•September  26,  190). 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
2  S;> 
pains  to  write  up  a  short  history  of  the  evolution  of  all  the  important 
genera  or  classes  of  plants  included  in  “The  Gardener’s  Assistant.” 
The  Apple  has  fifty-five  pages  of  descriptive  and  other  matter  devoted 
to  it.  Sub-chapters  on  the  evolution,  systematic  improvement,  inter- 
pollenation  and  fertility,  treatment  of  diseases,  and  fall  cultural  details 
are  furnished.  Along  with  the  text  are  numerous  illustrations 
portraying,  for  instance,  an  Apple  parer,  corer,  and  slicer;  an 
“  American  ”  evaporator  ;  forms  of  Apple  trees  ;  how  to  prune  and  plant ; 
storing  trays  and  figures  of  store-rooms,  and  how  the  latter  can  be 
made.  The  list  of  varieties  embraoe  166  that  are  fully  described, 
while  many  are  illustrated.  Following  this  alphabetical  descriptive 
list  are  selections  of  the  best  varieties  for  special  purposes. 
It  is  gratifying  to  notice  that  in  the  present  volume  every  figure 
has  a  reference  to  its  approximate  size  by  signs,  as  i,  f,  according  to 
the  natural  size  of  the  subjects  and  the  illustrations  of  them.  The  form¬ 
ation  of  the  kitchen  garden  is  included  in  volume  iv.  So  highly  do  we 
value  this  new  issue  of  “  The  Gardener’s  Assistant,”  that  we  would 
strongly  urge  gardeners  and  lovers  of  the  garden,  both  young  and  old, 
to  determine  on  adding  the  volume  to  their  library  so  soon  as  they  can 
A  Chat  About  Lilies. 
(.Concluded  from  paqe  263.) 
L.  chalcedonicum  is  one  of  the  most  distinct  Lilies,  the  flowers  are 
of  bright  sealing-wax  scarlet,  much  recurved,  distinct  from  any  other 
Lily,  and  if  kept  clean  and  cultivated  will  increase  easily.  L  Pom- 
pmium  is  also  a  bright  scarlet  Lily,  but  much  dwarfer,  quite  easy  to 
grow.  L.  rubellum  is  said  to  grow  well  under  similar  circumstances, 
but  I  have  seen  it  fail  repeatedly,  probably  through  insufficient  care  in 
commencing  with  imported  bulbs.  Of  L.  Martagon,  three  or  four  forms 
may  be  easily  established,  the  old  purple  kind  being  much  the  hardiest, 
and  will,  when  established,  propigate  profusely  in  the  ordinary 
herbaceous  border.  Tne  double  form  of  this  interesting  Lily  is 
sometimes  met  with,  but  it  has  nearly  died  out.  L.  M.  album  is 
distinct  and  easily  grown,  as  is  L.  M.  dalmaticum. 
When  first  planting  the  soil  should  be  well  tilled,  and  if  heavy 
loam,  leaf  soil  and  sand  should  be  added  immediately  around  the  bulbs, 
which  should  be  carefully  watched  as  the  young  growths  appear,  to 
protect  them  from  the  ravages  of  slugs  and  snails.  Copious  waterings 
should  be  afforded  as  the  plants  grow,  to  enable  the  roots  to  ramify 
and  get  firmly  hold  of  the  soil.  S'Ction  2  comprises  those  varieties 
succeeding  best  in  deep  damp  vegetable  soil,  requiring  rather  more 
preparation  for  the  reception  of  the  bulb3.  In  a  general  way'  the  soil 
should  be  excavated  to  the  depth  ot  2,  to  2£  feet,  well  broken  up  at 
the  bottom,  and  the  holes  filled  to  within  9  inches  of  the  surface  with 
a  compost  of  one  part  peat,  two  parts  leaf  mould,  four  parts  loam  or 
turfy  loam  if  procurable,  well  chopped  up,  and  a  good  sprinkling  of 
sharp  sand  or  grit  mixed  with  the  whole.  The  crown  of  each  bulb 
should  be  placed  on  the  firmly  trodden  soil,  with  a  handful  of  sand 
around  and  under  each  ;  fill  in  to  the  surface  with  more  of  the  same 
mixture,  a  id  if  manure  is  added  it  must  be  well  decayed,  and  must 
not  touch  the  bulb.  Press  firmly,  but  not  too  hard,  and  during  winter 
and  spring  mulch  liberally  with  well  decayed  straw  manure.  Water 
copiously  during  dry  weather  in  spring  and  summer,  and  cover  the 
bed  with  cocoa-nut  fibre. 
Liliums  for  Damp  Soils, 
I  will  enumerate  a  few,  but  many  more  will  succeed  in  such  soil, 
more  especially  if  dwarf  shrubs  are  planted  amongst  them  to  afford 
shade  at  the  roots,  and  if  the  bed  is  situated  where  the  sunshine  is 
somewhat  broken  by  trees  at  a  short  distance,  many  more  species  may 
be  successfully  grown.  Carefully  plant  in  the  first  place,  and  very 
great  benefit  is  also  derived  by  mulching,  in  order  to  cover  the  stem 
roots  which  most  Lilies  make  above  the  bulbs.  The  various  forms  of 
L.  auratum  come  first  in  this  section,  and  a  more  noble  sight  than  a 
bold  healthy  clump  of  this  grand  Lily  cannot  be  imagined.  They 
often  attain  the  height  of  10  feet,  and  will  sometimes  develop  as  many 
as  twenty  flowers  on  a  single  spike.  If  three  or  five  bulbs  are  planted 
in  one  group  the  effect  is  in  proportion.  The  grandest  of  all  is 
perhaps  L.  a.  platyphyllum,  it  has  enormous  flowers  and  broad 
rich  leaves.  The  colonr  is  nearly  pure  white  with  a  broad  band  of 
yellow  running  down  the  centre  of  each  petal,  heavily  spotted  crimson, 
and  of  great  substance. 
L.  a.  rubro-vittatum  has  a  very  heavy  band  of  crimson  in 
each  division,  and  is  heavily  spotted  with  the  same  colour  ;  it  is  a  very 
striking  flower.  L.  cordifolium  giganteum  will  also  do  well  if 
sufficient  moisture  is  afforded  and  partial  shade  assured.  Without 
this  it  had  be’ter  be  planted  with  section  No.  3,  which  is  its  true 
position.  L.  Krameri  is  a  choice  looking  species.  L.  Humboldti 
gro  vs  6  feet  high,  and  produces  fifteen  or  sixteen  to  twenty  flowers  on 
a  spike,  being  yellow,  spotted  with  a  crimson  shade;  L.  H.  magnificum 
is  a  fine  form  of  this.  L.  Henryi,  said  to  be  allied  to  speciosum, 
grows  5  feet  high,  and  has  twenty  to  twenty-five  pure  yellow 
*  An  essay  delivered  before  the  Shirley  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement 
Association  by  Mr.  E.  Ladhams  of  Shirley  Nurseries,  Southampton. 
speciosum-formed  flowers.  L.  Hansoni,  another  yellow  flowered 
species,  with  Martagon-like  flowers,  is  also  a  choice  looking  Lily. 
Tne  new  hybrid  Burbauki  will  prove  to  be  of  easy  culture  when 
sufficiently  fixed  and  more  ac  urately  selected.  L.  sulphureum 
( Wallachianum  superbum),  with  large  trumpet  flowers  of  a  soft 
yellowish  shade,  tinted  on  the  outside  with  purple,  is  also  a  very 
splendid  Lily,  and  might  be  easily  grown  if  heavily  mulched  in  winter. 
Bo?  Liliums. 
No.  3  section  is  composed  entirely  of  those  species  which  choose  for 
themselves,  when  growing  naturally,  boggy  or  very  wet  situations. 
An  artificial  bog  might  easily  be  arranged  to  meet  their  requirements, 
but  care  must  be  taken  to  arrange  so  that  the  moisture  does  not 
become  stagnant  and  sour.  It  is  better  to  plant  them  in  drier  soil, 
slightly  elevated,  and  the  roots  to  reach  the  water  as  they  require  it, 
than  to  plunge  bodily  into  very  wet  soil.  Plenty  of  drainage,  sharp 
sand,  brick  rubbish,  and  grit  should  be  used  when  making  the  site 
for  the  swamp-loving  kinds.  In  their  native  habitats  they  grow 
principally  on  the  margins  of  streamlets  with  moving  water  below 
them,  or  if  in  swamps  drainage  is  assured  by  the  roots  of  other  plants, 
and  by  their  grow.ng  on  somewhat  raised  knolls.  Peat  and  leaf 
m  uld,  with  a  little  loam,  turfy  if  possible,  roughly  broken  up,  well 
mixed  with  grit  or  coarse  sand,  is  the  best  compost  for  these.  Perhaps 
the  best  are : — L.  giganteum,  already  described  ;  L.  Grayi,  a  compara¬ 
tively  new  North  American  species ;  L.  pardalinum  and  allies ; 
L.  canadense,  and  its  variety  rubrum ;  L.  Humboldti  and  Bloomeri- 
aaum  ;  also  L.  Parryi. 
The  chief  enemies  to  Lilies,  when  growing  in  open  beds  or  borders, 
a>-e  snails  and  slugs  ;  sometimes  gieen  fly  attack  them  badly  also,  but 
cm  very  easily  be  prevented  if  taken  in  time.  To  protect  from  the 
former,  more  especially  when  the  young  growth  is  just  starting,  I 
shmld  recommend  strips  of  zinc  gauzj,  about  5  inches  or  6  inches 
wide  and  of  various  lengths,  fastened  at  the  ends  to  make  a  circle. 
If  these  simple  protectors  are  placed  round  the  clumps  early  in  the 
spring  it  will  prevent  these  pests  from  destroying  the  succulent  young 
tops,  of  which  they  are  very  fond.  Green  fly  may  be  prevented 
largely  by  seeing  that  the  plants  are  not  checked  in  any  way,  affording 
plenty  of  moisture  at  root,  and  if  the  weather  be  particularly  hot  and 
dry  the  surroundings  should  be  damped  down  frequently.  An  aphis  brush 
should  always  be  handy,  so  that  if  the  injects  should  appear  they  may 
immediately  be  dislodged  before  gaining  strength  or  doing  damage. 
The  Lily  disease, 
of  which  we  often  hear  some  mention,  and  also  see  its  effects,  can,  I 
believe,  in  most  cases  be  prevented,  or  easily  checked,  if  taken  in  hand 
in  time.  Tke  fault  is  chiefly  in  the  bulbs  not  having  been  carefully 
looked  over  and  cleansed  when  planted,  or,  through  too  late  planting, 
they  have  become  impoverished.  Manure,  if  fresh,  will  easily  cause 
spot  on  the  bulbs  if  allowed  to  touch  them.  When  badly  affected,  the 
best  cure  I  know  of  is  to  lift  them  immediately  they  have  died  down, 
thoroughly  cleanse  them,  cutting  out  any  affected  scales  and  carefully 
rub  them  in  charcoal  dust  after  having  first  washed  them  in  clear  water. 
Sulphur  might  be  used,  as  this  is  the  best  of  all  fungicides,  and  if 
thoroughly  cleansed  of  all  “  spot  ”  and  decayed  matter,  its  sterilising 
properties  is,  I  think,  on  the  whole,  the  best  for  use.  Newly  imported 
bulbs,  more  especially,  should  be  carefully  examined  for  “  spot,”  and 
any  scales  so  affected  should  be  removed  and  treated  with  the  charcoal 
dust.  Home-grown  bulbs  would  be  best  planted  as  soon  as  they  are 
dormant,  but  will  do  later  ;  the  sooner  the  better,  however. 
Imported  Bulbs. 
So  soon  as  these  are  received,  carefully  trim  and  clean  all  spotted 
or  damaged  pirts,  treat  with  charcoal  dust,  and  place  in  damp  cocoa- 
nut  fibre  until  roots  are  on  the  point  of  starting,  when  they  may  go 
into  their  quarters.  Another  plan  is  to  pot  them  into  small  pots  and 
wait  until  the  growths  are  3  or  4  inches  high,  when  they  are  care¬ 
fully  transferred  into  the  places  assigned  to  them;  it  is  of  great 
importance  that  none  of  the  roots  are  injure  1  in  the  operation.  The 
latter  plan  is  probably  the  best  for  such  varieties  as  belong  to  section  3, 
as  it  is  possible  that  dormant  roots  may  be  injured  if  placed  suddenly 
into  a  very  damp  position  out  of  doors.  All  Lilies  in  exposed 
positions  should  be  carefully  staked  before  they  need  it;  bamboo 
canes,  for  appearance  sake  as  well  as  strength,  are  best  for  the  purpose. 
We  have  thus  seen  that  to  be  successful  in  Lily  culture  out  of 
doors,  we  have  to  consider,  firstly,  the  locality  from  which  they  come 
originally  and  their  position  when  thriving  there  ;  secondly,  that  the 
bulbs  are  carefully  and  thoughtfully  handled  when  received,  more 
especially  when  newly  imported,  that  they  are  intelligently  planted  in 
proper  positions  and  suitable  soils  ;  thirdly,  that  pe3ts  of  all  kinds  are 
combatted  before  damage  is  done  ;  and,  lastly,  most,  important  of  all, 
cire  must  be  used  in  proper  shading  the  roots  from  the  burning  rays 
of  the  sun  in  early  summer,  that  they  are  well  mulched  to  protect  the 
bulbs  in  winter  and  the  stem  roots  in  summer,  and  that  they  never 
want  for  water,  more  especially  sections  2  and  3.  Most  Lilies  are 
improved  by  liberal  watering  with  weak  liquid  manure,  especially 
soakings  of  farmyard  fluid,  but  strong  fresh  manure  should  be  avoided. 
