Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-08-16
THE BERMUDA LILY. How the Flowers Are Transported for Raster.
 -G Great Care Is E4Rrctssd te PFsssFyr Th~a from Iaisry tn rraR- sit - Gr0~n fer the
 naihs.


 magnificent display Of Easter lilies in our churches, - said. a lzrgc importer of these flowers recently, do nos reAllEe what an immense task it Is to get the blossoms to their destination At the right time and in the proper condition. We who have spent years in the busi- ness know how difficult it is To meet with eyeE a fair share of sueccss. and 50 we arr not disappointed al failures that would dishearten man who did not understand the methods employed in their growth and transportation In the first place, lilies are grown in BermDds, not for the purpose of exporting them Co the United States. bu; to supply the demands for bulbs for American florists.
 '.In Bermuda the flowers are checked 10 strengthen the bulbs. or. fl permitted Co bloom. are thrown away by the mil lions When an American florist pro cures bulbs from Bermuda in quAntl- ties he grows them to blossom At the right season without regard for tho Bermuda crop, and sells them at pricei ranging from 2s cents to two dollar per blossom, according Co the trade tS which he caters
 The idea of importing these buds foi sale was first suggeKied Co florists ss the number of them that came through the express offices, sent by tourists e friends al 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 ths proper knowledge of the Pecuharities oi the plants, there was no reason why their importation should not be made a paying business, and 1t was accord. ingly tried.
 ~In gaining the necessary knowledge some money has been lost Experience had to teach when % select, whert Co select and whom to trust. The mistake that was first made wai that of taking buds from grower and allowing the local express rep resentatives to attend to all the de tails. The result was that some of the goods reached us in good condition. but more did not. and we saw that the only safe plan was to arrange with some responsible grower and to hX upon certain remuneration, the growers tO be 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 oi March and the 25th of April. and thers 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 is carly, our firm received assurances from it's correspondents that the budi would be in frst-elasE condition.
 The economic advantage of importa- ton IS that. while lilies grown here cost about 25 cents a flower and upward, the buds imported can be had for about six cents flower. The difference in price, of course, stimulates the de maud.
 The buds are packed in boxes con taining from so to 70 each, the aver age being about 60. Some years the price, delivered here, has been S2.50 Co S2.5O a box. This year the price was about S325 a box. owing, as l have explained, to the fact that the grow CT is brought into the transaction, and is compelled to give his guarantee
 The buds are green when packed. There is a stem left on each. perhaps IS Co 20 inches long. Perfect buds should have no white on them al 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-yell0w 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 Co 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.