THE FLORAL WORLD 



AND 



GAP. DEN GUIDE. 



SEP TK MB Ell. 18G6. 



THE GLADIOLUS. 



HE season for purcliasing and planting of bulbs has come 

 round once more, and I wish to offer a few seasonable 

 words of advice on the cultivation of the gladiolus. The 

 bloom is generally good this season, and the new sorts 

 have mostly turned out well, and we may, therefore, 

 consider the flower to have made some real advance in popularity, 

 I think it may be safely said that for decorative purposes there are 

 no bad gladioli, though among the named varieties some are better 

 than others, and those who have what is termed " a florist's eye," 

 will prefer flowers with broad segments, flat faces, and smooth edges, 

 provided they have firm, pure, and regular colours. I should much like 

 to see our Editor's selection of varieties, as he possesses better opportu- 

 nities than perhaps any other cultivator of the day for seeing and 

 judging amongst all the kinds in cultivation, and is, I believe, one of 

 the most successful growers of this fine flower. The point I wish to 

 remark upon is the proper management of the bulbs, with a view 

 to prevent the disease wbich so frequently attacks them, and whicb 

 proves so terribly destructive, and concurrently to secure a good 

 bloom, and a reasonable increase of the stock. Having treated them 

 in every way I could think of, having the encouragement and ap- 

 proval of my excellent employer in so doing, I think I may say, with- 

 out any approach to boasting, that I have learnt how to treat them 

 with perfect success. In the first place, then, I must say that one 

 of the principal causes of disease in gladioli is keeping them too long 

 out of the ground. The practice has been to pot them or plant them 

 in April or May. The consequence is, they have not time to make 

 roots before the heat of the w eat her pushes up the flower-spikes, .and 

 the sap is consumed faster than the roots can furnish supplies. In 

 such a case disease must ensue. Another mistake is the fear of using 

 manure. Some very foolish papers on gladioli appeared a few years 

 ago in the gardening journals, and did much mischief. People veere 

 told that manure was poison to these plants, and the consequence 

 was that being in the first instance impoverished by planting too late, 

 they were next badly fed through fear of using manure. With two 

 impoverishing causes against them, no wonder many an amateur lost 



YOL. I, — NO. IX. 17 



