The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-06-16
LILIES or THE VALLEY.


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tract Their Season Of Bloomlngs
There is an interesting and curious
trade between Germany and this coun.
try in the lily Of the valley. Many
thousands of these lily ''pips," a. they
are called, the roots. each with single
tight-wrapped bud. are imported. Al
the habit of the plant is well known,
and it may be counted upon to flower in
from nineteen to twenty-five days
after the pip has been planted in sand
and placed in q forcing house, the Inn
porters commonly make their contracts
in advance with florists, and order in
accordance with these contracts The
pips come over in the holds OF
the great steamers, twenty-five
punched together, tied with vege'
table fiber and wrapped in moss
They are thus delivered to the florists
and then transferred to the forcing
house. In five or six weeks from tho
time when the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
pips have left their native German soil
the exquisite spray of dropping white
bells and the sheaf of green leaves IL
adjoining the jacket OF some young
woman as she trips down Broadway.
When the pips are first planted in
sand they must be placed over steam
pipes for the sake of the bottom heat,
and kept continuously in q high tenn
perature until the blossom Is pretty
we'll advanced. They are then removed
from the pipes in order that the time
of blooming may be prolonged. They
are ordinarily planted in rough, shall
low pine boxes. and spray after spray
is clipped off As it is needed for bou-
Duets, or roots and all are transferred
in clumps for potting. The plants in
the original pine boxes are much less
attractive than the blossom when made
into q bouquet
Many thousands of these lilies are
cultivated in the open air. They may
be set out just as they arrive from Ger.
many at almost any time Of year. and
they resist frost with perfect hardi'
ness The outdoor lilies bloom in the
spring, and continue the season for the
florists after the crop of the forcing
houses has been exhausted. Wher
these outdoor boomers are exhausted,
the florists have another resource il
reserve. Thousands Of lily pips, on ar
irving from Germany, are at once
placed in cold storage, and kept there
at a low temperature, for weeks or per
haps for months. The development O.
the plants is thus arrested, and som.
weeks before the time when the out
door bloomers will have been exhaust
ed, part Of the pips on cold storage ar
brought forth and either forced in
doors or permitted to develop normal
mally in the open air. In this way thu
season is further extended.
Florists find that the lily Of the val
ley is most difficult to manage fol
autumn Towering. The period of de
velopment is then at least twenty days
and the flowers are upon the whole les
satisfactory than in winter and spring
Beautiful as the flower is it is not ex
pensive. The pips may be brought a
retail in November at from thirty +
forty cents per dozen, or about one dol
lar and half per hundred. The pric
| to the importers is far below this. ant
/ the rate to florists is such that there ]
a handsome profit In the plants whel
the cut flowers retail as low as fiv
cents per spray. As each pip pre-
| duces only one set Of blossoms, and tn
percentage of loss is reasonably uni
form, florists know pretty well what t.
4 count on in forcing the lily of the va
| LEW. Y. Sun.