The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-04-12
THE EASTER LILY.

full but homely potato. The bulbs are
shipped to all the large cities in great
quantities during the autumn and winter
and placed in greenhouses to be develop
ed into the lovely plant which has be-
come symbolical of Easter.
The soil and climate of Bermuda are
especially adapted to the growth Of the
lily Our florists have had all kinds of
ideas of growing this flower in California,
Georgia and Florida, but with no great
results as yet. The lily. like many other of
the most beautiful flowers, improves on
its stem by age. Not until the second
year is it now thought advisable to ship
bulbs from Bermuda to the United
States. Many growers prefer to wait I'M
til the fourth year, when the bulb is
hearty and strong enough to produce
beautiful flowers even with careless
treatment. AS to the number of these
bulbs now produced in Bermuda and
shipped to the United States for Easter
purposes. it is said that between 10000
600 and 100000 bulbs were sent here
last year.
Whether it has been possible to pro-
vide such a large number of bulbs this
season depends entirely upon the condi-
ton Of lily fields in Bermuda during the
last year The Florists club of New
York has over and over again asserted
that cutting the leaf bearing stem i'm
pairs the vigor of the flower bearing bulb
and thus lessons its value. The expert
ence of growers has been that the prac
tice of cutting the lily flowers with long
stems and shipping them tends to weaken
the bulb. Flowers thus cut are of no
E,,h Sf nj valua mr. haonty for tuorp thar
day or two, and the bulb is ruined.
Last year a combination of Bermuda lily
growers was formed for the purpose of
preventing this threatened destruction of
the lily trade which met with unqualified
approval of reputable dealers in the Unit
States, who had gone so far as to have an
effort made to introduce a resolution into
congress prohibiting the importation of
lily bulbs from Bermuda unless guaran-
teed to be In a perfectly healthy condi-
ton.
The committee of the Florist club, to
which this matter was referred. express
ed an opinion at the time, after consulta
ton with all the lily growers in this
country, that it would be impossible to
ask for government redress, which would
naturally work its own course out in
time.
The harrisii lilies continue to be the
greatest favorites this year. Their only
rival Is the l.. ongiforum, but the most
sincere growers of the lily in Bermuda
do not give sthe preference to the latter
flower. Its cost of production as COM
pared with the harrisii has rather de-
tered growers from exporting it to this
country. 1t may be taken for granted
therefore, that the great majority of Eas-
ter lilies shown and bought to be enjoyed
today are Of the kind known as harrisii.
Easter lilies, however. are not the only
flowers of Eastertide A look through a
professional or amateur greenhouse or
our lovely flower stalls for the last few
weeks has revealed a great wealth of
azaleas growing in profusion under the
tall and stately lily. The lily must reach
certain height of it's own to become
beautiful, but the azalea spreads out it's
wealth of blossoms in round and com