full benefit of a sunny exposure, and along about September they will send up flower-stalks which will often reach a height of four feet. In October and November two feet of the upper portion of each stalk will be thickly set with a large number of white flowers with waxlike petals, resembl`'ng in texture those of the Cape Jasmine or Magnolia. The Tuberose has a fragrance as rich and heavy as that of either of these two flowers. Some persons find it overpowering. Those who have never grown this plant for flowering in the home will find it excellently well adapted to amateur culture, and a most desirable addition to the comparatively small list of plants that bloom close to the edge of winter.

DISCUSSION.

Mrs. Howlett: Would it be necessary to dry the calla out completely to have it bloom well, or would it be better to have it grow, take care of itself, sh'ft for itself in the garden during the summer months and not dry out completely as if turned on the sod?

Mr. Rexford: I do not know if it is necessary, but I find it saves a great deal of labor and it comes out so strongly if you pot it in rich soil, that seems to answer fully the requirements of the plant.

LILIES.

JOHN TIPLADY, Lake Geneva.

My subject for our information today is the "Lily," esteemed as Flora's emblem of purity yet lacking the popularity it rightly deserves, caused probably by the erroneous idea that lilies are very expensive and not entirely hardy in Wisconsin. Or it may be because lilies are largely grown in greenhouses in great quantities each year that our thoughts have been diverted from the true possibilities of the family collectively as garden flowers.

Lilies as a rule are not expensive, the standard varieties being within the reach of all who possess a patch of garden or shrub plantation and their hardiness cannot be doubted because some of the varieties listed in the catalogs such as Superbum (the Turk's cap), Tigrinum (the tiger lily) Canadense and Philadelphicum are native to our northern states.

That liles were well known floral subjects to our ancestors for hundreds of generations is evidenced by the fact that the bible in speaking of their beauty says that "Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." And how long has Solomon been dead? That lilies grew and were admired long before Solomon's time cannot be denied, consequently they are historic, and their origin dates back to the Garden of Eden for all we know. Back to remote antiquity to say the least. The particular variety mentioned in the bible I am led to believe was L. Candidum (often called "Annunciation or Madonna Lily") known to have been under cultivation in Europe in 1596. This variety seems to be the best adapted to the amateur or new beginner to force in the window or greenhouse about which I will speak later on, For beauty and ease of cultivation our native varieties as previously mentioned are worthly of consideration. Superbum of the swamps and Canadense of the fertile meadows "toil not neither do they spin" yet in their season are subjects of great beauty. The varied forms make it possible to select a variety suitable for almost any location as far as height is concerned. They may be graded from L. Concolor, scarcely two feet high, to the noble Himalayan lily which when estatblished grows from 10 to 14 feet high bearing long tubular flowers of white streaked inside with purple and whilst all are beautiful anywhere they may be made doubly so when planted in masses or colonies among shrubs or herbaceous perennials. Especially are they most effective when planted thinly among Paeonias, the one succeeding the other in their blooming period and both seeming to enjoy the benefits derived from each other. A well prepared bed of this combination would stand undisturbed for years and would be admired by all who had the good fortune to see it. Whereas we can boast of a few very beautiful varieties indigenous to the northern states, the more highly colored and ornamental kinds such as Auratum and Speciosum and their varieties come from Japan. L. Harrisii ( the true Eastern lily) is grown

largely in the Bermudas and is exported to us in large quantities for forcing purposes. So universal was this variety grown by florists for the Easter trade that the demand exceeded the possible supply and its propagation was rushed indiscriminately and to such an extent that disease attacked them and today it is a rare treat to see a good specimen of this famous variety. New kinds continue to appear, however, the last to my knowledge being L. Philipensis and L. Satchuense. If the following remarks as to outdoor culture are closely adhered to there will be little chance of failure.

The soil most suited to lilies is a deep garden loam, well pulverized and enriched with well rotted manure, should it be heavy in texture add sufficient sharp sand to lighten it up and the drainage should compare favorably with good corn land. Nothing will injure them so readily as water standing about them. In planting it is a good plan to place a handful of sand around each bulb to keep it from rotting and as October is the best time to plant, now (August) is the time to make your selections as to variety and prepare the ground, which should be thoroughly done as the bulbs do best if left undisturbed for five or six years after which time they should be lifted and divided and transplanted again in beds prepared as before. Fresh or artificial manures should be avoided. Beneficial results may be obtained by mulching during hot dry weather in summer as well as in winter and the flowers should be picked off as fast as they begin to fade as the formation of seeds tends to exhaust the bulbs. In planting they should be set from 3 to 6 inches deep according to size, the larger ones will stand deeper planting and the bulbs should not be allowed to lay around out of the ground as drying greatly weakens them. This is often the first cause of partial failure with imported stock, because they become dry in transit and most of their vitality is lost. Accept nothing but strong healthy bulbs when buying and the chance of failure will be diminished. For a beginner at out-door culture I would suggest the following kinds along with our native varieties; Auratum, Candidum, Elegans, Martagon, Speciosum and Tigrinum. After becoming proficient in the cultivation of these varieties, the following kinds may gradually be added to the collection, viz.: Umbellatum, Croceum, Pardalinum, Tenuifolium, Wallace and Longiflorum. The last named variety is the one used so extensively