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The Best Gladioli and Their Culture 



THERE is no class of flowers which 

 will give better results with little 

 care and under varied circumstances 

 than the g;ladiolus. But this does not 

 mean that they will not resent neglect, 

 or repay care and attention. Neither does 

 it mean that they have not their likes 

 and dislikes. The gladiolus has a pref- 

 erence for sod ground, but in small gar- 

 dens this is, in most cases, impossible. 

 But we merely state the conditions best 

 suited and leave the planter to be guided 

 by the necessities of his environment. 

 The gladiolus does not do well on heavy 

 clay land ; the ideal soil is a good sandy 

 loam. It succeeds best on soil that has 

 been made rich the year previous and 

 when planted in such soil will not require 

 any additional fertilizer; but when man- 

 ure is used it should always be well rotted 

 ::nd used sparingly. 



Prepare the bed in the usual way, dig- 

 ging the ground as deeply as can be done 

 with the spade or fork, making it thor- 

 oughly fine all the way through. Plant 

 the bulbs about four inches apart each 

 way, covering to a depth of four or five 

 inches in light soil, and half that dis- 

 tance where the soil is somewhat heavy. 

 For a succession of bloom plant at inter- 

 vals of ten days or two weeks, making 

 the first planting as early in the spring 

 as the ground is in thorough condition 

 for working. Or the bulbs may be plant- 

 ed singly in flower pots in the house and 

 set out when the weather gets fine and 

 warm. 



The date of the last planting must be 

 governed by the time it is usual to have 

 fall frosts. In localities where it is us- 

 ual to have heavy fall frosts about the 

 middle of October, the last planting 

 should not be made after the middle of 

 June. Four months back from the time 

 the first fall frost is expected is the latest 

 date we would recommend for making the 



C. M. Bezzo, Berlin, Ontario 



last planting. Always plant the smaller 

 bulbs first, as they will lose their vitality 

 if left too long unplanted, leaving the 

 larger ones for the last planting. 



When the foliage appears above 

 ground loosen the surface soil with the 

 hoe and keep it loose throughout the sea- 

 son. This not only admits the air to the 

 roots and prevents evaporation of mois- 

 ture, but also keeps down weeds. Do not 

 allow them to suffer for water, especially 

 during the blooming period. 



If the bloom is heavy, it is advisable to 

 gi\'e support either by staking or by 

 strings arranged as follows : Drive 

 stakes in the ground at intervals of every 

 five feet in each direction in such a way 

 as to form a block five feet square, allow- 

 ing the stakes to project out of the ground 

 from twelve to eighteen inches according 

 to the height the bloom spike is expected 

 to grow. To the top of these fasten a 

 strip of board of sufficient size and 

 strength for the purpose, stretching from 

 one stake to the other. If good stout 

 stakes have been used and driven firmly 

 into the ground good strong twine or wire 

 will answer the purpose of the strip of 

 board. Take a good stout twine and 

 fasten the end to one of the strips, run- 

 ning it between the rows to the other end 

 of the square, bring it back between the 

 next row, and so on until the whole 

 square has been gone over. Then start 

 at the other side and run the string the 

 other way of the bed, knotting firmly at 

 each cross string. This will leave each 

 spike in a perfect square by itself, pro- 

 vided the bulbs were planted at regular 

 intervals. ____^.^ 



The Best Gladioli 



Among the lists of plants presented to 

 the Ontario Horticultural Association at 

 its last convention by the committee on 

 plant nomenclature, were lists of the best 



fifty, the best twenty-five and the best 

 twelve hybrid gladioli. The list of fifty is 

 published herewith in full. The best 

 twenty-five are indicated by this sign (O), 

 and the best twelve by an asterisk (*). 



*°Afterglow. — Salmon fawn shade, 

 with pale blue centre ; large flowers ; 

 massive spike. 



Aline. — Pure white, striped crimson ; 

 large flower. 



*°America. — Pale delicate pink ; large 

 flowers ; strong habit. 



*°Augusta. — White with blue anthers ; 

 large spike, lateral spikes well developed. 



°Attraction. — Detp, rich crimson, 

 white throat ; medium grower. 



*°Baron Joseph Hulot. — Deep violet 

 blue; medium flower. 



Berlinia. — Shell pink, shaded and flak- 

 ed darker. 



Blanche. — White with purplish rose 

 markings. 



OBlue Jay, (Groff's).— Purplish blue 

 with lighter shading. 



°Brenchleyensis. — Bright scarlet ; 

 large spike ; strong grower. 



California. — Rosy lavender, lighter 

 markings in throat ; large spike. 



Canary Bird. — Pleasing shade of yel- 

 low, carmine markings at base of petals. 



Cardinal. — Dark cardinal scarlet ; 

 large showy spikes. 



Ceres. — Pure white with purplish rose 

 markings. 



Contrast. — Reddish scarlet, white cen- 

 tre. 



*°Dawn, (Groff's). — Pale salmon shad- 

 ed lighter, suffused with carmine or clar- 

 et on inferior petals. 



Dr. Hogg. — White, heavily striped 

 and marked with carmine; large spike. 



Eldorado.— Yellow spotted maroon ; 

 medium sized flower. 



*°Evolution. — Delicate rose, shaded 

 darker ; good spike. 



Gen. de Xansouty. — Rich light purple, 



h 



A Cormr of Charloltetowo, Prince Edward Islaad, where the City Meet* the Wateri of itt Fine Harbor— A City where Tree Plutug ii Fully Appreciated 



Photograph kindly furnished by Mr. A. B. Warburton, M.P. 

 141 



