GL A 



250 



GL A 



are freely supplied with water once or ' have done growings Tor the season, care 

 twice (as the season nnay require) just must be taken not to dry the soil in the 

 before they begin to expand their first pans too quickly or too much ; for the 

 flowers. Care must be taken, however, ' young bulbs, being very small, are apt 

 not to water them overhead. i to become much exausted, and fre- 



" The bulbs to be taken up about qiiently perish if kept very dry the first 

 the end of October, or as soon as the i winter. They should be, if possible, 

 stems and leaves become brown or placed in some cool, dry situation, 

 damaged by the frost. They must be i where they are secure from frost. In 

 well dried, and placed in some situa- j the spring they should be again placed 

 tion secure from frost or damp until , in a green-house or warm pit, and, 

 the next spring, when they must be di- when fairly started, they should be 

 vided, and again treated as before, carefully removed into fresh pans or 

 The large bulbs will also produce pots, being rather a richer soil than 

 numerous offsets round their root-end ; that used for the seeds, planting them 

 but these are of little value, for they still rather thickly in the pots or pans, 

 will be two or three years before they and keeping them shut up close and 

 flower; and as every flowering bulb rather moist for a few days, until they 

 planted in the spring produces three begin to grow again, after which treat 

 or four bulbs of sufficient size to bloom them as before, and encourage them to 

 next season, from the crown of the old i grow as long as possible in the autumn, 

 one, there is always enough for all I then rest them as before. The next 

 purposes. The plant also flowers free- 1 spring they may be potted in smaller 

 ly ; but the small bulbs and the seed- pots, and treated like the Gladiolus 

 lings will be so long before they flower, cardinalis, when many of them will 

 that they are not worth the trouble of flower." — Gard. Chron. 

 raising, except for the sake of obtain- I GLASS is the best agent employed 

 jng new varieties." — Gard. Chron. by the gardener to exclude the cold, 



" Gladiolus ramosissimus is the next whilst the light is admitted to his plants 

 most beautiful kind for growing either t which are natives of hotter climates 

 in pots or in a bed. The bulbs of I than that in which he cultivates them, 

 these hardier kinds should be taken • Now that the excise-duty is removed 

 up every two years, divided, and re- j from glass, the gardener is enabled to 

 planted, as they will not flower so ! employ the best, and a thicker kind 

 finely if left too long in one place. j than formerly, when the duty was high 



"They require a rich soil, made j in proportion to the good quality and 

 rather free by adding a little sand to it j weight. Anxiety to obtain the best 

 when the bulbs are being planted. By glass for hot-houses, &c., is every way 

 this treatment nearly all the cape gladi- j laudable ; but the benefit sought for is 

 oli may be made to flower beautifully, | frustrated if it be not constantly well 

 and far finer and better than if retained i cleansed. The best glass, if dirty, 

 in pots. They are easily increased by allows fewer rays of light to pass 



offsets or by seeds ; but the latter way 

 is rather tedious, and only worth re- 

 sorting to for the sake of raising new 

 varieties. When this is intended, the 

 seed should be sown about the end of 



through than interior glass kept bright. 

 A thorough cleansing should be given 

 both to the outside and inside twice 

 annually, during the first weeks of 

 February and of October, and a third 



February, in pans filled with a mixture i cleansing, on the outside only, at the 

 of sandy peat, and loam, and leaf- [ end of June. In proportion to the de- 

 mould. The seeds should be planted ficiency of light does the plant under 

 about half an inch deep in the soil, and , glass become, in the gardener's phrase- 

 the pans placed in a green-house. — ology, drawn,- that is, its surface of 

 They will soon vegetate, and require I leaves becomes unnaturally extended, 

 little trouble, for the first season, ex- i in the vain effort to have a sufficient 

 cept watering and keeping free from ' elaboration of the sap effected by means 

 slugs and weeds, taking care, how- ; of a large surface exposed to a dimi- 

 ever, that they are kept growing as j nished light, for which a less surface 

 vigorously and as long as possible by would have been sufficient if the light 

 freely supplying them with water du- | were more intense. The plant with 

 ling the growing season. When they ] this enlarged surface of leaves becomes 



