76 FLOWER-GARDENING. 



watered sparingly until they begin to grow. The following are 

 known to be superb species and varieties : 



G. alatus, or Wing-Flowered, producing bright orange-colored 

 flowers. 



G. blandus produces flowers of a beautiful blush rose color. 



G. Hyzantinus, or Turkish Flag, has large delicate purple 

 flowers. 



G. cardinalis. This variety produces very large flowers of 

 superb scarlet, spotted with white. 



G. floribundus, or Cluster Flower, produces large flowers of 

 white and pink color. 



The Gladiolus Natalensis, or Psittacina, is perhaps the most 

 desirable to cultivate of all others. It blossoms freely, and the 

 colors are exquisitely beautiful. In its progress of blooming, it 

 exhibits variable colors, as vermilion, red, yellow, green, white, 

 crimson, etc., which brighten, as the flower arrives at perfection, 

 to the brilliancy of a rainbow. Another good quality displays 

 itself in the bull, which, if properly managed, will yield all 

 abundance of offsets. These being cultivated will flower the 

 third year in perfection, and thus continue to multiply perpe 

 tually. 



I have named September and October as the time for plant 

 ing, because it is considered the preferable season for most 

 bulbs. Yet if these be preserved in good condition through the 

 winter, until early in April, and then planted in a soil consisting 

 of about one-half fresh loam, equal parts of leaf mould and sand, 

 well mixed, they may be forwarded in a warm room, green 

 house, or moderate hot-bed, until settled warm weather, and 

 then turned out of the pots into a border, where they can be 

 shaded from the sun at noon-day. This will induce each of 

 them to throw up three or four stems, from three to four feet 

 high, each stem producing five or six gorgeous blossoms, in 

 great perfection. Those planted in the autumn or winter may 

 also be turned out of the pots in June ; and from the fibres 

 having taken substantial root in the soil, before transplanting, 

 such plants may be taken up again in August, or early in Sep- 



