CARE AND STORAGE OF BULBS 
Although we do all we possibly can to insure that our 
lilies arrive at your warehouse as fresh as they were 
when they were dug, it is even more important that they 
receive proper handling through the bulb selling season. 
In some regions this season extends from October 
through January. Most varieties are easily held in 
ordinary, cool storage without loss of vigor. This does 
not mean, however, that full cases can be displayed in a 
warm store, where the customers are permitted to pick 
out their own bulbs—or to examine several to find the 
ones they wish to purchase. Not only do such exposed 
bulbs become easily dried out, but roots are destroyed 
and scales break off. Even though you may feel that 
your customers prefer to see displayed bulbs in the 
store, we suggest that only a very few be exposed and 
that the balance of the case be stored in a cool (45°-55° 
Fahrenheit) room. The packing material should never 
be allowed to dry out and, if this occurs, the bulbs 
should be repacked in moist peatmoss, sphagnum, saw- 
dust or even clean sand. Bulbs held under these condi- 
tions should remain plump and fresh until they begin to 
sprout late in the winter. Surplus bulbs that remain 
late in the winter may be potted in clay pots or gallon 
cans. They will then form roots and some varieties will 
begin to sprout almost immediately. Several dealers 
have used this method of saving surplus bulbs and hold- 
ing them until the spring at which time they can sell 
them to good advantage. 
Handling and care of the lily bulbs in storage does 
not end the responsibility of the dealer. After bulbs 
are purchased across your counter or through the mail 
by your customers, they still must be adequately packed 
to prevent drying out and crushing. Even though the 
bulbs are bought in a period of “gardening enthu- 
siasm”’, they quite often do not find their way into the 
ground for some time. While this is not the fault of the 
retailer, certainly he is always the man who is blamed 
if poor performance or even failure of the lilies is the 
result. It is, therefore, only logical to protect yourself 
and your customer by packaging the bulbs well at the 
time they are sold. 
In brief, lily bulbs are best considered and handled 
in a manner that you would employ for living plants. 
They are not handled in the same manner as the so- 
called dry bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, 
etc., etc. The dealer must never lose an opportunity to 
impress this upon his customers. We foresee a future 
for the American-grown lily when in volume and popu- 
OREGON BULB FARMS 
GRESHAM, OREGON 
larity it will be in a position comparable to tulips, 
daffodils, gladioli and dahlias. True species will gradu- 
ally disappear from the lists and more vigorous, reliable 
hybrids will replace them. Even today we are in a po- 
sition, if we so desire, to introduce twenty named va- 
rieties a year for the next five years. This means that, as 
the number of varieties continues to increase and as 
these varieties receive publicity, your customers will 
expect you to handle them. This future can never ma- 
terialize if the customer does not receive bulbs which are 
fresh, plump and alive. They must remain in that con- 
dition by dint of proper handling by the grower and the 
retailer until they are planted. 
SPRING OR FALL DELIVERY 
We are not, as yet, prepared to hold any large quan- 
tities of lilies for spring delivery. Wherever possible, fall 
planting is to be recommended. We harvest our stocks 
early enough to enable us to get them into your hands 
while the fall bulb sales are still at their height. Even 
though this means some loss of size, we feel that from 
the standpoint of performance for your customers, it is 
much preferable to spring delivery. We are willing to 
make every effort on our part to complete all deliveries 
early in October and, with few exceptions, this delivery 
date will allow you several weeks of fall planting weath- 
er in your particular locality. Even though light frosts 
have already occurred, bulbs planted in the fall will 
immediately make a fall root growth, which does much 
to insure a natural growth and flowering the following 
season. No matter how they are handled, bulbs held 
until spring are of inferior quality. They have been 
denied the opportunity to make the necessary fall root 
growth and, very often when planted in the spring, will 
immediately make top growth and flower without mak- 
ing new, permanent roots. 
Spring sales of lily bulbs became a general practice 
when imported bulbs began to arrive in this country in 
January with the result that there was no choice as to 
planting time. Now that we are able to deliver Ameri- 
can-grown, healthy lilies in October, we strongly advise 
you to make every effort to dispose of the lilies in the 
fall. This means passing on this information to your 
customers who have been in the habit of planting lilies 
in the spring. A few varieties, such as L. Centifolium 
hybrids, keep especially well in storage and, should the 
trade demand spring delivery in any appreciable quan- 
tity, we shall arrange to make this service available to 
our customers. For the present we feel that good per- 
formance is more important than some additional sales. 
Pace 35 
