The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-03-31
FLOWERS OF EASTER.
European Flower Gardens, Once s.'
preme, Now Rivaled in the Large
ni4.an E Nmerica

Toll HOI, tlttLnSl Nv" Ivy NG''s
unto you that Solomon in all his glory
was not arrared like one Of these
SO the Bible in precise and inspired IAN
guage tells us OF the flower which Is
synonymous with our ideas of Eastertide
the lovely blossom WEIGH finds Its way
at this season into all drawing rooms
churches and even into the hunblest rooms
where a token OF Inspiration and a new
life are desired.
These lilies certainly deserve all the
praise they get, but the people who grow
them and buy them and care TO nave thetn
about as a reminder of Easter ana the
| resurrection have to toll and spin a great
deal.
The demand sor Easter lilies has grown
to such an extent that the propagation OF
these lovely spring flowers has become a
lucrative business TO hundreds or green
house men and growers. The lily BUN
hourishes best In Bermuda in narrow
patches often alongside of the whole"
some but unsmellable onion and the use
full but homely potato. The bulbs are
shipped to all the large cities In great
quantities during the autumn ana WINTER
and placed in greenhouses to be developed
into the lovely plant which mas become
symbolical Of Easter.
The soil and climate of are
especially adapted to the growth OF the
lily. Our florists have had all kinds or
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 1t now thought advisable to snip
bulbs from Bermuda to the United
States. Many growers prefer to walt uii-
til the fourth year, when the bulo IS
hearty and strong enough to produce
beautiful flowers even with careless
l fraa !, opt 4HAa TO thu number or these
bulbs now produced in Bermuda ana
shipped to the United States for Eastei
purposes, 1t is said that between lo,WV,No
and Ii, 000. 900 bulbs We're sent mere last
year. -
Whether 1t has been possible to provide
t such a large number of bulbs this season
t depends entirely upon the condition or
s lily fields in Bermuda during the last
year. The Florists club OF New YORK
has over and over again asserted ina
!, cutting the leaf bearing stem impairs 1he
= vigor Of the flower bearing bulb and thus
u lessons its value. The experience OF
growers has been that the practice OF cut,
q ting the lily flowers with long stems ana
n shipping them tends to weaken the buio
n Flowers thus cut are Of no substantial
= value or beauty for more than a daY OF
) two, and the bulb is ruined. Last year q
I combination of lily growers was
formed for the purpose OF preventing TINS
l. threatened destruction of the lily trade
e which met with unqualified approval o.
In reputable dealers in the United states
! who had gone SO far as to have an ettor'
= made to introduce a resolution into con
y gress prohibiting the importation OF III!
~ bulbs from Bermuda unless guaranteed
to be in a perfectly healthy condition.
The committee of the Florist club. t.
which this matter was referred, expressed
an opinion at the time, after consultation
with all the lily growers In this country
- 80 4 .,o,,Jl ~ y,,pNcsihla RI ask f0
government redress, which would natural
% ~ work its own course out in time.
n The harrisit lilies continue to be III
greatest favorites this year. Their onl!
rival IS the L. longihorum, but the mos
sincere growers of the lily In Bermuda
do not give the preference to the latte
Sc, flower. It's cost of production as com
or pared with the harrisii has rather de
IN. TERED growers from exporting it to thi
AZ country. It may be taken for granted
~ therefore,, that the great majority OF las
ter lilies shown and bought to be enJoye'
today are Of the kind known as harrisii.
Easter lilies, however, are not the oni
flowers of Eastertide. A look through
ist professional or amateur greenhouse o
&C, our lovely flower stalls for the last fey
weeks has revealed O. great wealth Q
azaleas growing In profusion under tn
tall and stately lily. The lily must reacl
we a certain height of Its own to becom
he beautiful, but the azalea spreads out 1t
,as wealth of blossoms In a round and com
=, pact form. So the clever grower entice
VI his lilies UP into the air while he per
suades the azaleas to spread their beaut
est out under their companions. These
an though, are but few of the flowers use
in commemoration of the awakening Q
lsIs new life and beauty after the dreary pc
Rod OF Lent. But while Easter is symbol
~ ical Of everything that is white. pure an
fresh, one cannot deny the fragrance an
" beauty OF the rose. violet, hydrangea
ca genesta and lilac, which are Away
'sl crowding their way to recognition.
,ei Such a multitude of lovely flowers, KEEP
ne back and withheld in the greenhouse 70
ICE general presentation at Easter time, ha
va now converted our thoroughfares int
ger veritable bowers of blossoms. The ffowe
me gardens of Paris, London and Berlin hav
no been extolled as something quite beyon
On. the possibilities Of a newly settled coun
pc try like this. yet year by year we hav
Der been assimilating all the best ideaD c
Horticulture to be obtained in the worlt
and our florists have been spreading thei
lovely wares before a pleased and de
So lighted public only too willing to buy.