THE GLADIOLUS. 53 



Those who grow them for sale, having thousands of a kind, per- 

 haps, cover them with the plough ; but where there are few of a kind 

 it is better to use the hoe, as the plough would be likely to displace 

 the labels with which the several kinds should be marked. If the 

 soil be not extremely light the bulbs should be covered onl}^ four 

 inches. A week after planting the whole ground should be hoed 

 lightly or raked ; this will destroy a host of just sprouting weeds 

 and will not interfere with the growing shoots, which in a week 

 more will appear above ground, and will grow enough better to pay 

 for the extra hoeing. The after cultivation is much like that of any 

 other crop, and maybe summed up in three sentences, "Keep the 

 ground loose ; Keep the weeds down ; Draw an inch of soil to the 

 plants." The last operation is designed to give the plants greater 

 firmness to resist wind and rain, which are so apt to beat them 

 down when in blossom. 



Few flowers will appear before the tenth of August, but for eight 

 weeks from that time you will have a brilliant display if you have 

 as many bulbs as you ought to have and can have at a very small 

 expense. 



It is very interesting to observe the different habit of growth in 

 different kinds. Some will have bright green foliage, others blu- 

 ish or grayish or yellowish green ; some kinds have it narrow, 

 others broad ; in some it is erect, in others fan-like, in others 

 drooping ; some kinds bloom earl}', others late. With me, a crim- 

 son sort called Couranti fulgens is invariablj' the first to blossom. 



If you have man}^ bulbs it is useless to try to support the flower 

 stalks in any wa}-. If you are determined to do it, you can drive 

 a few stakes and stretch a wire along, to which to tie the stalks ; 

 but it is better to cut such as are top-heavy. In the future, possi- 

 bly, no gladioli will be grown which are not rigid enough to resist 

 wind and rain. It is a good plan to prevent the maturing of seed 

 except when you want it for sowing ; both because seed bearing is 

 alwaj-s exhausting, and because if the stalks be cut off as the 

 flowers fade the rows will have a neater and more pleasing appear- 

 ance. 



When the frosty nights begin no more flowers will open, and it 

 will be time to think of taking up the bulbs. We read a great 

 deal in the English gardening journals of the importance of let- 

 ting the plants stand until the tops shall have died down. Not 

 only is there no need of this, but doing it will increase the labor of 



