Gladiolus Studies — I 135 



red and in several cases ^-ith novel shades of copper or coppery bronze. 

 With the Lemainei variety Henr\- Lemoine, the seedlings ranged in color 

 from almost pure yellow to pure yeUow, but retained the pronounced 

 hooded upper petal. 



These first hybrids were crossed \\-ith the largest yeUow-flowered ganda- 

 vetisis varieties. The resulting hybrids, flowering in 1909, had large. 

 weU-open flowers, in colors ranging from clear yellow to golden yellow. 

 In addition, distinct salmon and chamois shades appeared, which offered 

 a field for further work in gladiolus development. 



Langprim gladioli is the name given by Kelv\-ay for his strain of primii- 

 limis hybrids produced by crossing \\-ith varieties of G. Kelivayi and G. 

 gandavensis. G. prinmlitnts used on the Kelwayi varieties has thus far 

 given the best results. The seedlings show marked primidinus char- 

 acters, especially in regard to color and form, gi\"ing a series of colors 

 ranging from lemon-white to orange, suffused with red. 



Lemoine evidently began experimenting vs'ith G. primidinus soon after 

 its introduction into Europe, and in the autumn of 1908 he offered G. 

 primidinus major, G. primidinus macidatus, and G. primulinus salmoneus. 

 In 19 10 he sent out G. primulinus concolor and G. primulinus erectus. 



Recent development in the gladiolus is marked by the attempt of the 

 French gladiolus breeders to produce a type that will flower in the interval 

 between the early dwarf varieties, G. Colvillei, G. communis, and G. 

 segetum on the one hand, and G. nauceianus on the other. 



About 1902 M. Porcher-Dionneau, of Ponts-de-Ce. conceived the idea 

 of crossing G. nauceianus \s-ith G. Golvillei to produce an earUer-flowering 

 strain. Each year he selected from the seedlings those that flowered first 

 but that retained the rich coloring and large size of G. nanceianus. He 

 exhibited his varieties in 19 10 and they are figured in the Revue Horticole, 

 where it is stated on M. Porcher-Dionneau's authority that, when planted 

 with G. Colvillei in March, the Glaieuls hdtifs Ponts-de-Ceais flowered at 

 the same time, but the flowers measured from sixteen to twenty-two centi- 

 meters in diameter and had the rich colors of the nanceianus class. 



Cayeux et Le Clerc. in 19 13, introduced G. vitriacensis, a hybrid between 

 a Lemoinei variety and some of the early dwarf hybrids known as G. nanus. 

 The plant grew one meter high and bore mediiim-sized flowers ha\'ing 

 the characteristic blotches of the dwarf type. The period of bloom was 

 in the inter\-al between the season of the early-flowering varieties and 

 the late-flowering group. 



These results indicate that where the dwarf types are hardy it is possible 

 to have gladioU in the open ground from April or May until the latest of 

 the tall late varieties are over — a period of six months. 



The parentage of some of the principal hybrid species is shown in the 

 folloN\-ing table : 



