OREGON BULB FARMS 
GRESHAM, OREGON 
Bags made out of thin sheets of polythylene film, 
wrapping paper backed with even thinner films of 
plastics and new containers made up out of Kraft 
paper and plywood, all have revolutionized the 
handling and storage methods of Lilies — both here 
on the nursery and in the warehouses and retail 
outlets of our customers. Now, for the first time in 
the history of the cultivated Lily, we can take freshly 
harvested bulbs, pack them with slightly moist peat- 
moss and hold them, in polyethylene bags or wrap- 
pers, at ordinary room temperature, for many weeks 
without any loss of vitality. This new method of 
packing plus our new methods of handling the bulbs 
from the field to the final stages of packaging and 
shipping have made all previous advice on care and 
storage obsolete. 
Just like the modern hybrids of the garden 
Lilies have given the American gardener a com- 
pletely new concept of the Lily as a garden plant, 
changing the once fickle and difficult to grow 
“Garden Cinderellas” to the hardy, dependable and 
vigorous perennials that we know them to be today, 
so has polyethylene wrapping changed the merchan- 
dising of these bulbs. But however perfect this new 
packing material is and however vigorous and hardy 
the new Lilies are, it still remains true that the 
bulbs, like all other plants, must receive proper and 
intelligent care during storage and sales periods if 
they are to give the best possible performance in 
your customers’ gardens. 
We can protect Lily bulbs in small packages by 
closing the polyethylene bags and excluding air. 
We cannot keep large boxes of bulk-packed bulbs 
in good condition unless care is taken, too, that the 
polyethylene-backed liner is carefully closed each 
time after a customer has inspected the bulbs. If the 
peatmoss, as inevitably will happen, becomes dry, 
then some moisture should be added. Keeping the 
box in a cool place will still be better than keeping 
it exposed to warm air in the store, regardless of the 
moisture barrier the plastic covering provides. 
What these new changes in storage and handling 
methods have done is to make spring delivery of 
fine, plump bulbs in garden-fresh condition pos- 
sible. We can now hold bulbs for spring sales and 
up till April Ist we can guarantee most types and 
varieties to grow and flower well, provided they are 
planted with the least possible delay once they are 
taken from storage. A special offer of Lilies for 
spring 1955 delivery will be found inserted in this 
catalog. Bulbs from the 1955 crop, if they should 
be available in quantities in excess of normal fall 
demand, will again be stored for delivery during 
the early months of next year—up till April Ist, 1956. 
As we have said in so many of our articles and 
in all previous offerings — we still believe that early 
fall planting is best for Lilies. In regions where 
exceptionally early frosts prevent timely fall plant- 
ing or for customers that will not be convinced that 
early planting is better, we now feel safe in supplying 
bulbs in the spring. They will be found to have 
retained their freshness and vitality. They will, we 
feel, not grow as well as fall planted stock. 
Lily Seeds -- None Available 
To our regret we must inform our friends and 
customers that no lily seed will be available. We 
found that the cost of raising, cleaning and shipping 
the small quantities involved was greater than their 
commercial value. Also, the fact that seed of hybrid 
origin does not necessarily come true to type and 
form brought with it several problems that are 
beyond our ability to solve. For these reasons we 
will no longer supply seed and suggest to those of our 
customers requiring it for their trade that they 
make a small planting of bulbs and raise their own. 
As a matter of fact, in most regions this can be done 
more easily than in our usually damp and cool 
Oregon climate. 
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