FLOWERS: The Lily Boom

The U.S. has a lily boom, and a brand-new industry. On the West Coast, in Louisiana and Florida, people who never grew anything in their lives are now raising bulbs. The reason: the war cut off the 22 to 25 million lily bulbs which the U.S.

imported every year from Japan, which virtually had a world monopoly. By last week the price of lily bulbs had shot up from 10¢ to $1 and $1.10.

Typical of those busily sprouting bulbs into a big business is Tony Cefalu (pronounced sefi-allo), 50, a roly-poly, Sicilian-born ex-tavernkeeper. Like most of the others, Tony is growing the Croft, a white, sturdy, strong-stemmed Easter lily that multiplies at the rate of 150 bulbs from one bulb a season, will grow 20,000 to the acre. Although now well on his way to becoming the Lily King of the North west, Tony almost muffed his chance at the throne.

In 1940 he bought six Croft lily bulbs for 60¢, scoffed when he was told they would make his fortune. Tony was a forgetful windowsill gardener; he put the bulbs in coffee cans, forgot to water them and the plants withered. Disgusted, Tony threw the bulbs across the street into an empty lot. Later he found them revived among the weeds. He poked them into the ground between garlic plants in his garden because “garlic keeps da boogs away.” Next season he was rewarded with 41 bulbs and bulblets worth $4.10. Then Tony heard the cash register ring.

In 1941, he cleared two acres of jack pine and brush, near Grays Harbor, Washington lumber port, reinvested his bulbs. By 1943 he had 10,000, will harvest 50,000 this year. He will sell 10,000 to nurserymen at from 20¢ to $1 each (eight different grades) and replant 40,000.

No Croft scoffer now, Tony looks with disdain at a “motor villa” he also owns. “Viva Tony,” he shouts, “two more years da bulbs, you can have da joint.”

How long will the boom last? The Department of Agriculture estimates this year’s lily-bulb crop at no more than 3,000,000. At the present rate of expansion it would take about five years, with careful cultivation, to meet the demand, and bring prices down. Even then, bulb growers believe that Japan will never regain her monopoly of the U.S. market.