GLADIOLUS FREAKS. 



r^EFERRING to the article on 



r\\ page 271 of your July number, 



i W I am pleased to notice the in- 

 terest of Mr. I^tchford in the 

 natural tendency to variation in plant 

 form, due entirely to hybridity. 



Having originated by cross fertiliza- 

 tion over 250,000 varieties of the Gladi- 

 olus from the choicest parentage obtain- 

 able, many curious variations have 

 resulted from the blending of this mass 

 of diverse chemical constituents. 



Duplicature of petal is not uncommon, 

 nor is it confined specially to any variety, 

 although there are varieties that show a 

 greater tendency in this direction. 



Another form peculiar to some vari- 

 eties in the Burbank section, is that of 

 the flowers growing evenly around the 

 spike like the hyacinth. 



One distinct hybrid between a red and 

 and a white, divided the plant area 

 between the contending forces, and 

 bloomed all red on one side of the spike, 

 and all white on the other. 



Another on the same line of influence, 

 instead of opening regularly from the 

 base of the spike, opened the alternate 

 flowers, that is from one to three, and 



from two to four, the forces of develop 

 ment clearly working on parallel lines. 



A most unique case of variation ap- 

 peared in a variety of Lemoines novel- 

 ties, the true ground color of which was 

 an intense scarlet. The variations, con- 

 sisted of a clear division of the flower to 

 the mid-rib of the lateral petals, the 

 upper half becoming a delicate cerise 

 carmine, the lower remaining normal. 

 The next season the whole flower 

 assumed the new color. 



Gandavensis " Tamerlan " has long 

 been obtainable in America, but has 

 been superseded by newer and more 

 beautiful varieties carrying the same 

 peculiar markings. The plants of the 

 newer hybrids also have greater vitality 

 and increase rapidly. 



" Multipliant " is a beautiful variety, 

 but like most Gandavensis is materially 

 lacking in vitality. This variety gave 

 me the only twin seedling I ever saw or 

 heard of. The division showed the first 

 season from seed, and the two plants 

 have since proved to be one variety. 

 H. H. Groff, 



Simcoe. 



THE JAPAN IRIS. 



THE glorious flowers of the Japanese 

 iris will repay a little extra trouble 

 in planting the roots. We have 

 one splendid bed before us as an 

 object-lesson. In preparing it last fall 

 the soil was dug out for two feet and 

 the trench filled nearly to the top with 

 dry leaves. The rich loam spread above 

 the leaves packed them down so that 

 with about a foot of soil upon the leaves 

 the surface of the bed was still several 

 inches lower than the surrounding sur- 

 face. Later in fall we spread five or 



six inches of fresh fertilizer from cow- 

 stalls over the bed. Next spring before 

 and during the time of flowers we kept 

 the bed soaked with water. The leaves 

 held the moisture below the light soil 

 without allowing it to sour, and oh, what 

 grand flowers we had ! Near to this 

 bed we have English and native iris in 

 large clumps. The form of these I 

 shall always like best. Kaempfer's iris 

 is bigger and brighter, but not bonnier. 

 — Vicks Magazine. 



357 



