July 11, 1908 



HORTICULTURE 



41 



most reliable for forcing purposes one 

 year with another. With a succes- 

 sion of plantings also, this type can 

 be used with splendid results en masse 

 on extensive lawns, where the contrast 

 in colors is most pleasing. 



As my task has been principally in 

 the direction of collecting, selecting, 

 classifying and growing commercially 

 this bulb, my talk will be more on this 

 line rather than from the scientific or 

 hybridizer's standpoint, although 1 

 have had considerable experience with 

 hybridizing in my early work. Ever 

 since I knew anything about flowers 

 the gladiolus has been my favorite, 

 the giowing of which I called a fad 

 up to ;i few years ago, when, realizing 

 the possibilities of the development 

 and consequent demand for these mod- 

 ern types I concluded if possible to 

 make a business of the growing of these 

 bulbs, convinced also that the soil and 

 climatic conditions of my section of 

 the country were especially adapted 

 to the development of a strong, vigor - 

 ■ ous bulb which in the gardens of the 

 amateurs and professional growers 

 would give most satisfactory results. 

 How well I have succeeded is indicated 

 by the harvest of 1907 of about 10,000 

 bushels of bulbs, bulblets and cormels, 

 all of which stock has been disposed 

 of during the season, of 1908-1909 with 

 the exception of such as we were 

 obliged to retain for further growing. 

 This slock is made up of selections 

 from unnamed seedlings and named 

 varieties placed in mixtures and color 

 sections, also named varieties of re- 

 cent introduction as well as novelties 

 not yet introduced and of course some, 

 old varieties which by reason of some 

 particular attributes are still in de- 

 mand, are retained. 



Origin of the Gladiolus. 

 Comparing the wild species with the 

 modern hybrids one could hardly be- 

 lieve that the latter were offsprings of 

 the former. Of the wild species re- 

 ferred to there have so far been dis- 

 covered 1-10 or more, a few being na- 

 tives of Europe and Western Asia, a 

 few from the mountains of tropical 

 Africa; most of them, however, are 

 from South Africa (Cape Colony and 

 Natali. The leading parents of garden 

 sorts are the species Psittacinus, Car- 

 dinalis, Sandersii, Purpureo^Auratus, 

 Papilio, Dracocephalus, Cooperii, Ad- 

 lami and Cruentus. But few of them 

 are of value to the garden and then 

 only as curiosities. In addition to the 

 use of wild species many domesticated 

 species have been produced which have 

 been of incalculable value in securing 

 new types and colors, as well as the 

 general habits and constitution are 

 concerned. 



The gladiolus is quite an old flower, 

 for we find as far back as 1596 Gladio- 

 lus segatum was cultivated, and in 

 1629 Gladiolus Byzantinus was quite 

 popular; also during the last half of 

 the eighteenth century many species 

 were introduced, causing a great deal 

 of interest in this flower. At one time 

 Gladiolus segetum and communis 

 were highly piized for their medicinal 

 properties, but for what ailment I have 

 been unable to ascertain. The starchy 

 bulbs of some African species were 

 also used by the natives as food. In 

 1S23 Mr. Colvill of Chelsea brought to 

 notice the variety Colvillii, a cross be- 

 tween ' cardinalis and tristis, and 

 which by later breeding has shown 

 some beautiful hybrids especially 

 adapted for early forcing, although the 



flower is quite small. It seems, how- 

 ever, to have been left to Van Houtte 

 to start the ball rolling, when in 18 H 

 he introduced to the trade the Gan- 

 davensis type, said by some authorities 

 to be a cross between psittacinus and 

 cardinalis. while others claim it is the 

 result of crossing psittacinus and op- 

 positiflorus. I am inclined to the for- 

 mer theory, although in some so-called 

 Canada vensis hybrids the blood of op- 

 positiflorus is recognized, especially is 

 it most prominent in that old variety 

 Ceres. 



The Lemoinel type, a hybrid of pur- 

 pureo-auratus and Gandavensis, was 

 first introduced in 1878 by Victor Le- 

 moine, and the Nanceianus, a hybrid 

 Of Lemoinel and Sandersii, was intro- 

 duced in 1889 by the same hybridizer. 

 About this time or perhaps a little ear- 

 lier, a cross between Gandavensis and 

 Sandersii was obtained by Mas 

 Leichtlin ot Germany, which strain 

 came to America and was named 

 Childsi. 



A'.ottt (he year 1887 1 happened to 

 see a small planting of gladioli in the 

 garden of a personal friend, which, 

 comparing quality, vitality and multi- 

 plying functions were a revelation to 

 me. I found upon inquiring that they 

 were hybrids from the trial grounds 

 of Mr. H. H. Groff of Canada and im- 

 mediately I made it my business to 

 stock up as rapidly as possible from 

 that source, so> that today I have be- 

 t veen 15 and 20,000 seedlings of excep- 

 tional merit, the result of crosses made 

 by that hybridizer. 



Cultural Methods. 

 The methods employed in the suc- 

 cessful cultivation of the gladiolus are 

 too well known to all of you for ma 

 to go into full details hence I will 

 touch lightly upon this subject. One 

 of the principal points is to select 

 proper soil, for although this bulb will 

 bloom in most any kind of soil and 

 under adverse conditions, still the 

 same as most flowers it has its choice 

 of soils. Sandy loam is preferable, but 

 if this cannot be supplied, heavy soil 

 may be much lightened by the applica- 

 tion of sand. The soil also should be 

 well drained, for the gladiolus will not 

 thrive well where there is excessive 

 moisture. The soil should be well fer- 

 tilized in the fall and thoroughly 

 plowed, and again in the spring should 

 be well pulverized, at which time the 

 lightening process with sand should 

 take place if required. The planting 

 can be made in rows or en masse, ac- 

 cording to the uses which are to be 

 made of the flowers. If space is 

 limited the rows may be be as close as 

 eighteen inches (IS inches) apart; such 

 planting, of course, is intended for cut 

 flowers. 



Four inches (4 in.) is shallow 

 enough to plant in any soil for the 

 bulb to take strong root and permit 

 of sufficient space for the new bulb 

 or bulbs to form on top of the one 

 planted. By planting this depth and 

 even a little deeper in especially light 

 soil, the spike from the old conn to 

 the top of the ground is a help toward 

 supporting the mass of flowers which 

 are sure to follow proper cultivation 

 and as a general rule no stakes are 

 required except under extreme con- 

 ditions, such as continued high winds 

 sometimes accompanied by driving 

 rains. 



Propagation. 

 Gladioli bulbs may be carried 

 through the winter year after year in 



good condition, if stored in a dry 

 place, with as low a temperature as 

 possible above the freezing point. 



The multiplication of the same va- 

 riety is accomplished in two ways, 

 first, by division, the old bulb produc- 

 ing from two to as high as ten new 

 blooming bulbs. Second, by offsets or 

 cormels which are formed among the 

 roots between the old bulb planted 

 and the new bulb or bulbs, which 

 form on top. A large percentage of 

 these cormels require two years' 

 planting in order to secure blooming 

 bulbs, and the first year may be 

 sowed in rows one inch (1 in.) deep 

 and about twelve inches (12 in.) 

 apart. New varieties are secured 

 only from seed, and there is no argu- 

 ment which would convince the mod- 

 ern grower that chance seedlings (by 

 bees, butterflies and other insects) 

 are as good as those produced by 

 hand hybridization, especially when 

 hybridized by one whose experience 

 and knowledge of the habits and con- 

 stitution of the parent plants as well 

 as the proper methods to secure color 

 results, has taught him when and 

 how to make such crosses. Sports 

 now and then appear in my fields, but 

 so far, I have been unable to estab- 

 lish and reproduce them. 



Decorative Value of the Gladiolus. 



The blooming of the gladiolus com- 

 ing as it does at the time of the year 

 when there is comparatively a dearth 

 of other flowers is a boon to the flor- 

 ists. With its new forms and color- 

 ing there is no decoration for which 

 it is not eminently adapted and the 

 absence of perfume as well as the 

 odor from decomposition, which takes 

 place with many other flowers, place 

 it in the lead for table decoration. 

 Beautiful and artistic wedding, funeral 

 and other designs can be made with 

 the individual flowers while the spikes 

 can be arranged with green foliage in 

 sprays, and other forms lasting much 

 better than roses, carnations, in fact 

 any other flower, which by reason of 

 such use must remain some time 

 without water. 



No florist whether growing for the 

 general or local market should ne- 

 glect to force each year at least a 

 few gladioli. Very few are so fortu- 

 nate as to have their carnation 

 houses entirely free from stem rot 

 and consequent bare spaces, in which 

 the gladiolus may be planted with ex- 

 cellent results and returning ordinari- 

 ly a reasonable profit for the space 

 occupied. Then, too, there are other 

 house crops among which are chrys- 

 anthemums which can be economi- 

 cally and profitably followed by the 

 planting of gladioli. The tempera- 

 lure in which the best results can be 

 secured is that under which the car- 

 nation thrives. Bulbs after being har- 

 vested from the fields in the fall 

 should be given a reasonable resting 

 period after which they may be 

 planted in the bench midway between 

 (he surface and bottom of the soil; 

 sufficient root depth is thereby given 

 and the necessity of staking is also 

 avoided. 



The gladiolus is well called the 



people's flower and I hope by careful 



selection and combination of those 



ties best adapted to the use of 



craft, that the day will not be 



stant when it will be a neces- 



isset to florists in general and 



in due time receive the additional 



• f the Florist's Flower. 



