another opportunity to study it before release to the 
trade. 
Slowly but surely we are learning how to handle 
our huge stocks of lilies, when to dig them and how 
to pack them, so that they will arrive in the freshest 
possible condition, not only in your hands, but also 
in those of your customers. We are going further on 
the road of hybridization, learning how toeffect 
crosses considered impossible onlya few years ago. 
Our farms, warehouses, greenhouse and our methods 
of operation are always open to your inspection. 
There are no secrets in this work and, even if there 
were, we have no desire to keep them from general 
knowledge. We enjoy your visits, since only through 
them can we discover your preferences. Be sure to 
plan to visit us during the summer months. You are 
always welcome! 
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 im- 
portant that they receive proper handling through 
the bulb sellingseason. 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, bit 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 ina 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 peat- 
moss, sphagnum, sawdust or even clean sand. Bulbs 
held under these conditions should remain plump 
and fresh until they begin to sprout late in the win- 
ter. 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 holding 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 ade- 
quately packed to prevent drying out and crushing. 
OREGON BULB FARMS 
GRESHAM, OREGON 
Even though the bulbs are bought in a period of 
““gardening enthusiasm’’, 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, there- 
fore, only logical to protect yourself and your cus- 
tomer by packaging the bulbs well at the time they 
are sold. 
In brief, lily bulbs are best considered and 
handled ina manner that you would employ for living 
plants. They are not hana‘ed 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 
forsee a future for the American-grown lily when in 
volume and popularity it will be in a position com- 
parable to tulips, daffodils, gladioli and dahlias. 
True species will gradually disappear from the lists 
and more vigorous, reliable hybrids will replace 
them. Even today we are ina position, if we so de- 
sire, to introduce twenty named varieties 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 ex- 
pect 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 condition 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 
quantities 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 per- 
formance 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 han- 
dled, 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 making new, permanent 
roots. 
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