August, 1912 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



189 



The Gladiolus, My Favorite Flower* 



E. E. C. Kilmer, Brantford, Ont. 



MY favorite flower is the gladiolus. 

 I have made it a favorite for 

 several reasons : First, it is eas- 

 ily grown ; second, I get an infinite 

 variety of color, form and texture in 

 the blooms ; third, as the bulbs re- 

 produce and sometimes multiply the 

 outlay never exceeds the initial cost, 

 which is not very great ; fourth, a wealth 

 of bloom is easily secured for practically 

 the entire season ; fifth, the blooms re- 

 tain their freshness and vigor for a long 

 time after being cut; sixth, the blooms 

 are specially suited for vases and for 

 house decoration ; seventh, the plants are 

 extremely free from pests, and very cer- 

 tain of blooming. 



In growing the gladiolus, I make my 

 preparations in the autumn. I have the 

 ground absolutely free of weeds and 

 spaded to a depth of four to six inches, 

 after which I cover it with a good layer 

 of rich manure, and leave till spring. 

 In the spring I spade the manure in to 

 a depth of twelve to fourteen inches, and 

 rake the ground down smooth. About 

 May tenth to the twentieth, according 

 to the season, I put out my first bulbs in 

 rows from fifteen to eighteen inches 

 apart, according to the number of bulbs 

 I have to plant and the space at my dis- 

 posal. I place the bulbs six inches 

 into the soil at distances of ten inches in 

 the rows. As soon as the leaves make 

 their appearance I work the ground over 

 with a Dutch hoe almost daily, thus 

 keeping free from weeds and inducing 

 plenty of moisture to rise from below. 1 

 seldom use the hose on the plants as I 

 think it destroys the blooms, but when I 

 find it necessary to use water I put it on 



*The fourth prize eeaay in the competition 

 conducted last year for prizes offered by Mr. 

 Hermann Simmers, of Toronto, and Mr. E. B. 

 Wliyte, of Ottawa. 



in the evening and endeavor to let as lit- 

 tle as possible on the blooms. At inter- 

 vals of two weeks I put out more bulbs 

 until I have four lots under cultivation. 



I cut my blooms when the lowest 

 one is partly open and place them in the 

 cellar for about thirty hours before using 

 for bouquets. 



When the autumn frosts have become 

 sufficiently hard to brown the leaves, I 

 lift the bulbs and leave them on the 

 ground for a day or two, after which I 

 cut off the leaves near the bulb, break 

 off the old bulbs, and place in shallow 

 trays in the shed for a week or two. I 

 then go over the bulbs, removing the 

 dried bases of the leaves and any loose 

 coverings, after which they are placed in 

 fruit baskets, carefully labelled, and left 

 in a dry place, free from frost, until re- 

 quired the following spring. 



The soil in which I grow my bulbs is 

 a good sandy loam. It is protected from 

 winds on the west by a hedge, and on the 

 north by the house and a hedge. I use 

 only Canadian grown stock of a medium 

 price, except a few upon which I experi- 

 ment and have never yet failed to secure 

 an abundance of good bloom. 



Floral Suggestions 



Wm. Hant, O.A.C., Gnelph, Ont. 



Shrubby begonias should be repotted 

 into good rich, light potting soil about 

 the end of August and brought into the 

 window at once . Begonias do not like 

 a too sunny position at any time. 



To have calla or arum lily in flower 

 early in the winter they should be re- 

 potted about the end of July. Repot 

 them in July and bring them into the 

 window about the end of August. Give 

 them good drainage when repotting, and 

 good rich soil. Water them well when 



once well started and sponge and spray 

 the leaves with clear water frequently. 

 Liquid fertilizer will help them during 

 the winter. 



Dig the chrysanthemum plants up, if 

 planted, about the end of August. Bring 

 them into the house before frost, usually 

 about the end of September. These 

 plants like plenty of water at the roots, 

 sprinkling frequently, and a cool win- 

 dow away from fire in the fall when 

 flowering. After flowering, cut the 

 flower stem down, and stand them in a 

 cool window or put them in the cellar 

 until spring. The soil should only be 

 kept barely moist during the winter. 

 The pompon type are especially good for 

 window plants. 



Impatiens, or Bloom For Ever, should 

 be dug and potted in light potting soil 

 about end of August and brought into 

 the window at once. These like a bright 

 sunny window in winter. Spray the foli- 

 age frequently to keep down red spider 

 and other insect pests. 



Pelargonium plants in pots, when 

 through flowering in June or July, should 

 be stood outside in not too sunny a spot. 

 Dense shade should be avoided. In 

 August when the old wood is ripened, 

 cut the plants well back, allow them to 

 start into growth a little, and then shake 

 the roots out of the soil. Cut the roots 

 back about one half and pot the plants in 

 small pots in rather sandy soil. Place 

 them in a cool window near the glass 

 early in September before frost. In five 

 or six weeks repot them into a two or 

 three size larger pot into good soil with 

 plenty of drainage at the roots. Give 

 them a cool sunny window away from 

 fire heat during the winter. Sprinkle or 

 spray the foliage almost every day while 

 growing until they are out of flower to 

 keep down the green aphis or lice that 

 often infest these plants badly, especially 

 in a hot window and a dry atmosphere 



Gold Medal Collection of Gladioli, exhibited at the Canadian National Exhibition Toronto, la»t fall by A. Gilchrist, Toronto Junction, Ont. 



