AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



69 



Gipsy Moth continued. 



interspersions at the end of the wing-rays. The cater- 

 pillar is black, with yellowish marking, and a grey line 

 down the back. Each segment has six tubercles, all emit- 

 ting bristly hairs, black on the back and brown on the 

 sides. It is believed that the Gipsy Moth is almost, if 

 not quite, extinct as a British species ; but, upon the 

 Continent, the larva; occasionally do considerable damage 

 to fruit-trees by stripping them of their leaves. They 

 may be collected by beating the branches over an in- 

 verted umbrella. 



GITHAGO. Included under Lychnis (which see). 



GLABROUS. Smooth; destitute of hairs. 



GL ADI ATE. Sword-shaped ; the same as Ensiform. 



GLADIOLUS (diminutive of gladius, a sword; re- 

 ferring to the shape of the leaves). Corn Flag. OBD. 

 Jridece. This genus contains about ninety species of 

 so-called " bulbous " plants, many of which are amongst 

 the most popular of outdoor summer and autumn-flower- 

 ing subjects. The geographical distribution is Central 

 Kurope, the Mediterranean region, West Asia and Africa 

 the headquarters of the genus being South Africa. 

 The flowers are secund, spiked, borne on tall scapes, the 

 colours being very varied; the perianth is sub-bilabiate, 

 with a short curved tube. The leaves are all equitant 

 and sword-shaped; and the corms have netted fibrous 

 coats. Original species have long since been superseded 

 by the very numerous and beautiful hybrids that are in 

 cultivation. Many of the former are, however, very 

 ornamental, and well worthy of retaining for pot cul- 

 ture in cool houses, or for mixed flower borders, in 

 summer. Improvement in the Gladiolus is wholly due 

 to the efforts of hybridisers, who took it in hand, first 

 in France, some fifty years ago, and afterwards in this 

 country, about the middle of the present century. Varie- 

 ties that were subsequently, and those which are still 

 annually, obtained, represent an extreme diversity in the 

 colouring of the flowers. Some are pure white, others 

 range from that colour to deep crimson, and include 

 yellowish and purple shades, many being beautifully flaked 

 and marked. Gladioli are propagated by seeds, which 

 ripen and germinate pretty freely; and by numerous 

 large and small bulbils, usually termed " spawn," that 

 are found round the old corms, or on the ends of the 



FIG. 108. GLADIOLUS CORM, showing Mode of Increase. 



roots, in autumn (see Fig. 108). Seeds should be sown 

 early in March, preferably in large pans or pots, where 

 the young plants may be thinned and allowed to remain 

 for the first season. The pans should first be placed 

 in heat, and, as the seedlings appear, a light position 

 and more air should be given, in order to gradually 

 harden off for placing outside all the summer. If well 

 attended to when growing, and afterwards thoroughly 

 ripened in autumn, the young corms may be stored like 

 larger ones, and many of them will flower the second 



Gladiolus continued. 



year. For increasing stock of any one or more varieties, 

 the small corms should be separated from those in- 

 tended for flowering, and planted from 4in. to 6in. apart, 

 in a warm border, about the middle of March. If 

 watered, and allowed to grow for the summer, many of 

 them will become large enough to flower the following 

 year. 



Cultivation. A deep rich soil, and a sheltered, sunny 

 position, are requisite for attaining the best results. 

 Plenty of manure may bo intermixed with the soil, in 

 the autumn, when trenching and other preparations for 

 Gladioli should be commenced ; but none should be applied 

 in a fresh state at planting time, as it tends to cause 

 decay in the corms, if coming in contact with them 

 before growth commences. Brenchleyensis is an old 

 sort, but still one of the best and most extensively 

 grown. It increases rapidly and is of a good consti- 

 tution, succeeding with telling effect when planted either 

 in a bed or in small groups of about half-a-dozen, in 

 various parts of mixed flower borders or shrubberies. If 

 the planting of a portion is commenced early in March, 

 and continued at intervals till the end of May, the 

 flowering period may be similarly prolonged until late 

 in the autumn. The corms should be inserted about 

 1 Sin. deep, and 1ft. apart, if in beds; and a circular 

 ; group may consist of four or five, in a space of 1ft. 

 j diameter. Each plant will require a stake before the 

 flowering season arrives, to prevent injury from rough 

 winds. In hot weather, plenty of water must be given, 

 and a mulching of short manure is always beneficial as 

 a preventative of undue evaporation. Before the ap- 

 ] pearance of severe frost, the corms should be lifted, 

 i with their tops intact, and laid in a cool, dry shed, 

 ! to become ripened, when the tops may be cut off close 

 down, and the corms placed in paper bags, until plant- 

 Ing time. This specially refers to the South African 

 species, and to all the finer hybrids ; except in very dry 

 ' sandy soils, it would be unwise to leave the corms 

 j of these in the ground throughout the winter. The 



I South European species do not need any such attention. 

 The large and small ones are best separated when stor- 



j ing; and the bags should be labelled according to the 



| size or the variety contained in each. 



Culture in Pots. Large -flowering Gladioli succeed in 



I pots, if desired for summer or autumn decoration of 

 greenhouses, &c. One large corm is sufficient for a 7in. 

 pot, and successional batches may be inserted in rich 

 soil, and grown in a frame where plenty of air can be 

 admitted, or in a sheltered position outside. G. Col- 

 villei and its white form, known as "The Bride," are 

 amongst the most beautiful for pot culture. They 

 succeed admirably, and may be had in full beauty in 

 April and May, if gently forced. The corms are small, 

 and do not require much root space. About five of 

 them should be placed in a 5in. or 6in. pot, in autumn, 

 and either covered for a time with ashes outside, as 

 ordinary bulbs are, or placed in a cold frame from the 

 first. When roots are formed, and growth begins, a few 

 pots at a time should be successionally placed in a tem- 

 perature of about 55deg. Each strong corm will produce 

 two or more flower scapes, and, when these appear, a 

 little higher temperature may be given, always select- 

 ing a situation exposed to light, and applying plenty of 

 water to the roots. Later batches come on all right in 

 a cold frame. G. Colvillei and G. C. alba succeed equally 

 well with the larger-flowered varieties, when planted 

 outside in summer. Any Gladiolus flowers expand well 

 in water when they are far enough advanced to begin 

 opening naturally. With a system specially adopted by 

 exhibitors, the whole of the flowers in a spike are 

 secured at one time by placing the latter in water at a 

 certain stage, and encouraging 1 the flowers to expand 

 slowly in a cool place. 



