April. *\ GLADIOLUS OR SWORD LILY. 95 



taken a growth, they can be removed in cloudy, moist 

 weather, to their proper allotments. Seeds ought to be 

 carefully collected from the finer sorts, and sown as soon 

 thereafter as convenience will allow, as they deteriorate 

 by long keeping. Many hundreds of named varieties are 

 carefully cultivated in England. A select list sent contains 

 only three hundred and seyenty-four names. To attempt 

 a general or even brief description of them in this work 

 would be considered by many of our friends prolix and un- 

 necessary; but the following criteria of a fine Pansy has 

 just passed a select committee of the Pennsylvania Horti- 

 cultural Society: 



" The chief object to be desired is symmetry of the 

 flower. The petals should be large, broad and flat, lying 

 upon each other so as to form a circle, and prevent any 

 thing like angles or intersections of this circular outline. 

 The petals should be as nearly of a size as possible, the 

 two top ones being the largest, but so covered with the two 

 side ones as not to appear disproportioned. The top petals 

 should not wave or bend back. The bottom petal should 

 be broad and two-lobed, flat, and not curving inward ; above 

 an inch in breadth is a good size ; the colours should be 

 clear, brilliant, and not changing. The eye should not be 

 too large, and it is accounted finest when the penciling is 

 so arranged as to form a dark angular spot. 



" The flower stalk should be long and stiff, rather than 

 slender." 



GLADIOLUS OR SWORD LILY. 



It is now a well ascertained fact that the whole of this 

 beautiful family will succeed well with a treatment similar 

 to the tube rose, requiring to be two or three weeks earlier 

 planted: indeed, G. communis and its varieties are per- 

 fectly hardy ; but the splendid G. psittacinus, with large 

 yellow, red, and green flowers ; G. cardinalis, scarlet and 

 white; G. blandus,rose and white; G.JJorabundus, shad- 

 ed rose, G.formosissimus, magnificent scarlet, and several 

 others are worthy of the greatest care and attention; their 

 large spikes of showy flowers will well compensate for an 

 extra degree of care in preparation of soil, &c. 



