Lilium candidum.

HE common white lily is one of the noblest as well as commonest flowers of the English garden, and a beau idéal of the tenantry of the terrestrial paradise of the delectable Lady Corisande. Its manner is that of a wilding, for if a few scales broken from a bulb are scattered about a garden, some of them will become true lilies in time; and wherever it is planted and left alone for a few years, it justifies the confidence reposed in it by flowering freely, and increasing by the formation of new bulbs, so that small clumps become large clumps, and may be periodically divided. But it is not

wilding here, and is but rarely met with as an escape from the garden. It is a native of the interesting country called the Levant, and as the Levant includes Palestine, it is by no means improper to consider this as the "lily of the field " referred to by our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew vi. 28). If, however, we seek for a distinct flower as the lily of the Holy Land, we must take note of Canticles vi. 2, where the lily is

associated with spices, and this lily has a powerful and spicy odour that exactly answers to the suggestion of the text. Thus the white lily may be the lily of Solomon, because of its powerful fragrance, but the Gospel lily need not be scented, but must be glorious in apparel, comparable with this splendid monarch. It happens then that the Martagon Lily (L. chalcedonieum), which is almost devoid of odour, but produces flowers of the most brilliant scarlet, like the robes of Solomon, grows in profusion in the Levant, and is especially abundant about the Lake of Gennesaret, on the plains of Galilee, and the pastures on the borders of the desert. But it must also be borne in mind that the shushan, or lily of Scripture, may be rendered "rose" or "violet" with propriety, and probably had a very broad meaning, so that we might read, "Behold the flowers of the field, how they grow," without in the slightest degree misrepresenting the purpose of our Lord. The word "lily" is of unknown origin, and in all its older forms is of general application, and therefore we cannot hope to identify with certainty any flower so called in ancient and especially Eastern documents. It is none the less interesting, however, to note how admirably these two lilies answer to the two references cited, so that we may, without resorting to invention, regard the scarlet martagon and the common white as par excellence the lilies of Scripture.

It is a question of some interest why the white lily was dedicated by the Romish Church to Mary the mother of Jesus, and hence employed on the 2nd of July in connection with the celebration of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin. The delicate whiteness of the flower renders it in this respect appropriate; but it is worth considering, too, that it is the only flower distinctly mentioned by the Founder of

the Christian faith, for, notwithstanding the comprehensive meaning of the word as it comes to us in the text, it has been, as a matter of fact, generally restricted to a particular flower. This dedication of the lily to the Virgin has certainly contributed in a very material degree to the diffusion and popularity of the plant; and the traveller in Ireland will, in the season of lilies, soon learn to distinguish the houses of Romanists and Protestants by the lilies in the gardens, for while the first plant the white lily as an emblem of their faith, the second plant the orange lily for a similar purpose, although the last is in reality much more of a political than a religious emblem.

The white lily will thrive in any fairly good soil, but to ensure a free growth and an abundance of flowers the soil should be rich and deep and moist. It is a good practice, therefore, to prepare for the plants suitable stations, and, having planted them, the next best thing to do with them is to leave them undisturbed for several years. It is often thought that lilies love the shade, but that is a mistake; they love the sun and a free circulation of air about them. In cold and exposed places the white lily often fails to flower, owing to the destruction of the incipient flower-buds by frost, in the month of May. Hence shelter from the keen east winds is an aid in lily culture, as is also a plentiful supply of water during the month of June, when the stems are rising. In respect of taste, the white lily should be so planted that its shabby stems may be concealed, for when wild it grows amongst tall grasses, and hence it is that as the flowers expand the leaves below them usually wither. The dashing Tritoma and the quiet Agapanthus are good plants to associate with lilies, for they agree in character, and supply ample and elegant green leafage.

It is not generally known that the common white lily may be grown to perfection in pots, and is well adapted for forcing. Its great decorative value, and its emblematic character, enhance its importance as a plant adapted for culture under glass, to supply its charming flowers at an earlier season than they customarily appear in the open garden. When grown for this purpose, the bulbs should be potted in August, in a compost consisting of about three parts mellow turfy loam, and one part each of rotten hot-bed manure and sharp sand. Frame culture should suffice until the end of February, when tie plants may be removed into a light airy greenhouse, and should never have a temperature higher than the average of greenhouse plants. This, with full exposure to light, and abundant ventilation, will ensure an early and a vigorous bloom.