200 THE GARDENER. [May 



for these, to explain to the florist tradesman the desire to obtain 

 thoroughly reliable sorts without considering the matter of variety too 

 closely. For the benefit of those who prefer to order the sorts them- 

 selves, a short list of good cheap sorts is here given. Many amateurs 

 of limited means either grow or are desirous of becoming cultivators 

 of the Gladiolus— to such this list is expected to prove of value. Adele 

 Souchet, Adolphe Brongniart, Elegans, John Waterer, Madame Furtado, 

 Meyerbeer, Milton, Didon, Rossini, Penelope, Velleda, Madame Basse- 

 ville. This, a more expensive selection, though the newer sorts are 

 not included — Beatrix, De Mirbel, Marquis of Lothian, Le Phare, Le 

 Vesuve, Lulli, Murillo, Shakespeare, Virginalis, Octavie, Orpheus, 

 Horace Vernet. 



The Gladiolus delights in an open, light, rich soil. Last season our 

 stock was planted in an extra open and rich mixture, and considering 

 the state of the bulbs at planting, I have never had Gladiolus finer. 

 In 1877 the cold wet season kept the entire stock in a very backward 

 condition ; many of them were lifted, potted, and flowered during 

 winter in the conservatory. The effect on the young corm was very 

 bad ; indeed not only were many of the flowering stock of that 

 season destroyed without young corms being formed, but in the case 

 of those that did prosper, they were small and badly ripened. Last 

 planting-season pits were taken out and filled with a mixture of loam, 

 old mushroom dung, white sand, and soot. Several corms were grown 

 in each pit. The most of the plants grew very strongly and flowered 

 well, and the young corms for this season's planting are large and fine. 

 I do not know a plan that would give better results, in the case of 

 growers of small quantities, than that above described of taking out 

 deep pits and planting the Gladiolus in these in a prepared compost. 

 Where they are grown in quantity the ground should be deeply 

 trenched in autumn, breaking up all clods and working in a liberal 

 dressing of light manure. In spring, on every occasion of suitable 

 weather, the ground should be surface-pointed. This is a means of 

 getting the soil into a sweet and open condition. In the south the 

 planting-season extends from February to April. I find the beginning 

 of the latter month a very suitable time for planting here. If planted 

 in clumps, holes may be taken out with a trowel for each single corm, 

 and the corm surrounded with fine white sand. If in beds, drills drawn 

 to the depth of 5 inches, with a layer of sand sown along the bottom of 

 each drill, makes a very suitable and expeditious way of planting. 

 When the Gladiolus are planted — about 8 inches apart is a suitable 

 width, and 15 inches between each row — a handful of sand is required 

 over each, then the earth drawn over, and .the ground between the rows 

 forked over. After the growths have pushed a few inches the space 

 between the rows ought again to be forked, and in another week or 

 two a mulching of half cow, half horse manure spread over the entire 

 bed. Stakes are required before the flower-spikes show themselves, 



