AN ENCYCLOPADIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 69 
Gipsy Moth—continued. 
interspersions at the end of the wing-rays. The cater- 
pillar is black, with yellowish marking, and a grey line 
down the back. Each segment has six tubercles, all emit- 
ting bristly hairs, black on the back and brown on the 
sides. It is believed that the Gipsy Moth is almost, if 
not quite, extinct as a British species; but, upon the 
Continent, the larvee occasionally do considerable damage 
to fruit-trees. by stripping them of their leaves. They 
may be collected by beating the branches over an in- 
verted umbrella. 
GITHAGO. Included under Lychnis (which see). 
GLABROUS. Smooth; destitute of hairs. 
GLADIATE. Sword-shaped ; the same as Ensiform. 
GLADIOLUS (diminutive of gladius, a sword; re- 
ferring to the shape of the leaves). Corn Flag. ORD. 
Iridee. This genus contains about ninety species of 
so-called “bulbous” plants, many of which are amongst 
the most popular of outdoor summer and autumn-flower- 
ing subjects. The geographical distribution is Central 
Europe, the Mediterranean region, West Asia and Africa 
— the headquarters of the genus being South Africa. 
The flowers are secund, spiked, borne on tall scapes, the 
colours being very varied; the perianth is sub-bilabiate, 
with a short curved tube. ‘The leaves are all equitant 
and sword-shaped; and the corms have netted fibrous 
coats. Original species have long since been superseded 
by the very numerous and beautiful hybrids that are in 
cultivation. Many of the former are, however, very 
ornamental, and well worthy of retaining for pot cul- 
ture in cool houses, or for mixed flower borders, in 
summer. Improvement in the Gladiolus is wholly due 
to the efforts of hybridisers, who took it in hand, first 
in France, some fifty years ago, and afterwards in this 
country, about the middle of the present century. Varie- 
ties that were subsequently, and those which are still 
annually, obtained, represent an extreme diversity in the 
colouring of the flowers. Some are pure white, others 
range from that colour to deep crimson, and include 
yellowish and purple shades, many being beautifully flaked 
and marked. Gladioli are propagated by seeds, which 
ripen and germinate pretty freely; and by numerous 
large and small bulbils, usually termed “spawn,” that 
are found round the old corms, or on the ends of the 
Fic. 108. GLADIOLUS CorM, showing Mode of Increase, 
roots, in autumn (see Fig. 108). Seeds should be sown 
early in March, preferably in large pans or pots, where 
the young plants may be thinned and allowed to remain 
for the first season. The pans should first be placed 
in heat, and, as the seedlings appear, a light position 
and more air should be given, in order to gradually 
harden off for placing outside all the summer. If well 
attended to when growing, and afterwards thoroughly 
"pened in autumn, the young corms may be stored like 
er ones, and many of them will flower the second 
Gladiolus—continued. 
year. For increasing stock of any one or more varieties, 
the small corms should be separated from those in- 
tended for flowering, and planted from 4in. to Gin. apart, 
in a warm border, about the middle of March. If 
watered, and allowed to grow for the summer, many of 
them will become large enough to flower the following 
year. 
Cultivation. A deep rich soil, and a sheltered, sunny 
position, are requisite for attaining the best results. 
Plenty of manure may be intermixed with the soil, in 
the autumn, when trenching and other preparations for 
Gladioli should be commenced ; but none should be applied 
in a fresh state at planting time, as it tends to cause 
decay in the corms, if coming in contact with them 
before growth commences. Brenchleyensis is an old 
sort, but still one of the best and most extensively 
grown. It increases rapidly and is of a good consti- 
tution, succeeding with telling effect when planted either 
in a bed or in small groups of about half-a-dozen, in 
various parts of mixed flower borders or shrubberies. If 
the planting of a portion is commenced early in March, 
and continued at intervals till the end of May, the- 
flowering period may be similarly prolonged until late 
in the autumn. The corms should be inserted about 
3in, deep, and 1ft. apart, if in beds; and a circular 
group may consist of four or five, in a space of Ift. 
diameter. Each plant will require a stake before the 
flowering season arrives, to prevent injury from rough 
winds. In hot weather, plenty of water must be given, 
and a mulching of short manure is always beneficial as 
a preventative of undue evaporation. Before the ap- 
pearance of severe frost, the corms should be lifted, 
with their tops intact, and laid in a cool, dry shed, — 
to become ripened, when the tops may be cut off close 
down, and the corms placed in paper bags, until plant- 
ing time. This specially refers to the South African 
species, and to all the finer hybrids; except in very dry 
sandy soils, it would be unwise to leave the corms 
of these in the ground throughont the winter. The 
South European species do not need any such attention. 
The large and small ones are best separated when stor- 
ing; and the bags should be labelled according to the 
size or the variety contained in each. P 
Culture in Pots. Large-flowering Gladioli succeed in 
pots, if desired for summer or autumn decoration of 
greenhouses, &c. One large corm is sufficient for a 7in. 
pot, and successional batches may be inserted in rich 
soil, and grown in a frame where plenty of air can be 
admitted, or in a tered position ontside. „G. Col- 
villei and its white form, known as “The Bride,” are 
amongst the most beantifal for pot culture. They 
succeed admirably, and may be had in full beauty in 
April and May, if gently forced. The corms are small, 
and do not require much root space. About five of 
them should be placed in a 5in. or 6in. pot, in autumn, 
and either covered for a time with ashes outside, as 
ordinary bulbs are, or placed in a cold frame from the 
first. When roots are formed, and growth begins, a few 
pots at a time should be successionally placed in a tem- 
perature of about 55deg. Each strong corm will produce 
two or more flower scapes, and, when these appear, a 
little higher temperature may be given, always select- 
ing a situation exposed to light, and applying plenty of 
water to the roots. Later batches come on all right in 
a cold frame. G. Colville and G. O. alba succeed equally 
well with the larger-flowered varieties, when planted 
outside in summer. Any Gladiolus flowers expand well 
in water when they are far enough advanced to begin 
opening naturally. With a system specially adopted by 
exhibitors, the whole of the flowers in a spike are 
secured at one time by placing the latter in water at a 
certain stage, and encouraging the flowers to expand 
slowly in a cool place. 
