Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-23
FROM BERMUDA NO. v.
Beauty of Bermuda Lily Fiolds-Bewilder-
ing YeRetation-A NisIt to the Reefs.

Ing veRetation-A visit TO the keeis.
Belmont Warwick East, Bermuda, April A.
The lilies of the BermudaS are known to
most of us,by the specimens which reach
us at the Easter season, but one can
scarcely imagine how lily field looks
from the poor bruised buds after their
sea voyage.
THE Easter Lily U.ilium longihorum) a
dwarf species Of the natural order Liliacea
which bears numerous large flowers of
purest white, is becoming yearly more
largely appreciated. Climatic influence |
with a careful selection of bulbs, appears |
to have produced a permanent variety |
peculiar to these islands," l quote this |
mention Of the flower from a manual on /
the ''Plants of the Bermudas" published
some ten years ago. There is no longer |
any doubt that the Bermuda lily is SUI
preme in beauty nor of it's appreciation |
wherever 1t Is known; boxes of buds have
| been forwarded to the States by every |
| steamer for the past six weeks. the number
reaching four thousand by the steamer
sailing March 2S, allowing one hundred
| buds to each box and what an array OF
| perfumed bloom Is represented! These |
| boxes, well US those leaving here on the
| 31st were all for Easter Sunday; one
| scarcely marks the loss of a single stem
The fields to-day are white and fragrant
as though they had not been rifled of ship
| loads of their choicest beauties. But there
is no money in flowers, say the growers;
with the prices quoted in the New York
papers this is difficult to understand unless
| the middle man makes an enormous profit.
To perfect the bulbs Is the principal OBJ
| ject Of the planters here these find n ready
market and fine price along with the sister
bulb growing In the same fields, the odor-
Gus album cepa, the Bermuda onion.
ones sense of tho fitness of things is
| at first a little shocked to find the fields
planted indfferently to lilies and to onions
but they stand side by side in the botany
members of the same family, though with
different gifts; after all 1t is quite right
that the two gifts of oveliness and service
should thrive side by side drawing nurture
from the same soil and aspiring towards
the same sun. both developing into unusual
perfection in the same favorable environ
ment.
| The subject of the vegetation of these
| islands is an interesting one. / have mem
| toned already the strange medley of
| familiar with unfamiliar types, noticed at
| the first glance, but the wonder deepens as
one becomes better acquainted with the
scene. The dominant feature is the cedar
tree, and 1t, no doubt Is the original in
habitant. The variety is the red cedar
or the juniper and 1t varies in size accord
ing to soil and situation, but Is everywhere
present THE earliest discoveries speak
of the islands as covered with 1t and there
is evidence that for long years previous,
and before subsistence lessened the area
OF the Bermudas, the same form of vege-
tation prevailed. The submerged trunks
OF former forests are met with even
amongst the outer reefs and dredging oper-
atoms frequently bring to the surface the
remains OF cedar trees embedded in pretty
ueposits'
: 10 account Tor the bewildering variety OF
piahts 10 De seen mere at the present time
we nave only TO remember, first, that
everything here Is favorable to the full de-
yelODment of plnnt-lifp nd bap ho,
the trade of England to her colonies In the
west indies mas invariably been by the
way OF the Bermudas: thus by means of
the merchant ships either by chance or
design nave been introduced types of those
rop,ca islahus as well as those native to
ENGLAND. one notices also something trop-
. ical in the animal life, the selection of mon
Keys and parrots and macaws for pets:
the use and abuse OF an exceedingly small
= sort OF donkey as a beast OF burden: the
< adoption of the goat among the people
$ generally a source of milk SUNNY
!. seems foreign al least; but let it be remem-
bered that this bearded source of tactical
comfort Is well cared for in Bermuda: no
tomato cans or other nourishment of that
, order Is offered to the goat but safely
tethered, 1t grazes about the home of its
r. owner, watching with motherly care the
!. young Kid. who tethered also, makes such
:. use on existence as occurs to Its juvenile
mind. We saw one the other day execut-
: ing pas seul' on its hind legs, which IL
varied by attempts to climb a pole to
., which 1t was tied, failing In which he reso-
. lutely tried to stand on his head I think
q we read In an ancient book of 1.-THE kids
. who danced for joy"-just what possessed
:, this little creature do not know. but Ger.
:, tanly 1t was an amusing sight and won
the applause of the party, not to mention
=, "a the words of endearment and caresses of
= the enthusiastic member. Next in nov.
u city and absurdity also, is to see a hen
), tethered with bit of Irvine or strip OF
q rag, anxiously calling her brood about her
% resigned to the bonds which cruel fate has
. put upon her. In our walks we stroll
y quite freely across the fields and about IN,
q little coral houses. finding narrow foot.
', paths, which run from place to place. ant
so see many a novel sight, which W.
should miss IL we kept to the highway.
and took the dust of the visitors carriages