LILY. The type genus (Lilium) of tile family Liliacew (q.v.). The several hundred well-marked species which have been described are succulent herbs with scaly bulbs and usually leafy upright stems terminated by solitary or variously grouped six-segmented flowers of very diverse colors and markings. In general, lilies are among the most popular of garden flowers, having held this position for centuries. But in the United States they have not taken the high rank that they hold in Europe, espe cially in Great Britain. This is probably due largely, to the dryer, hotter climate, and the injudicious planting of the bulbs where they cannot long survive.
The various species and their varieties are adapted to a wide range of soils, a few, such as L. tigrinum, L. canadense and L. superbum, often succeeding in heavy land if well drained, and some, such as L washingtonianum, L. phila delphicum and L. concolor withstanding the peculiar conditions of slaty ridges if deeply planted and well mulched during the growing season. But the greater number thrive best upon fairly rich, well-drained, deep, sandy loam, especially if sheltered from prevailing winds and the hot sun of midsummer. Not that the stems cannot stand sunlight; but the bulbs and roots should be cool and well but not exces sively supplied with moisture and food. The bulbs should always be planted deeply, six inches or more, and the soil stirred to double the depth of planting. This not only assists in keeping the roots cool but protects the bulbs from excessive freezing, which seems to have some effect upon the vitality of shallow-planted specimens of even the hardiest species. Since vitality is also impaired by the exposure of the bulbs to the air, great care should be taken in transplanting to place the bulbs back in the soil as soon as possible after their removal. Transplanting is best done in early spring, the clumps being dug up, divided, the large bulbs planted in new, permanent quarters and the small ones and the bull) scales in nursery beds, where they should remain from one to three years, according to size when planted and to the species. One reason why bulbs obtained from seedsmen fail is because of undue drying. Orders for lilies should be given before the seedsmen can obtain the bulbs, and they should be filled by him without delay after the bulbs arrive. Often bulbs become so flabby from loss of moisture that they may fail to grow until the second year. Hence it is advisable to plant all but plump and turgid bulbs in a nurs ery bed, or where they may remain undisturbed for a year or two before being placed in per manent quarters. Propagation by means of seeds is slow in most cases; and many species rarely produce seeds in the United States.
The Bermuda Easter lily (L. longifiorum, var. eximium) is the only kind that is forced upon a commercial scale in the United States, though several other kinds are to be found in the principal florists' stores and in private con servatories. For forcing, the bulbs of this vari
ety are planted as soon after their arrival from Bermuda as possible, generally before the end of September, and are kept in a cool, dark place until roots are well developed and the tops commence to form, when they are brought into the light, and by judicious management of heat are hastened or retarded to ensure their blos soming at desired seasons, especially Easter Sunday The management of other varieties used in greenhouses is more or less closely similar.• In general, lilies are most effective when i mixed in small masses among shrubbery and hardy flower borders, the various kinds being sufficiently separated either in distance between the groups, or in season of blossoming, to avoid the clashing of inharmonious colors. Many of them•have 'been used Thus for orna mental planting, but though the great majority are well worth growing, scarcely a dozen ha"e become widely popular in the United States, and of these not one is a native American species: The following are probably the best-known species:' Tiger lily (L. tigrinum), a Japanese Species, often exceeds three feet in height and hears a loose raceme of sometimes a dozen nod diag=da`rk•ted, purplish-spotted flowers. It is a very hardy, useful species for the border, where it does best in masses. Madonna lily (L. candidum), a native of southern Europe, often attains three feet, bears from half a dozen to two dozen large, pure white, fragrant flowers in a raceme. It is a highly ornamental species, will do well upon sandy soils and in full sunlight. The Siberian coral lily (L. tenuifolium), which seldom exceeds two feet in height, bears from one to a score of scarlet, nodding flowers. Being very easy to prop agate from seeds and bulb scales and of sim plest culture, it is especially popular with be ginners. Gold banded or Japan lily (L. aura tum), which sometimes attains four feet, bears a few yellow banded, purple-spotted, white i flowers in a short raceme. It is less persistent than the tiger and the showy lily, and some what less easy to cultivate, but is particularly useful for planting among groups of dark colored shrubbery. Showy lily (L. speciosum), a Japanese species, often exceeds three feet, bears six or more white or pinkish, red-dotted flowers in a raceme. It is a specially hardy, thrifty and satisfactory species both for out-of door planting and for greenhouse use. Next to the Bermuda Easter lily and L longiflorurn it is probably more widelygrown by florists for cut ting than any other kind. It has both white and red varieties. L. longiflorum, the original species of the Bermuda Easter lily, is forced in the same way as its variety. It is a native of Japan, from which country most of the bulbs are imported.