428 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Nearly all sl''i<li<»lu''»^'f* now grown are the result of crosses and scien- 

 tific liybridizlng of the dozen or twenty native species found originally 

 at the Cape of Good Hope. Of these native species, I have only two in 

 my collection of more than one Inmdred named hyltrids. Of these two, 

 Sandersoni is the most important of all, and Dracoceplialus, or dragon's 

 head, only a curious novelty, without any beauty. 



Most of the millions of gladioluses now grown are all kinds mixed. A 

 block of these in bloom presents a magnificent and interesting sight. I 

 had, last summer, one block of mixed gladioluses oml)racing about 40,000 

 bulbs, with probably one-half of them in bloom at once, and yet it was 

 difBcult to find two spikes Avith flowers of same color tuid sliape. It is 

 the duty of the careful cultivator to go over the phuifation every feW 

 days in the flowering season, niark the spikes of the best ones for future 

 propagation, and dig out and destroy any that may be inferior. In this 

 way only can he build up the quality of his product. 



Gladioluses have been considered too tender to remain in the groinid 

 through our winters, but with the advent of Lemoines hybrids, Leichtleni 

 and Groff's hybrids, greater hardiness seems to have been attained. In 

 November, 1002, I harvested a crop of mixed gladioluses and replanted the 

 block at once with lilies. The following spring the gladiolus bulblets 

 from the size of a grain of wheat to twice that size, came up thick as 

 newly-sown oats, with also some large bulbs that had been overlooked, 

 so that we had hundreds of thousands of gladiolus to destroy in culti- 

 vating our lilies. 



Another bulb that I like for spring planting is the white amaryllis, 

 ismene calanthia, a rather large bull) that blooms beautifully in the open 

 ground, with broad, fleshy leaves and white lily-like flowers, with a 

 delightful fragrance. Florists consider this also useful for growing in the 

 greenhouse for winter bloom. 



President Stevens: I am very sorry our time is getting so limited 

 that we can not discuss this topic at this time. We will be compelled 

 to pass on to the next just now. We will now have the report of the 

 Committee on the Fruit Exhibit to be made at St. Louis. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FRUIT EXHIBIT AT ST. LOUIS. 



Mr. President— Your committee appointed a year ago by your Society 

 to select a deputy In each county in the State to gather fruit for the 

 State's fruit exhibit to be made at St. Louis during 1004, begs leave to 

 make the following report: Inasmuch as the State Legislature at its 

 late session made provisions to cover the ground and do this work 

 through a Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor of the 



