The Florida agriculturist., 1907-10-09

hstulosum, yet lily bulbs are SO we'll
REGARDED that they are higher in price
in the land Of cheap commodities than
in Europe or America. The varieties
used are commonly ascrlbed to the
species Lilium tigrlnum, the familiar
1iger lily of old gardens-but Mr.. E.
II. Wilson, a botanical traveller III
Western China, reports the l..
SutcIuenense, handsome species
quite new to science, is also eaten,
10th wild and cultivated bulbs being
sold in market. Lily bulbs, as an
article of diet, are regularly imported
III quantity by Orientals in this cOun~
trv. the largest consignments arriving
in January, and are offered in Chinese
groceries at prices ranging from Is to
25 cents the pound; from which 1t Will
be seen lilies are not regarded as
cheap provender. Two years ago the
writer bought large bulb from
'Pell Street importer. 1t was tOur-
nosed" affair, that is, it had four dis
tinct eyes or growing centers, and was
considerably over pound IN We1ght.
l he Chinese salesman insisted that 1t
was mo good" to plant, being only
fit for the table, and offered instead
giant bulbs Of the familiar oriental
Narcissus or Joss flower, SO freely sold
everywhere by bulb dealers as the
Chinese Sacred lily, for winter bloom
ing in dishes of pebbles and water.
The true lily bulb, however, was plant
ed, as soon as frost was out OF the
ground, at the base OF tall locust
tree, bedding it in sand and woods
earth, and covering it eight inches
oeep with similar material. In due
time four thick sprouts appeared and
grew vigorously, three bearing two
enormous flowers each in July. The
blooms approached those OF L1l1um
auratum in size, being seven inches
long and nearly six wide at the mouth.
The color, at first pale yellow, soon
changed to cream white internally,
while the outside was blotched with
reudish brown or chocolate, which be-
came less distinct as the flowers ma
tured. They were delightfully."- fragrant,
and lasted in good condition rather
more than a week This season the
bulb threw up five shoots, growing
nearly tour feet high and bearing in
all 10 perfect blooms.
This fine specimen appears to be the
form OF Lilium Brown known both as
l.. Odorum and L. JapOnicum Colches-
terense. Many other bulbs Of similar
appearance were bought last winter
and planted but all that blomed turned
out to be more or less typical L.
Brown, having narrower flowers,
white inside and reddish purple out
size. No Tiger lily bulbs have been
noticed in the market, and it would ap-
pear that New York Cinnamon, at
least, prefer Brown lilies as an escu-
lent to the ordinary kind.
Seeding Lilies.-Few Old World
lilies seed we'll in this country, though,
as rule, the plants are more easily
grown in the Eastern States than ma
tive species from the Pacific coast.
/ he Siberian Coral lily, L. tenuifolium,
L. Henry, the new yellow species from
Western China, and L. Hansoni, the
Golden Turk soap lily, forms seeds
freely, when established, and may
readily be propagated in this manner.
A few others seed sparingly when
their requirements are fairly we'll
suited. The beautiful Speciosum lilies,
probably the most popular Of all, be-
long to this group. A c1ump establish
ed many years ago on the Rural
Grounds, annually ripens many we'll
filled capsules, whether the blooms are
left to themselves or carefully emas-
culatd, covered, and fertilized with