THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 295 



cause disease in gladioli. But a fifth part of thoroughly decayed 

 manure in a sweet friable state is of great service, both to bring 

 out the colours rich and true, and promote the formation of a strong 

 brood of offsets. In its native country the gladiolus is subject 

 to a deluging summer, with much heat and a not severe winter, 

 which is comparatively dry. In a mild autumn the leaves are reluc- 

 tant to die down, which shows that after flowering it is the nature 

 of the plant to grow freely ; it is like the crocus in that respect, and 

 needs its leaves in the same manner to assist in the formation of the 

 progeny. The early flowering of the crocus enables it to finish off 

 its growth with fair weather if the gardeners do not cruelly cut or 

 plait its graceful leaves, and so it just suits our climate. Not so 

 with the gladiolus ; our autumal frosts often overtake it before it 

 has finished its season, and this fact affords a point of some import- 

 ance for the consideration of the cultivator. It is evident that a 

 boggy soil must be very injurious if the bulbs are left in the ground 

 to a late period of the year. We may be sure that plenty of water 

 in summer, and dryness with shelter in the winter, are circumstances 

 favourable to flowering and increase. Thus we learn on what prin- 

 ciple to form the bed for these flowers. A well-drained position, a 

 deep sandy, free nourishing soil, containing not a particle of anything 

 rank or sti'ong, some amount of shelter if possible, but full exposure 

 to the sun, or only partially shaded, and water at hand in case of 

 a dry season, when there should be plenty given from the end of 

 May to the end of July, after which the heavens will probably supply 

 all they want. 



It follows, from the foregoing considerations, that if we could 

 leave the bulbs in the ground all the winter, it would be far better 

 than taking them up. Unfortunately, as a rule, there is some risk 

 in doing so, for a hard frost after heavy rains might sweep them 

 all off; yet, if they really passed through the winter unhurt, the 

 next season's growth would be more satisfactory than if they were 

 taken up with their leaves green and sappy, and dried off like onions. 

 The fact is, the young corms are never perfected till the leaves die 

 naturally ; and here is one of the gi*eat advantages of pot culture, 

 which enables us to place them under cover till they finish off natu- 

 rally, without any disturbance of the roots. The Ganclavensis section 

 is the most hardy, and the safest to leave out, and if the beds are 

 well drained and somewhat sheltered, a covering of decayed tan or 

 quite rotten manure, or even sawdust, two or three inches deep, 

 will keep them. But the Ramosus section is too tender to treat 

 in this way, and under some circumstances the Ganclavensis race are 

 safer all winter dry and under cover than in the ground. There is 

 a bed of Brenchleyensis in our garden which has not been disturbed 

 for five years. There have been no perceptible losses, and the bed has 

 thickened so much that during summer the mass is like a huge tuft 

 of some strong-growing grass, with myriads of showy flowers scat- 

 tered through it. But while this thickening has been going on 

 there has been degeneration : the growth is weak, and the flowers 

 are small — evidence enough that they have exhausted the soil they 

 are in, and must be moved now or go to ruin. This, perhaps, is an 



