
Lilies especially susceptible to Botrytis should be planted, if possible, 
where the foliage has an opportunity to dry off. Morning sun and a 
gentle breeze are helpful. This group includes L. candidum, L. testa- 
ceum, L. chalcedonicum, L. canadense, and L. Hansonii. L. candidum 
is probably the worst offender. With this lily the spores of the fungus 
are carried through the winter on the basal leaves that form in au- 
tumn. By spring these leaves have served their function and can be 
removed and burned if there is a tendency to Botrytis in the garden. 
MOSAIC 
Mosaic has been the most widely discussed of the troubles af- 
fecting lilies. We are going to treat it at some length here because 
so much of the popularly published information on the subject has 
been both impractical and misleading. 
Mosaic is a virus that affects a few lilies seriously, some slightly 
and many not at all. There is no known cure. Perhaps some day the 
research pathologists will find one. Frankly, we do not feel it is 
nearly so serious as it has been generally painted, since it is quite 
easy to detect, comparatively easy to “live with” and can be well con- 
trolled by proper selection and spacing of varieties in the garden. The 
gardener who has a bit of space so that his lilies are interplanted with 
other perennials and mayhap some shrubbery will have little or nothing 
to worry about. 
Recently we visited the garden of one of. our customers who had 
phoned us to come and see her L. auratum which were “eight feet tall 
growing up into the apple tree.” This garden is a very simple illus- 
tration of the success possible through thoughtful planning. The 
whole area is rather small; it is well broken by light shrubbery and 
perennials; and in the same garden are Madonnas and speciosum mag- 
nificum both infected with mosaic, less than twenty feet from Regals, 
Tigers and auratum which are clean and have remained clean in this 
supposedly dangerous company for the last five years. 
1 See Penetrol on page 28. 
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