THE CULTIVATION OF HUES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20702, 27 April 1929, Page 7

THE CULTIVATION OF HUES.

No. 11. In our garden page of 13 wo reproduced from Country some interesting notes on the cultivation of Lilium auratum from seed. r Our contemporary has published a ifurther contribution from the writer, Mir George M. Taylor, in which he, deals with other species of lilies, and we append a further portion of his writings on tlbe subject us being of interest to our gardjuning readers. Dealing with the seed of Monadelphutn szovitvianum, popularly known as Lilium colchicum, he advocates the sowing of its seed in autumn, and continues his interesting notes as follows: ■ This is another specie's vj/hich docs not germinate the first season ’if the seed is sown in spring. I have had a similar experience with the seed of L. pomponium, and as 1 write, in January, 1 actually find seedlings of this species beginning to show through the soil. This seed was sown in the taring of 1928. Seed of L. regale germinal very quickly, and I always 'sow this ia March in the open in drills as already detailed. L. japonicum will germinate the first season after sowing in spring, provided the seed has been freshly saved. If the seed is purchased, I find it to -sow in autumn. I have had some good seedlings of this lilium from seed sown in autumn, and it has proved quite hardy. In view of past practice it may sound somewhat absorb to advocate the sowing of lilium seed in this fej.shion, but it is a system which I have found successful, and which is worth tryiij g in a small way to begin with. Experience will lead to further and larger sowings. Do not be discouraged if some species do not germinate the first season—especially after spring sowing-—but leave the seed beds alone for another year. My experience has been that all lilium seed should be sown as soon as rjjpe. lam frankly of the opinion that hi is a mistake to keep the seed over this winter. In the case of quickly germinating species, however, such as Liliums regale, croccum, and the martagons, sejed may be sown in spring, but I now slew these in the autumn too. In the spring of Tj)26 1 made a large sowing of home-saved seed of Liliums Porryi, japonicum, croccum. and canadense. Liliums cana.dense and croceum germinated fairly cqpidly, but no seedlings of Liliums I%irryi and japonicum were in evidence, iln the spring of 1927 there was a splendjid crop of both, and these are now fine little bulbs in robust health. I was fortunate enough to obtain a few seeds of L polyphyllum. and these wore sown ijn spring in a large, deep pot which has stood all summer and autumn in the. open. It is only now, in January, that the seedlings are beginning to appear, and as. a precaution I have had the pot takgn indoors for safety. This is too scarce a lilium to risk in fhe open at this early season, but the very fact of the seedlings coming through now would seem to indicate that it does not fear climatic confjitions at this season. I shall keep the seedlings indoors until March. When, however, there is any seed to spare of this scarce species I shall grow it in the way I have already indicated for L. auratum and the others. I do not know sufficient about its hardiness, as this is n»7 first acquaintance with this rarity, and ft is desirable that every precaution should be taken with tie seed