Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-16

variety and color is found in nearly every
land, the Easter lily-the true white lily
has it's origin almost entirely in Japan
or the islands Of Bermuda and Formosa
At this time of the year the florist Is
not only disposing of his present stock
of Easter lilies. but is also making his
list Of the variety and number of bulbs
for the next season. This is given to
the foreign agent. and as early as Angus,
the bulbs begin to arrive. BY the. middle
of the winter the florists have carefully
planted these bulbs. which soon send UP
shoots. The plants, by the various meth
DDS Of the dollhouse gardener. are re-
tarded or advanced in their growth until
the time for forcing them arrives.
Some years ago the lily bulbs imported
We're almost entirely from Bermuda, but
a disease crept among them and florists
a times lost their whole stock. Then
manyflowered Japan entered the market.
The export of lily bulbs from that cOun-
try dates back about thrty-five years.
when wild auratums were first exported
TO England The exporters had not
learned the secrets of preserving the
large boxes, most of them were found
to be rotten. The bulbs are now packed
in a particular Kind of clay, which keeps
them moist, and the trade has increased
at such a great rate that over 5000 600
of them are exported from Japan alone
every year.
A vast amount Of labor is expended in
the countries where the bulbs are grown
They need careful tending, and after
three or four years the bulbs must be
transplanted to other SOIL Most farmers
cannot engage in this industry. for land
and the seed bulbs are too expensive
There are, perhaps, not more than ten
exporters of lily bulbs from Japan to
all parts of the world.
The florist in Washington must run his
chances on tine success of his lily plants,
for. as in the case of the Bermuda lilies,
the bulbs are sometimes diseased. The
larger the bulb the more numerous and
larger are the blossoms of the plant. For
bulbs that are planted deep in the soil
three Or four years growth is necessary
to attain the proper size, but the exporter
who plants his bulbs close to the surface
Of the soil. where the rays of the sun are
fiercer and cause the bulb to expand,
saves years labor and expense. How
ever advantageous this may seem to the
exporter, to the florist who receives these
quickly matured bulbs it frequently
means the loss of the whole lot for they
are often rotten, and the plant is Sickly
and the flower small.
The variety of lily from Japan most in
demand by the florists is the giganteum.
While the stalk of this lily does not at
tain a very great height. the blossoms
are large and numerous. Frequently
from one of these bulbs a plant has
grown bearing as many as thirty
buds. The lillium longiflorum is a species
that grows at times as high as seven
feet. but the stalk loses it's leaves at the
bottom. thus detracting from it's beauty.
texture, and its petals have a beautiful
backward curve. Another of the most
popular varieties is the Harris lily. so
named after its first introducer. This
form is said to have been naturalized in
Bermuda. and is known as the Bermuda
lily. From Japan, however. come. per-
haDs, 40 per cent of the bulbs that are
brought into flower at Eastertims by
Washington florists