January 1. 1908 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
9 
than if they belonged to the more profit- 
able branches of the profession. 
Some Goop Linizs. 
Lilium psrdalinum from California is a 
good keeping, free, and sure-flowering 
lily. Ninety-five per cent of the bulbs 
should blecm. 
Lilium Parryil is a very handsome var- 
iety from California and is not difficult to 
bloom. The California bulbs, like calo- 
chortus, brodizas, erythronium and com- 
assias, are all beautiful things and really 
can be flowered if their requirements of 
cultivation are met. 
On the line of Lilium Humboldtii, [ will 
ask what is the use of planting Lilium 
candidum in the spriug / Yet many do it. 
I suppose it would be well to mention 
what I consider the most valuable kinds 
or species of lilies. The auratums are a 
magnificent class and very popular with 
most amateurs. The varieties of speciosum 
I consider one of the most reliable sorts 
for the amateur to plant. 
Double and single tiger and our native 
lilies canadense and superbum, are being 
used in great numbers cach year, on large 
estates and in gardens of all kinds, They 
are low in price, reliable bloomers, and 
very graceful, particularly canadense. 
The elegans—or umbkellatum, or Thun- 
bergianums—are very reliable bloomers, 
easy gaowers and good keepers, and many 
varieties are very handsome 
Ot course we could easily talk all day 
on the lilium family, but we shall have 
to stop somewhere, Lilium candidum 
and what is known as the Bermuda Rastez 
lily ere the most important ones for flor- 
ists’ use. To me it is amore beautlful 
lily than the Bermuda Easter lily. There 
are several varieties of candidum, but the 
broad scale, large bulb variety raised in 
the north of France is the only one worth 
forcing. There has been more said and 
mere can be said. on the Bermuda Easter 
lily than ten such papers as this would 
contain. I think the subject has been 
pretty well thrashed out up to the present 
time. ) 
» Fawnacres in Cunrivation, 
There are some fallacies in cultivation. 
Many directions were put in type years 
ago, when they were thought to require 
very careful and necessary cultivation 
There is a lot of this type that seems to 
be set up at the present time. 
I will take as an illustration Iris 
Kempferi. In 1878 we bought Professor 
Pringle’s entire stock of this plant. There 
wore many very fine varieties, and many 
of the kinds are sold to-day, We noticed 
that the clumps when being sub-divided 
for planting had a large centre that was 
entirely dead or dried up, in many you 
could put your hand right through the 
centre. This came from leaving the clumps 
too long before sub-dividing, Woe were 
told that this plant required damp low 
ground, and if it could be covered by 
water occasionally it would be better, We 
Simaas Presents 
ne 
If you will cut this advertisement out and bring it to us, we will present to. 
every purchaser of a 
5-Ib. tin of our famous ts. 4d. Tea 
with a BEAUTIFUL ORIENTAL BRACELET. 
We have a splendid variety of CHRISTMAS and WEDDING PRESENTS. 
DRUMMOND Bros. 
144 Rundle Street. 
planted them on common Long Is’ ad 
plains’ soil, 2 ft of soil above clear sand 
50 ft above water. William Falcner in 
describing cur plantation of iris, said he 
walked “ waist deep” through the plants ; 
when transplanting afield of these, we used 
a cart and wheelbarro:s, and sub divided 
the clumps with an axe. One year we 
left several hundred plants along a drive- 
—way on top of the ground, when trans- 
e 
planting in the Spring. In the Fall those 
plants were alive, Personally I don’t 
think it is necessary that Iris Keempferi 
should be flooded with water to produce 
a good growth. 
As this subject seems to be large, and 
it is necessary and proper that this paper 
should be short, it is difficult to give any- 
thing of real value, But the subject may 
excite an interest in more people then 
have ever given it a thought before, and 
T assure you that it will furnish you a 
new interest so far as you desire to go. 
Burss' From Arip Districts. 
Bulbs represent one of the most wonder- 
ful provisions of nature in the vegetable 
kingdom. Those grown in arid or desert 
countries conserve their vitality intact 
longer than bulbs grown anywhere else, 
The Mexican bulbs, grown mostly in arid 
wastes will remain in perfect condition 
when kept out of the ground a year If 
believe that bulbs of Amaryllis formos- 
issima will remain two years out of the 
ground in good condition. 
It seems to be 2 provision of nature to 
proserve the life of a plant by building 
around the germ a bulb and this is one 
of the most convenient and compact or 
protective forms. 
The most striking fact about all bulbs 
is their endless variety and great beauty, 
often extending to magnificence, It is 
this which gives fascination to the subject 
and makes the raising of bulbs a labour 
of love. 
To Correspondents. 
Albert Weston enquires as to the sim- 
plest and most effective tick proof roost. 
Answer.—There are a great number of 
methods, all supposed to be perfect. 
Perches suspended on wire with wire stays 
are good, but the simplest and most certain 
of any we have seen was made as under. 
Suppose the roost-house to be 6 ft long. 
Take four lengths of 3 x 2 and cut to 
the height you wish the perch, nail on top 
two 2x2 with the edges taken off, nail on 
battens on both ends the width you desize 
the perches apart. Get four kerosene tins 
and place the posts in centre of them, 
having nailed on strips of wood to keep 
them firm, one near the bottom and one 
the reverse way about half way up the 
tins, these form a cross and when properly 
fixed the posts cannot move. Now place 
in the tlns stones to within about 6 in. of 
the top to weight them, then fill to 
within an inch of the top with water, and 
keep them to this by refilling as the 
water sinks. Add a little kerosene, which 
will prevent the fowls drinking the water. 
Nail a piece of tin on each post back and 
front four inehes from top of tins to keep 
out droppings from fowls. 
H. Berriman & Co 
Tailors ana 
Shirtmakers, 
CITIZENS’ BUILDINGS, 
(OPPOSITE TOWN HALL), 
ADELAIDE, 
A Complete Range of Seasonable Goods. 
