GLADIOLUS. 105 
magnificent appearance. This class of Gladiolus is but 
little known or grown, from the fact of their not flower- 
ing well, if at all, when planted in the spring, and they 
are not hardy. ‘The corms should be planted in autumn, 
in a situation where water will not remain about them, 
and be protected against frost, either by a cold frame 
or by a heavy mulching. It is difficult to make the 
amateur, or even the professional florist understand 
this precaution, necessary as it is for many, if. not all, 
bulbs. 'The gardener seems to think that when he has 
planted a bulb his work is done, when, in fact, it has but 
just commenced. For the want of this attention no 
class of plants suffers more than the so-called hardy 
Gladiolus. 
The object of this book being to assist the grower 
in the work of producing flowers of such species as are 
generally grown and popularly known, we shall but 
briefly notice the more important of the species, some of 
which are the parents of the hybrid Gladiolus so gener- 
ally cultivated. All the species are from the Cape of 
Good Hope, unless otherwise noted. We would remark 
here, that all Cape of Good Hope bulbs will thrive under 
the same general treatment. They are _half-hardy, 
impatient of moisture when at rest, as their season of 
flowering is the rainy season of the country, and their 
period of rest during excessive drouth. They all suc- 
ceed well grown in a cold frame, which protects against 
both cold and moisture. 
G. alatus (Winged). A very interesting little 
plant; the flowers have a delightful fragrance not unlike 
that of the Sweet Brier; the three upper petals are 
bright orange-scarlet, the three lower ones are yellowish, 
tipped with orange-scarlet. The bulbs are very small, 
not larger than ordinary peas, and cannot remain long 
out of ground. 
G. Algoensis (Algoa Bay Hyacinth).—This and 
the last are allied to the Viper species, and have the same 
