TENDER BULBS AND TUBERS. 



THE Tender or Summer Bulbs, in this latitude, during August and the early part of Septem- 

 ber, are truly grand beyond comparison. They may not be equally gorgeous in some places, but 

 our experience and observation is that the Summer Bulbs are delightful almost everywhere. It 

 is no wonder they are becoming so popular in all parts of the civilized world. The Gladio- 

 lus takes rank at the very head of the list and the Dahlia is gaining more than its old popularity. 

 The tender bulbs are so certain in their growth that disappointment is hardly possible, and so 

 easily cared for that no one can complain of the trouble. Summer Bulbs should not be planted 

 until frost is over in the spring, and in the autumn must be taken up before hard frosts. 

 They are easily preserved in any place free from frost during the winter. These remarks, and 

 the instructions throughout this chapter, refer to the places where severe frosts occur. In sections 

 where there is little or no frost these tender Bulbs, of course, are perfectly hardy. We cannot 

 give directions for every locality, and our readers must use a little judgment in the matter. 

 Protect the bulbs from frost, and give them the benefit of spring and early summer growth. 



GLADIOLUS. 



The Gladiolus is the most beautiful of our Summer Bulbs, with tall spikes of flowers, some 

 two feet or more in height, and often several spikes from the 

 same bulb. The flowers are of almost every desirable color 

 brilliant scarlet, crimson, creamy white, striped, blotched 

 and spotted in the most curious and interesting manner. Per- 

 haps we have no flower that presents such a gorgeous display 

 of delicate yet brilliant colors in the garden, or on the exhibi- 

 tion tables, or for extensive floral decorations, as the Gladio- 

 lus. For many years the French have been the most skillful 

 propagators of this flower, and every season introduced many 

 very beautiful new varieties, grown, of course, from seed, 

 which the rest of the world have been very glad to purchase 

 at extravagant prices five dollars or more each. There is no 

 country in the world, we think, where the Gladiolus thrives as 

 it does in America it is subject here to no disease, which is 

 not the case in Europe and to plant a bulb is to insure a 

 good spike of flowers. It is not strange, therefore, that the 

 Gladiolus is becoming exceedingly popular, and receiving 

 especial attention from florists. In our own grounds we cul- 

 tivate from five to ten acres of the best named varieties, and 

 several acres of seedlings. Among these seedlings are annu- 

 ally produced some very choice flowers, while the average is 

 very good, quite as fine as ninety per cent, of the best named 

 sorts. The bulb, as it is commonly called, is really a corm, 

 and from this grows the erect stem, terminating in a spike of flowers. 



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The culture is very 



