But we must not forget to mention an incident which happened to us while carrying this particular bunch through a City street from the railway terminus. We became conscious of a footstep close behind us, and felt that someone was keeping close to the flowers as they dangled at our side; but walking on unheeding, we presently relaxed our speed, when the follower made a semi-circle round the bouquet, watching it greedily until he faced it and us; then he turned and hastily disappeared, but not before we recognised in the London-dressed man a young and handsome Japanese! The flowers came from his distant land, and maybe reminded him of a home, a mother, or a sweetheart, and all so far away. We have ever since been ashamed of ourselves for not offering him one of the blossoms for a buttonhole. The discouraging news given at the end of our first chapter led us to think: "Lilies will not grow in pots, but some kinds do fairly well in the open." "Lilies though suitable for pot plants are unsatisfactory for the flower-bed." Surely it is impossible to reconcile these two statements. Either one or both opinions must be incorrect. We must settle this point, and we can easily do so by growing lilies, both in pots and in the open ground. We have before told you that we have ourselves grown eighty-seven distinct kinds of lilies. We have grown them in pots and in the open. We have obtained great satisfaction from both. Few flowers are easier to grow in pots than lilies, and as they form probably the finest of all pot plants the culture of lilies in pots deserves more attention than it has heretofore received. There are two ways of potting lilies, each of which has its advantages and uses, so we will describe both methods. The first method is the simplest. Take a large flower-pot. No lily should be grown in a pot less than six inches in diameter. Of course the pot must vary in size with the size of the plant it has to contain. _Lilium Concolor_ and _Elegans_ grow well in six-inch pots; _L. Auratum_ or _Speciosum_ should have an eight or ten-inch pot, while _L. Giganteum_ will require the largest sized pot procurable or a small tub. One bulb only should be placed in each pot if absolutely perfect plants are desired; but very pretty effects can be obtained by growing two or three bulbs in a large pot or tub. See that the pot is perfectly clean. Place about an inch depth of crocks, stones, etc., at the bottom, then put three inches of the prepared soil in the pot, and over this place a thin layer of peat, mixed with sharp sand and pieces of charcoal. Take the bulb, examine it, remove diseased scales and wash it in lime water, as you did in the case of the lilies you planted out last month. Dust it over with powdered charcoal and place it in the pot surrounded with sharp sand and peat. Then fill up the pot with the prepared soil.[1]