74 OREGON BULB PARMS SANDY? OREGON 

LCILIES-—Continued: 
than + inches below the soil surface, consequently, a planting depth of 6 inches is usually 
sufficient. ‘The recommended planting depth for each variety is given under the varietal 
descriptions. Depths indicated are for an “average” soil. A safe general rule is to plant 
a bit shallower in heavy, retentive soils and somewhat deeper in light, loose, sandy soils. 
The question of proper exposure for the different varieties has received a great deal 
of attention from lily “experts”. Actually, all varieties and species grown by us will do 
well in full sun. As with most plants the flowers last a bit longer and hold their colors 
better in light shade than when planted in full sun. Only one type—L. Henryii and its 
hybrids—exhibits a definite bleaching of the flowers due to direct sunlight. Heavy shade 
will produce taller, weaker stems, soft foliage and fewer flowers. Unless the plants can 
grow up through low shade and reach the sunlight, planting in deep shade is not recom- 
mended. The newer strains and hybrids are very drouth and heat resistant and the 
Howers will not fade in the sun. Preparation of the soil for planting is important. The 
soil must be loose and friable below the bulbs as well as above. The best practice is to 
spade the ground thoroughly to a depth of at least 18 inches. Work in a small amount 
of commercial chemical fertilizer plus some clean leaf mold or compost. Do not choose 
a location where bulbs have been planted before . . . particularly if these bulbs have 
disappeared from rot or other causes. Scale and basal rots are known to carry over in 
the soil and planting healthy bulbs where diseased specimens have grown is merely 
inviting disappointment. Some of the newer chemical dusts such as Spergon or Fermate 
have proven helpful in controlling basal rot. Shake the bulb in a closed paper bag which 
contains a few pinches of the dust and plant immediately. 
Ninety per cent of all bulb troubles and failures can be avoided by planting the bulbs 
as early as possible in the fall in a porous, well drained soil. Over-watering, over-fertiliz- 
ing and over-attention from the too careful gardener accounts for many more failures 
than do all “natural causes” combined. 
BULB TYPES AND:SIZES 
Since practically every species has a different type and size of bulb, the prevalent prac- 
tice of the grower of listing all bulbs according to size as measured in inches in circumfer- 
ence is somewhat misleading to many purchasers. Some bulbs are virtually impossible 
to size accurately by this measurement since the bulbs are irregular in shape. This group 
includes hybrids of the native American lilies such as L. Shuksan, the Bellingham hybrids 
and Pardalinum giganteum. Strains such as the Bellingham hybrids contain both small 
and large bulb types, some round, some oblong or markedly elongated. In types of this 
kind the range of sizes is best indicated by the terms: ‘“‘small flowering”, “flowering” and 
“large flowering”’ sizes. 
Varieties such as Olympic Hybrids, Candidum, Regale, Speciosum and Umbellatum 
have a round, easily graded bulb. However, that does not imply that a 6-inch bulb of an 
Olympic Hybrid will give the same results as a 6-inch bulb of L. Speciosum or L. 
Umbellatum. For instance, a 6-inch Olympic Hybrid is the best size for planting in the 
garden since the larger sizes suffer a marked setback in moving, whereas a Candidum 
bulb will transplant easily and give much better results the first year. The largest sizes 
of Candidum, Testaceum and Umbellatum will give exhibition spikes the first year. 
L. Centifolium, Olympic Hybrids, Green Mountain Hybrids, Henryii Hybrids, Regale 
and Speciosum usually require a vear to establish themselves and will often give no better 
results the first year from the largest bulbs than from the smaller sizes. 
