Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-07-05
THE BERMUDA LILY.
How the Flowers Are Transported
 for Easter.
Great Care Is Exereissa ss frraSsr,- Thea from Injury iu Frsn- stt Grown fer the
 Relhs.

ne manFtth or ituftt a t" @ f.i. magnificent display of Easter aFes in our churches" !" said large Importer of these flowers recently, "dC aat reaiiE- what an immense task it is ta grt tas blossoms to their destinai ur af f- right time and in the proprr rt-r. We who have spent years in the ousi- ness know how difficult it is to meet with even a fair share of success, and so we are not disappointed st failures that would dishearteu man who did not understand the methods employed in their growth and transportation. In the first place. lilies are grown in Bermuda. not for the purpose of exporting them to the United states. but Co supply the demands for bulbs for American florists
 sIn Bermuda the flowers are checked to strengthen the bulbs, or. fl permitted to bloom, are thrown away by the mil, lions. When an American florist pro cures bulbs from Bermuda in quant- ties he grows them to blossom at the right season without regard for tht Bermuda crop, and sells them at prices ranging from 25 cents to two dollar per blossom. according to the trade tS which he caters.
 The idea of importing these buds for sale was first suggested 10 florists by the number of them that came through the express offices, sent by tourists tC friends at home, and, though more wsrt spoiled in transportation than came through in good condition, the cost oi each flower was. in the end. less thar that quoted on the market. With tht proper knowledge of the pecuharities oi the plants. there was no reason why their importation should not be made a paving business, and it was accord ingly tried.
 "In gaining the necessary knowledge some money has been lost. Experience had to teach when to select. where to select and whom to trust. The mistake that was first made wal that of taking buds from growers and allowing the local express rep resentatives to attend tC all the de tails. The result was that some of th, goods reached us in good condition, but more did not, and we saw that tho only safe plan was to arrange with some responsible grower and to fix upon certain remuneration, the growers to bs held accountable for the condition O the goods as they left his hands.
 One great difficulty is this: Easter may fall any time between the close of March and the 25th of April, and ther, is danger that the season in Bermuda may be too early or too late to permit oi the best buds being shipped, This year notwithstanding the fact that Easter i' early, our firm received assurances from its correspondents that the buds would be in frst-class condition.
 The economic advantage of impOrta- ton is that, while lilies grown here cost about 25 cents flower and upward. the buds imported can be had for about six cents flower. The difference in price, of course, stimulates the de mand.
 The buds are packed in boxes con taining from so to 70 each, the aver age being about co. Some years the price. delivered here, has been s2.50 tC S25O a box. This year the price was about S3.25 n box, owing, as l have explained. to the fact that the grow CT is brought into the trausaction, and is compelled Co give his guarantee
 ''The buds are green when packed. There is a stem left on each. perhaps Is to % inches long. Perfect buds should have no white on them at all when they leave Bermuda. Each one is wrapped in soft paper, and all are packed in a box of moss. SO made that the air may reach the contents. By the time they reach here they should have some whit iSh-yellow indications. If the leaves are yellow and the end of the stalk dead. the bud is hopelessly ruined, and all effort on it is wasted.
 The way to develop the buds is to place the ends of the stems in clear, fresh water, the temperature of which will govern the rapidity of develop ment. Lukewarm water will bring them out at once, if the room be also warm. Water at about 70 degrees, a cool room and not too much light will bring them out in about five days. The buds will stand the cold all right, but heat from a stove or steam pipe ruins them. m."-Philadelphia Press