flobo^v (iapd^r) ai)d Js^bov). ^ 



Fig. 1338. — (;. gandavessis, Grange Rouge, 



TANDARDS of beauty differ 

 the wide world over. Types 

 regarded as perfection in one 

 country find but little ac- 

 ceptance in another. This is true not 

 merely in regard to fair woman's king- 

 dom, but also in the scarcely less beau- 

 tiful realm of flowers. Even while gen- 



eral opinion may favor the rose, the 

 lily has never been without its wor- 

 shippers ; and, of all the lily family, 

 no class is now so generally cultivated 

 and so universally admired as the glad- 

 iolus. Its cheapness, the ease with 

 which it is grown, its adaptation to 

 widely different conditions of climate 

 and soil, its variety in the color, shape 

 and disposition of its flowers, their 

 excellent keeping qualities when cut, 

 the length of its season in bloom— all 

 these combine to make it the most 

 deservedly popular flower of the day. 

 There are many strains of this beautiful 

 member of the lily family. The oldest 

 and, in my opinion, still the best, are 

 the hybrids of gandavensis. An ideal 

 variety of this strain is said by Mr. 

 James Kelvey,* the highest English 

 authority, to be robust in constitution 

 and habit, tall in growth and with 

 broad foliage. The spike should be 

 long, stout, erect, and closely set with 

 flowers, at least eight or ten of which 

 should be open at the same time. All 

 the flowers should face in the same 

 direction. The individual blooms should 

 be large — not less than four inches 

 across — and widely expanded. The 

 petals should be broad and of good 

 substance and finish. As to color, 



* In a paper read before the Roj'al Horti- 

 cultural Society, September 9th, 1890. 



157 



