The Florida agriculturist., 1889-10-30
Lilies in Pots.

Iwant to ask you some questions about
some lilies which were presents to me last
fall. | think they had come directly from
Japan when they were sent to me. They
we're Lilium Auratum, L. Krameri and L.
Excelsum. / was so proud and glad to
get them, for / had been so anxious to
own these verv lilies. Well took great
care in pOtting them-tOOk the very best
care of them all the whole year, and they
never showed themselves above the sur
face of the earth in the pots. dug down
to Auratum and found it seemingly all
right, but I was afraid to do even that
with the others until could hear from
some one who has had more experience
than have. | wish greatly to see and
enjoy the blooms of these lilies. am so
fond of lilies anv how and have so few.
What pity ones purse must be so linn
tied that one cannot even get all the
flowers she wants. What shall do with
my refractory lilies? MRS. B. K. G.
Chambers County Texas
It is not an unusual thing for newly
imported lilies-especially Auratum-tO
behave in the above manner the first
year, and then grow off all right. AS a
general rule imported bulbs are consider
ably weakened, and it frequently takes
them a whole year to recuperate suffi-
GENTLY to send up flower stem, while
many bulbs of Auratum disappear COM
pletely. In procuring bulbs of the latter
it is always safest to select those that
have been grown in this country at least
one year. few years ago a large i'm
,+O49 &c yoI
in New York direct from Japan. On ex-
animation they were found to be COM
pletely saturated with kerosene, and the
importer believing them ruined sold them
to florist of our acquaintance at a
very low figure. They were planted in
the open ground and almost every bulb
grew, strong and vigorous. Since then
it has been an unanswered question with
us as to whether imported Auratum
bulbs do not contain some insect enemy
which causes so many of them to fail to
grow, and if in this case the insects were
not destroyed by the kerosene. WewOuld
advise our correspondent to remove the
top soil in the two pots containing the
Krameri and excelsum bulbs, and if they
are seemingly all right, replace the soil
and set the pots away in some cool
shady place, there to remain until the
proper time for them to startinto growth.
Then set in sunny position, water free
ly, and we think thev will soon spring
into active growth. During the time
they are set aside the soil should not be
allowed to become dust dry. Perfect
drainage is essential at all times, as moth
ing can be more injurious to the majority
of lilies than water standing about their
roots, but while growing and blooming
they enjoy often and copious waterings.
The bulbs of most varieties should be
planted from five to eight inches deep;
collectors in Japan state that they al
ways find the bulbs of the queenly Aura
tum far below the surface-sometimes as
much as fourteen inches, while some of
the California lilies are found two and
three feet deep among stones. The rea-
son is this, they produce two classes of
roots, when bulb is planted it almost
Immediately begins sending down roots
from it's base, these are for the sole pur-
pose of sustaining and nourishing the
bulb and of course the soil they feed