The herald., 1896-04-05

ers have been shipped this year than
for long time. A combination Of the
United States growers and developers
| of the Bermuda Easter lily was formed
last year, which is calculated to estroy
the custom.
At conference of growers 1t was
decided that cutting the flowers weak
ened the bulb, and in consequence the
stock became diseased. The inevitable
result in time would be the extinction
of the entire CROP
Forcing the Easter lily to bloom just
at the desired season is the result Of
much calculation on the part of the
growers. The Easter lily is short
lived plant as far as it's bloom is con-
cerned, the blossoms or flowers lasting
only about two weeks. It expends all
it's strength for the time being in that
one blossoming, after which the flowers
fall, and for that rsason do not bud
again. Consequently it is imperative
that this blossoming should take place
at the Easter season. The bulbs are
sent from Bermuda the preceding July
and August. Florists and growers
here pot them and keep them in their
greenhouses, treating them by series
Of clippings so that they will bloom at
Easter time.
Florists in this country, as matter
of business protection, are trying more
and more each year to have other
flowers share the Easter glory with the
lily. The florists find 1t uphill work,
but as the demand for Easter flowers
is steadily growing, they are fairly sue
cessful. The lily of the valley, which
is really not lily at all, is one of the
favorites. It has a matted, creeping,
! fbrous root, studded irregularly with
ivory white points, known to the for
lists as pips. OF these he puts fifteen
in pot some three weeks before Good
| Friday, packs rich soil about them,
then sets them in a dark, warm place
for fifteen days. Here the pips put on
seven league boots of growth and push
up as leaves and flower stalks. When
they are higher than the hand the pot
ie set in the light, kept in high heat
and given water iplentifully-with the
result of bringing them to full flower
in time for the holiday.
This is why white lilac is so plentiful
about the holidays. Either purple or
Persian lilac becomes white in such a
process of forcing. A much more
troublesome flower to force is the
rhododendron, but with care and pa
tience magnificent results are posi-
BILE. So, too, with the heath family,
sworn autumn flowers that they are.
All the lilacs, too, are grown as pot
plants, of course suitably dwarfed.
That is mostly the work or foreign
gardeners, though, who send over
yearly new specimens of their skill.
Another woody plant that is joy at
Easter time ia the hydrsngea. Indeed,
there is no more snowy one, nor any
whose beauty is of a more enduring
quality. Not content with natures
whites and pinks, those gentlemen, the
gardeners, now give us blue hydran-
gea. To make tit is wholly the
product of art-they take slip of
some strong growing white sort. root it
we'll and stimulate to tho most vigorous
growth. Then they mix iron filings in
the earth Of the pot and water. it with
alum water While the flower heads are
forming. They come out in panicles
deeply, beautifully blue, wonderfully
handsome and striking for all their
artif1ce.
One forist estimates that there will
be fully 24,OOO,0O0 lilies blooming
throughout this country on Easter
Sunday next.