Gladiolus Studies — I 131 



Verdier, of Paris, sent out Eugenie Verdier, Aladame Eugene Verdier, 

 Olympe Lesctiyer, and Victor Verdier, in 1858. 



A few years after M. Souchet began the improvement of gladioli, an 

 event occurred which had far-reaching results — if not politically, at least 

 in the histor}^ of the gladiolus. This was the visit of Queen Victoria 

 to Fontainebleau in August, 1855. During her visit the flower borders 

 were enlivened with cut spikes of gladioli thrust in vases of water among 

 the common border plants. The result is best described in the words 

 of a wTiter of the time (Anonymous reference, 1862) : 



Few flowers have made in so short a space of time such rapid progress in pubHc 



favour as the Gandavensis varieties of the gladickis The French were 



beginning to draw our attention to the bulbs, and new varieties were reaching us from 

 tlie other side, when our gracious Sovereign gave a great impulse to their culture by 

 taking them under her special patronage. Their being placed on the royal table led 

 tlie frequenters of the Court to follow the example set them, and a demand almost 

 unprecedented in the history of flowers has arisen. Fortunately they increase very 

 rapidly, and hence they are being generally distributed over the country-; and before 

 this unhappy war broke out in America were being eagerly sought for there, for one 

 Paris firm this time last year was looking out for 30,000 bulbs to supply one order. 



EngHsh breeders had not kept pace with their brethren in Belgium 

 and France, and with the exception of the achievements of Dean Herbert 

 and Mr. Cole there is little to record until about 1859 or i860, when 

 John Stan dish began to grow seedlings. He continued the work for several 

 3'ears. Many of his varieties were figured by color plates in the floral 

 magazines of the time, but inasmuch as he was not given ftdl credit for 

 his efforts attention should be called to the great number of varieties 

 originated by him. Among these were Adam Bede, Adele Souchet, 

 Agnes, Alice Gray, *Alice Wilson,^- Aurelian, Bacchus, Basil, Beauty of 

 Bagshot, Belle of Bagshot, Blair Athol, Brian Boru, Bridesmaid, Carlotta 

 Grisy, Carminata, Caroline, Castor, *Charles Davis, Clara, Colleen Bawn, 

 Colonel Hood, Cordelia, Daphne, Diana, Dr. Blount, Dr. Hogg, Don- 

 ald Beaton, Don Juan, Duchess of Sutherland, Earl Carlisle, Edith 

 Dombrain, *Eleanor Norman, Elfin, Etna, Eugene Domage, Excelsior, 

 Garibaldi, General Cabrera, General Lee, Goldfinder, Guido, Harlequin, 

 Herr Rosenberg, Ivanhoe, John Leach, *John Standish, Joseph Maston, 

 Juliet, Kathleen, Ketterii, *Lady AHce Hill, Lady CaroHne Legge, Lady 

 Emily Seymour, Lady Marshall, Lady M. Hood, Lady Morgan, Lem- 

 onade, Lord Clyde, Lord KenHs, Lord Shaftesbury, Lucy Neal, Mile. 

 Patti, Alinerva, Miss Foster, Miss Glegg, Miss Graham, Miss Howell, 

 Miss Ingram, Mr. Duflfield, *Mr. J. W. Lane, Mr. Menzies, Mr. Rucker, 

 Mrs. Dix, *Mrs. Dombrain, Mrs. E. Nott, Mrs. Hogg, Mrs. Menzies, 

 *Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Peach, *Mrs. Reynolds Hole, Mrs. Ridley Htmter, Mrs. 



'-The varieties marked with an asterisk have been figured by color plates in the Florists' Magazine 

 or similar publications. 



