GLADIOLUS STUDIES — n 



CULTURE AND HYBRIDIZATION OF THE GLADIOLUS 



Alfred C. Hottes 

 THE GLADIOLUS AS A CUT FLOWER AND AS A GARDEN SUBJECT 



" Gladioli to cut, cannas for out-of-doors," writes B. C. Auten. In 

 the same strain ex-President Hendrickson (1911),^ of the American Gladi- 

 olus Society, writes: 



The gladiolus is essentially a cut flower, and will rival nearly any other in keeping 

 qualities, as they can be kept fresh and beautiful after cutting for a period of five to 

 ten days by changing the 

 water daily and removing 

 each day the withered 

 blooms, it also helps to nip 

 off the ends of the spike 

 when changing the water. 

 If the spikes are cut when 

 the first two or three 

 flowers have opened, the 

 entire stalk will open out 

 for us after it has been put 

 in water. They are ver\^ 

 adaptable to send to friends 

 at a distance, as they will 

 arrive in excellent condi- 

 tion if just a little pains 

 are taken when shipping. 

 If we want to do this the 

 spikes should be cut when 

 the first flower opens, and 

 put in water in the cellar or 

 cool place for two or three 

 hours, so they can take up 

 a good drink, after which 

 they will stand the journey 

 of two or three days, and 

 when placed in water will 

 quickly respond and unfold 

 their gorgeous petals. 



Miss Re Shore 

 (191 1) speaks further 

 of the gladiolus as a 

 cut flower. She writes 

 that they are " best 

 with their own foliage 

 and in tall, slender, 

 clear glass vases. . . .' 

 One special feature to 

 their credit is that they 

 do not fall to pieces 

 in the house." 



LENT BY MRS. B 



Fig. 10. ROUGE torch 



Soft creamy yellow in color with a brilliant red tongue on the lower 

 petals. This is one of the slender-stemmed varieties, and lends itself 

 particularly well to all manner of arrangement 



1 Dates in parenthesis refer to bibliography, page 259. 



195 



