Jannftry 16, 1868, ) 



JOUBNAB OF HORTIOULTDRE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



30 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



JANUARY 16—22, 1808. 



MeetiDg ol Royal, Linnefln, and Chemical 

 [SocieticB. 

 Royal Hortiimltwral Socidy, Fromenado. 

 2 S'dnd.^y after EnPHiNY. 

 Meetinc of Uoynl Asiiitic Society. 

 Royal llorticiiitural Society, Fruit. Flora], 

 [aud Oeueral Meetijjg. 



Average Tempcratare 

 near LondoD. 



Rain in 



last 

 40 years. 



Day. 

 4I).2 

 4II.» 

 40.3 

 40.!i 

 4'.>.7 

 4;i.9 

 44.2 



NIffht. I Mean 



30.0 

 31.1 

 81.0 

 30.8 

 Hl.O 

 32.3 

 32.7 



35.5 

 85.7 

 86.6 

 35.6 

 3^.8 

 38.1 

 38.4 



Days. 

 20 

 14 

 17 

 19 

 15 

 19 

 17 



Snn 



Rises. 



m. h. 

 laI8 

 8 



Son 



Sets. 



Moon 



Rises. 



m. b. : na. h. 



20 af 4 I mom 



58af 



5 2 



7 8 



8 4 



6 5 

 57 5 



Mood 



Sets. 



m. h. 

 lOafll 

 4() 11 

 after. 

 45 

 13 1 

 2 

 45 2 



Moon's 

 Age. 



Dava. 

 ( 



23 



24 

 25 

 26 

 27 

 28 



Clook 



before 



Sun. 



m. a. 



9 59 



10 19 



10 89 



10 67 



11 15 

 11 S3 

 11 49 



Boy 



Year 



18 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 20 

 21 

 Xi 



From observations taken near London during the last lorty-one years, the average day temperature of the week is 41.7"; and its night 

 temperature 31.4\ The greatest heat waB 68'-', on the lath, 1823; aiid the lowest cold 4^= below zero, on the 19th, 1838. The greatest i»li 

 ol rain was 0.88 inch. 



THE GLADIOLUS: ITS CULTURE AND 



■^DlQ^ 



" D.," Deal, 



DISEASES. 



S some of your correspondents seel; for in- 

 formation on tlie Gladiolus and its culture, I 

 venture to give ray experience on the subject. 

 ha\-ing grown tliis gorgeous autumn flower 

 extensively for the last few years. 



Tlie following is my mode of culture, both 

 for flowering the bulbs, and for raising and 

 growing seedlings. 



First let me premise that I liave never 

 suflered much from the fatal disease, like 



and others. In the wet and cold September 



of 186G I had a collection growing on a border with rather 

 a stiff' soil, and on lifting the bulbs in October some of them 

 were marked with black spots. A few of the best named 

 sorts wliich were affected I tried to save in the following 

 maimer : — At lifting tune I dried them thoroughly off, and 

 tlicn potted them, witli a handful of wood-charcoal dust 

 round the bulbs. The soil in the pots was kept dry till 

 .\pril, when the pots were plunged in a frame, and the 

 bulbs started with a slight bottom heat. In June the 

 plants were planted-out, and flowered weU. and the new- 

 formed bulbs were perfectly healthy when taken up in 

 October. Last year at lifting time I jjicked out a few 

 spotted bulbs, which have been kept separate from the 

 others, and will be planted in April or May witli some 

 charcoal dust round them. 



Itliink all black-spotted bulbs should be planted later 

 in the season than tiie healthy ones. If planted in Feb- 

 niaiy or March they will lie some time in tlie gi'ound 

 before growing, and the rot is then sure to end fatally. 

 The cause of these blaclc spots on the bulbs, if due to at- 

 mospheric influences, may be as mysterious as tlie Potato 

 disease, and as difficult to prevent. 



As to the time of planting, I believe healthy bulbs may 

 be put in from February "to May, or June, according to the 

 weather and state of the soU. The Cardinalis and Ra- 

 mosus sections, being the earliest in flowering, should be 

 planted first ; and, ending with the Gandavensis varieties 

 in April and May, a succession of flowers may be kept 

 up from July till October. 



Great stress is laid by some growers of the Gladiolus on 

 the advantages of changing the ground it grows on every 

 year. Of course, if no fresh soil is added, a change to 

 another place woidd be desirable ; but I find tliis is not 

 necessary where plants from pots are planted-out, for 

 they are always in fresh compost, and the Gladiolus roots 

 do not go very deep, nor ramify much. When the Gla- 

 diolus is growai in rich stimulating soils, no doubt it will 

 produce the largest and finest spikes ; but I believe it will 

 do this at the expense of health in the bulbs. I find the 

 varieties gro-ivn in the borders and PJiododendron clumps, 

 in poor sandy peaty soil, have the healtliiest bulbs when 

 lifted, and produce the most "spawn." The border in wliich 

 I grow my seetUings has now been planted with them tliree 

 years consecutively, and I can perceive no deterioration in 

 their growth or disease amongst them. Every autumn, 

 when the little bulbs are taken up, some light turfy soO, 

 No. 335.— Vol. XIV., New Series, 



mixed with very rotten deer dung, is dug into it, and at 

 planting time, in April, a good dressing of shai-p red sand 

 is added. After flowering, and as soon as the leaves begin 

 to change colour in October, the buDjs are taken up, and 

 spread in a dry airy room, secure from frost. After they 

 are thoroughly dried, the old stems ai'e cut or clipped off, 

 and tlie old dead corms removed, saving all the increase 

 of the difi'ercnt varieties. 



As tliere is a great dift'erence in the shape of the flower 

 in the Gladiolus and the way it is placed on the spike, 

 owing to the Ramosus or Floribundus blood inherited by 

 the difi'erent varieties of Gandavensis, I think the time is 

 coming when only the best-shaped flowers and spikes will 

 be tolerated at exhibitions of this flower. About twenty 

 years ago, when Tansies were not of so good a shape as 

 they are now, I had a tolerably good collection of the best 

 sorts grown then. On the occasion of a ^-isit from a neigh- 

 bouring gardener he inspected my bod, and begged a few 

 cuttings, saying his at home were all very "sow-lugged." 

 Now we are in the transition state with the Gladiolus, and 

 all " sow-eared " and winged flowers will have to be dis- 

 carded in collections of show flowers. 



In 1H().5 I flowered a seedling, raised from Monsieur 

 Blouet, with all the petals nicely rounded, and of nearly 

 the same size : in fact, quite a florists' flower. Tliis seed- 

 ling I crossed with Queen Victoria, and some others of the 

 best-shaped flowers I had out at the time, and saved some 

 seed from the crosses. This autumn the young bulbs will 

 bloom, and I expect something good from them in shape 

 and colour. 



The autumn of 180,5 was the best I have known for 

 saving Gladiolus seed : for, with the precaution of setting 

 tlio flowers, nearly every kind seeded freely in August and 

 September. I shall have tlris autumn between five and 

 six thousand bulbs to bloom, raised from seed sowti ia 

 April, IMOG, and it is astonishing how small a bulb will 

 bloom late in the season. 



I find it is the safest way in our uncertain climate to 

 grow in pots some of the most expensive and finest kinds 

 when seed is wanted from them ; you can then keep them 

 under cover and from the bees. It is quite a sight to 

 watch a collection of Gladiolas in flower on a sunny morning, 

 for every few minutes large lumbering humble bees will 

 be sucking in tlie nectaries, and as fast as one is satisfied 

 another will be ready to take its place. 



In 18(;(J and 18(j7 I saved but little seed from my col- 

 lection ia the open air, and depended on bulbs grown in 

 pots. 



I find the best way of raising seedlings is to sow the 

 seed in April on a south border, the soil being made very 

 light with plenty of red sand and leaf moidd. If the seed 

 is sown in pans or boxes, the roots become cramped, and 

 the small bulbs never grow so fast as in the open air. 



As " B." enumerates some of the varieties he has foimd 

 the best for shape and colour, I have done the same, and 

 shall begin with the new sorts sent out in 18()7. Adolphe 

 Brongniart, flamed orange and red ; FOIicien David, cherrj' 

 rose, striped carmine ; I..ady Franklin, white ground, flaked 

 with carmine and rose — in my opinion the best shapcdflower 

 Ko. 1007.— Vou XXXIX., Old Seros, 



