GLADIOLUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



GLADIOLUS. 



593 



as to expose a large body of it to winter 

 frost and rain ; this is of special import- 

 ance in the case of heavy soils, which 

 should be thoroughly pulverised by the 

 weather. If this is done, the soil will be 

 fit for working in spring, and a pricking 

 over with the fork will reduce it to a fine 

 tilth, and will admit of the bulbs being 

 planted, even in wet seasons, without 

 unnecessary delay. Planting should corn- 



Hybrid Gladiolus (Lemoine's). 



mence in March, and be continued until 

 June, at intervals of a fortnight. By this 

 means will be obtained a succession 

 of bloom, from the earliest moment at 

 which the show varieties may be had in 

 flower until the end of the season. The 

 beds should be 4 ft. in width, with rows 

 1 8 in. apart. They will then admit of a 

 row down the centre, and one on each side, 

 these outside rows being 6 in. from the 

 edge of the bed. As soon as the plants 

 have made sufficient progress to require 

 support, stout stakes should be put to them. 



The top of the stake must not be higher 

 than the first bloom, and the stem should 

 have one tie only, a strong one of bast. 

 After staking, the bed should be covered 

 with partly-decayed manure, to a uni- 

 form depth of 2 to 3 in. This dressing 

 materially assists during hot weather in 

 keeping the soil cool and moist about the 

 roots. As soon as the plants show bloom, 

 liquid manure promotes full development 

 of the flowers. For exhibition the spikes 

 should be cut when about two-thirds of 

 the blooms are expanded, as the lower 

 flowers are generally finer than those 

 towards the top. 



To ensure a given number of spikes at 

 a particular date, a number of different 

 sorts should be planted. For example, 

 instead of six to twelve bulbs of a sort, it 

 is preferable to plant one to three, and 

 to increase the number of sorts ; and, in 

 purchasing a hundred bulbs, to select fifty 

 to seventy varieties. For decoration it 

 is also better to have a large number of 

 sorts, because of the greater variety of 

 colour they afford. The improvements 

 of the last few years have been so rapid, 

 that many sorts which a few years ago 

 occupied a foremost position are now 

 surpassed, and for exhibition purposes 

 are comparatively worthless. Most large 

 nurseries and seed houses supply the 

 finest exhibition bulbs, as well as bulbs 

 for ordinary planting. 



EARLY-FLOWERING KINDS. During 

 the past few years these beautiful flowers 

 have rapidly become popular on account 

 of their great value for cutting. They 

 have been obtained by hybridising several 

 South African species, particularly G. 

 ramosus (the branching kinds which are a 

 distinct group), G. trimaculattis, G. bland- 

 us, G. venustus, and G. Colvillei forming 

 what is known as the nanus section. Of 

 G. ramosus a great number of varieties 

 are dwarfer in habit, more graceful in 

 appearance, earlier in flower, than those 

 of G. gandavcnsis, and almost as variable 

 in colour ; they are, moreover, much 

 hardier, and beds of them may be left 

 unprotected during winter, so as to afford 

 early flowers for cutting, for, unless the 

 weather is very severe, these beds never 

 require any covering. This remark 

 applies only to bulbs established in the 

 ground, for fresh bulbs are as tender as 

 other Gladioli, and must be protected 

 from frost. Amateurs often make a 

 mistake in this matter. Many plants are 

 hardy only after they are well established. 

 The nanus section has a great many 

 varieties of almost every shade of colour, 

 I to 2 ft. high, and invariably having the 



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