GLADIOLUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



GLOBBA 



The seedlings soon appear like blades 

 of grass, and about Sei^teniber the 

 young corms may be lifted and stored 

 until the following April, when they 

 may be planted in rows about 

 6 ins. apart every way. Many flower 

 the second season, but the great 

 majority will require another period 

 of growth to acquire sufficient reserve 

 material. 



Diseases and Pests. — Where the 

 ground is infested w'ith -wireworm, 

 as it often is in the case of newly 

 broken pasture-land, the corms are 

 likely to be badly injured. Land of 

 this description should be trenched 

 about 3 ft. deep in autumn, burying 

 the top spit containing the wireworm 

 and perhaps other grubs at the 

 bottom of the trench. In this way 

 they are completely stifled and 

 deprived of their vegetable diet. 

 The subsoil brought up will be 

 perfectly free from the pest, and if 

 well manured and exposed to the 

 weather will be in a good fertile 

 condition in spring. Where the 

 ground is not trenched, money must 

 be spent in some of the strong- 

 smelling powders that are advertised 

 as cures. Mice are sometimes mis- 

 chievous, and must be trapped. When 

 deep cultivation is not practised, traps 

 of carrots or potatoes must be used 

 to catch the grubs in the soil. 



During hot dry summers "red 

 spider " is troublesome and causes the 

 leaves to assume a rusty appearance. 

 Frequent use of the hoe, and a good 

 syringing every morning and late 

 in the afternoon are the best remedies 

 against this pest. 



The Gladiolus fungus {Myriococcus 

 fusan) sometimes gains a footing, and 

 is best checked by burning the 

 diseased plants, and giving a heavy 

 dressing of flowers of sulphur to the 

 soil ; afterwards trenching it 3 ft. 

 deep in autumn, and burning the 



top spit. Dipping the corms for 

 about two minutes in a solution of 

 one part of formaldehyde to five 

 parts of water has proved a check 

 to the disease. 



Other solutions recommended are : 

 (a) 1 oz. of sulphate of copper to 10 

 gallons of water ; and {h) 4 ozs. 

 commercial formalin to 15 gallons 

 of water. The corms to be soaked 

 for about twelve minutes in either 

 solution before planting. 



GLOBBA (native Molucca name). 

 Nat. Ord. Scitaminese. — A genus 

 containing about two dozen species 

 of ornamental - looking herbaceous 

 plants, having thickish root-stocks 

 or rhizomes, more or less broadly 

 lance-shaped leaves, and resembling 

 the Cannas in appearance. The 

 curious - looking yellow or reddish 

 flowers are borne on the ends of the 

 shoots in simple or branched clusters. 

 The corolla-tube is slender, with three 

 ovate lobes, and springs from the 

 three-cleft tubular calyx. The lateral 

 stamens are petal-like, the lower one 

 only being fertile. 



The Globbas are not well known 

 outside botanical collections. They 

 are, however, easily grown in a stove 

 house with plenty of heat and 

 moisture, in accordance with the 

 conditions prevailing in Borneo, 

 Sumatra, Siam, etc., whence they 

 come — i.e., between the Equator and 

 the 20° north latitude. They like a 

 rich loamy soil, and may be increased 

 by dividing the rhizomes in spring. 

 The following species are best 

 known : — 



G. albo - bracteata {G. alba). — A 

 Sumatran species, about 2 ft. high, 

 with brownish-purple stems, green, 

 oval lance-shaped leaves, and droop- 

 ing clusters of flowers having a white 

 calyx and a yellow corolla {llehj. 

 Ilort. 1885, t. 20). 



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