The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05
WHERE EASTER LILIES GROW.
Trade I'm Buds and Bulbs as Carried
on i'm bermuda.
Washington Star.

washington oldI.
Bermuda is the place beyond all others
to consider the lilies, how they grow"
Whether they are Indigenous to the soil or
not, they are certainly acclimated. and un-
that island where fails not hail nor
any snow" they respond to rather indif-
ferent culture in manner to make the
northern man grow mad with envy.
With US one stately. row of stalks is
precious possession; they are the aristo-
Gratis of our garden. In Bermuda they are
a crop like potatoes or onions. and whole
fields lie like drifted snow with their masses
of white bloom. These fields are not in
deed, very large, being for the most part
mere dimples in the coral ridge, of which
the islands are formed. averaging not more
than half an acre In area. But in these lit
by the washngs from the slopes, and the
bulbs flourish accordingly. They are planted
in rows and cultivated much like potatoes.
strument, called by courtesy hoe. 1t looks
as If it belonged TO the stone age. 1t Is in
bulbs advertise the condition of the soil, the
plants becoming pale and shrunken as soon
as they begin to climb the slope
lay entirely in the bulbs, which were shipped
to other countries in great quantities. But
snrnng nm: the blossoms themselves are src.
cessfully sent everywh The United States
gets the most of them. though vast quaint
ties are sent to England, and even the Aus
tralian Easter is frightened by them.
1t must have been American spirit which
suggested this new enterprise. OF course, the
Bermudan, with characteristic English con-
servatism, strongly opposed it on the ground
that il was a rank innovation and would
ruin the bulb trade. AS became the descend
ants of the old Saxon Witenagemote, they
held an assembly and drew up what Uncle
Remus would call a 'peramble wild some
wharfo'es in it, setting forth the dangers
of such a course and demonstrating with
their erring brothers. Meanwhile, as the bulb
men talked, the bud men kept on packing,
and Easter affairs all over the country were
glorified with the beauty of Bermuda lilies.
These buds are picked while they are still
quite green, and are packed in cube-shaped
boxes holding about two dozen stalks each.
Some OF these boxes are furnished with
frames similar to those used In packing eggs.
so that each stalk is kept separate. There is
little advantage in this, however and for
the most part the buds are snugly packed
with a sprinkling of a kind of sea weed
closely resembling the coarse moss of our
boys. This sea weed is kept in water and
wrung out as it is used, and keeps the buds
damp. Before packing each case is lined
with a large sheet of paper, the ends of
which are long enough to fold over the buds
after the box is full. A printed slip of di-
rectons is invariably packed inside each
case, the first line of which reminds one of
the Celtic signboard warning travellers that
this ford Is dangerous when this board is
out of sight" For these directions instruct
the receiver to put the box before opening
into a dark. cool place for time and then
open Ii very carefully. AS the box must be
opened before the advice is available, its
value is slightly impaired.