The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-22
THE SACRED LILY.
"A Chinese Plant Which HAS n PccuIia,
Manner of Growing.

IA Nniheto RANT WhlCn VaS q Peculiar
Manner of Growing.
The sacred lily of China, most pc
Eculiar plant in appearance and manner
or growth, is now extensively cultivated
by many of the lovers of plants in
Maine, says the Lewiston Journal, the
bulbs having been brought originally to
this country by Chinese merchants do
ing business in San Francisco, and by
them sent east to their countrymen.
The growth of the plant makes plain
two facts: One, that it gathers solid ma
lterial from the air and water, the other
that it is nourished by pieces of coal and
small stones without reducing the
weight. If the bulbs be placed in water
in some deep dish and nearly submerged
there will appear, if stones or very
icoarse gravel be plenty, white, stringy
roots which shoot outward from the
base, while from the top will grow flat,
Ipalm-likc stalks of deep sea-grecn.
When the lily is twelve inches high
there blossom delicate and beautiful
white flowers. Placed in earth or SUBJ
merged in water without the stones the
bulb lies inert The stones need not be
placed so as to hold the bulb, which in
time will float, bearing up its stalks and
flowers 1t is said these floating beau
ties are seen in great profusion in many
parts of China.
once upon n time, according to the
Chinese tradition, there lived in China q
rich farmer who had two sons. Upon
lone side of the road his land was high:
here he cultivated his tea-gardens, and
$50 fertile was the soil that his early crops
were much sought after. Upon the other
side of the road the land was low-half
swamp and half ledge, where the night
heron hunted undisturbcd tho croalxinr
,bull-frog. When he died the farmer made
his eldest son his executor, telling him
ito divide between himself and tho
younger brother. This he did by taking
the fragrant tea-gardcns along the up
Land unto himself, giving the other tho
swamp The latter repaired to his wet
inheritance, and realizing neither rice
nor ten could be made to grow, seated
.hlmSclf and began to cry. But Il fairy
came along the road in the shape of q
sacred white elephant, and hearing the
wall OF the youth badc him be of good
cheer, and took from out its trunk ono
OF these bulbs. plant it on your land,"
1t said, land soon shall your swamp
blossom as tea-garden never did; YOU
Shall grow rich and shall be man
DARN" And the youth SO planted, and
lol soon there came unto the air sweet
odors, and the white petals bent to tho
gentle breczcs in great profusion, hiding
all the former aroma of the tea-gardens.
People came from near and fur and
bought the beauties, and thus the
younger son grew in riches and entered
the third degree of state in the king
dom. When the older brother saw this
he sold his tea and then undertook tho
purchase of 4 thousand bulbs. But the
price was high and he must needs givo
mortgage on the tca-gardcns Now,
in high glcc he planted the bulbs upon
the dry and fertile soil, and in tending
them he forgot to cultivate his Oolong.
But the bulbs withercd away, and when
the Maytimc came there were 10 first
crops to pick in the tca-gardens; he
could not take up his mortgage, and the
younger brother became lord of the
whole territory, and the Emperor came
and planted over his house yellow flag
lwhcreon there was IL dragon all in gold.
But the elder brother mover was man
.tArin, and ever after labored in the
'tea-gardens for his younger brother, the
mandarin Of the sacred swamp.