590 



HORTICULTURE 



May 5, 1906 



THE GLADIOLUS. 



Cultural Instructions and Care of 

 the Cut Flowers. 



(We are indebted to H. H. Groff, the gladi- 

 olus specialist for the following practi- 

 cal directions.) 

 The gladiolus is not exacting in its 

 demands upon the soil. I have grown 

 it on one block of land yearly for 

 over fifteen years, the only fertilizer 

 used being well-rotted stable manure 

 and hard wood ashes applied before 

 ploughing in the autumn. No fertili- 

 zers are needed on strong new soils as 



d Profuse watering at intervals is de- 

 sirable where local peculiarities of soil 

 and limited rainfall prevail during the 

 season of active plant growth and 

 blooming. A brief period of ripening 

 before the latter season is beneficial, 

 if not too severe, as this hardens the 

 plant tissues and assures flowers and 

 spikes of increased durability and 

 quality. Excessively succulent growth 

 is not beneficial to plant, flower or 

 corm. 



For best results, plant in full ex- 

 posure to the sun, in locations having 

 a free circulation of air, avoid crowd- 

 ing by other plants or overshading oy 

 trees, buildings or hedges. Plant from 

 two to four inches deep according to 

 the size of the corms,— matured corms 

 never less than four inches,— two to 

 four inches aparl in double rows, 

 which may be made as close as twelve 

 inches in beds or borders. The great- 

 est satisfaction is secured by growing 

 several thousand in the vegetable gar- 

 den for daily cutting as the first flow- 

 ers open. , 

 Dig the corms before the ground 

 freezes, cut off the stalk close to the 

 corm and store in a cool dry place, in 

 baskets or shallow boxes. The old 

 corm may be removed a few weeks 

 later when convenient. It is not nec- 

 essary to wait until the plant dies 

 down before harvesting the corms, as 

 a few weeks after blooming is suffi- 

 cient to mature both for this purpose. 

 As our whole interest centres in the 

 beautiful flowers of the gladiolus,— 

 which for beauty and diversity in the 

 whole range of color have no equals m 

 horticulture, and their durability when 

 cut for table and other decorative pur- 

 poses is unexcelled in their season: — 

 here it is well to be fully informed as 

 to the treatment that will ensure the 

 best results. 



Cut the spike when the first flower 

 opens and place in water without over- 

 crowding. Remove the terminal buds 

 soon as this checks stalk development 

 and throws the strength into the larger 

 and earlier maturing flowers. The end 

 of the stalk should be shortened and 

 the water renewed daily with frequent 

 cleansing of the vases. In shortening 

 the stalk cut diagonally, to insure free 

 absorption of water by the spike with- 

 out the contamination and obstruction, 

 caused by the sediment, if cut at a 

 right angle. 



"The fact that blooming the spikes 

 in the shade of room or piazza modi- 

 fies the field colors, from bright shades 

 and tints to delicate flushes and shad- 

 ings and also reduces the latter types 

 to tlie faintest tinge of color or white, 

 is well known to experienced growers. 

 The advent of the new hybrids pro- 

 ducing the most intense and deep 

 shades of violet, purple, crimson and 

 scarlet as well as new yellows and 



other bright colors, makes it desirable 

 that these brilliant combinations be _ 

 preserved when the spikes are cut for 

 decorative purposes. 



To ensure this most desirable result, 

 place the vases of these highly colored 

 types in the early morning sun for an 

 hour or two daily, preferably after 

 renovation and renewal of the water. 

 This practice will also enable the re- 

 tention and normal presentation of the 

 original delicate tints and shadings re- 

 ferred to in the preceeding paragraph, 

 if so desired. 



As it takes about three days after 

 cutting to bring the spikes into strong 

 blooming condition, this should be 

 allowed for in advance of the date of 

 intended use. The spikes can be ship- 

 ped a thousand miles by standing them 

 on end in suitable baskets or boxes. 

 On arrival, cut off the end of the stalk, 

 and remove the terminal buds before 

 placing in water, they will then revive 

 quickly and with proper care give 

 pleasure for a week or more. 



One of the causes of the popularity 

 of the gladiolus as a decorative flower, 

 is the fact that it has no perfume, as 

 there are few flowers used for this 

 purpose that are not distasteful to some 

 one,— particularly in closed rooms— 

 either from personal preference or 

 painful association. 



Where the pollen proves irritating to 

 the tissues of the respiratory organs, 

 as in the case of hay-fever subjects, 

 the anthers may be easily pinched 

 out during the daily renovation, when 

 the faded florets are also removed. 

 This removal of the anthers is de- 

 sirable in the highly colored types re- 

 ferred to, where the shed pollen dulls 

 the brilliancy of the petals on which 

 it may fall. 



BUSINESS CHANGES. 



Boyle Bros, have purchased the 

 establishment of Peter Boll at Maiden, 

 Mass. 



Charles S. Stout has purchased the 

 greenhouse and business of E. J. Gove, 

 Biddeford, Me. 



Frank Cramer of Stuyvesant, N. Y„ 

 has leased the greenhouses of James 

 Purcell at Valatie, N. Y. 



William C. Smith & Co. have pur- 

 chased the brokerage business of Pil- 

 cher & Burrows, St. Louis, Mo., and 

 will conduct it on the same lines as 

 heretofore. 



GREENHOUSES BUILDING AND 

 PROJECTED. 



Lynn. Mass.— Frank Dolansky, addi- 

 tions. , , , 

 Lancaster, N. Y.— A. Schnabel, one 



house. ._ , 



Milwaukee, Wis— Nic Zweifel, two 



houses. 



Tewksbury, Mass.— George Fost r. 



one house. m _. 



South Portland, Me.— J. W. Minot, 

 one house. 



Chiselhurst, N. J— Fred Bauer, one 

 house. 27x100. 



Sterling, 111— The Sterling Floral 

 Co., one house. 



Baltimore, Md.— B. S. Merntt & Co., 

 two houses, 30x12-",. 



Brockton. Mass.— L. D. Baldwin, ad- 

 ditions to present houses. 



West Manchester, Mass.— Stephen V. 

 R. Crosby, one house, 20x80. 



Asparagus 

 Plumosus Nanus 



Greenhouse Grown Fresh Picked Seed 



ioo Setda 6oc. iooo Seeds $4.00 



S oo *' $2.25 5 000 " , 9-°° 



10,000 Seeds $3,6x0 



PRIZE PRIMULA SEEDS 

 sow now. r,'sS 



plants in bloom for FALL sales. 



ii Trade Trade 



Pki. Pkt. 



Primula sinensis, pu eWhite. $o.to $l.oo 



•' " Brilliant Red, .60 1.00 



" " Holborn Blue, .60 1 00 



" " Cri.i.son, .60 i-°° 



'■ Pink, ■<"» i°° 



" Mi, hell's 



European Mixture, .60 1. 00 

 This is the finest m xture pro urable com- 

 posed of the choicest separate colors on y. 

 Primu'a obconica, Red, . . $0.30 

 '• " Rose or Pink, .30 



'• " pure white, . .30 



" " Hybida Mixed Colors, .40 



" " FimbriataC oio Mix'd, .50 



For Seasonable S <ds -nd Supplies please 

 refer to our Wholesale List mailed free 

 on request to all florists. 



HENRY F. MICKELLC0. 



Seed Importers and Growers 



1018 Market St, Philadelphia. Pa. 



NEWS NOTES. 



George Leadley, of 245 Woodward 

 avenue, Detroit, Mich., lost about $300 

 by a fire on April 15. 



The Charles A. Shaeffer Floral Co., 

 of Kansas City, Mo., has assigned to 

 W. W. Filkins, a creditor. 



H. D. Hemenway, formerly of the 

 School of Horticulture, lectured in 

 Jewell Hall, Hartford, Conn., on April 

 23, on "Gardens and How to Plant 

 Them." 



The sum of $250 has been given as 

 a trust fund for the establishment of a 

 botanical prize at the high school, 

 New Haven, Conn., in memory of Miss 

 Mary A. Marshall, who was at one 

 time a teacher in the school. 



James McManus has moved from 



West 30th street to 42 West 28th street, 

 New York, where he has fitted up one 

 of the most complete wholesale flower 

 establishments in the city. This makes 

 seventeen wholesale florists in the 

 ' 2Sth street group. 



C. Betscher writes us that he has 

 now the most representative collection 

 of peonies in the world, embracing the 

 combined lists of all the native and 

 foreign specialists— all the species and 

 over twelve hundred named sorts. He 

 will make a big display at the Boston 

 exhibition next June. 



McHutchinson & Co. of New York 

 City have again found it necessary to 

 increase their space and have moved 

 from Fulton street to 17 Murray street. 

 This is the fourth time this enter- 

 prising firm have been forced to seek 

 new quarters and each time they have 

 doubled their space. 



