382 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



GIANT FALL DAISY 



See Pyrethrum 



GIANT REED 



See Ornamental Grasses 



GLADIOLUS 



The Gladiolus is popular 

 but often not profitable ; in 

 the following paragraphs is 

 pointed out the reason why. 



Wonderful progress has 

 been made in the develop- 

 ment of the Gladiolus, and 

 in the enormous spikes, 

 giant flowers and endless 

 sorts of exquisite shades 

 of today we hardly, recog- 

 nize the varieties of 

 twenty-five and thirty 

 years ago. Still better 

 kinds are coming right 

 along and a Gladiolus so- 

 ciety composed of enthus- 

 iasts is helping to make 

 this very popular flower 

 still more so. Specialists 

 have appeared in almost every section of this country who devote 

 their entire time to the growing of bulbs, of which many millions 

 are produced annually. And so, while in nearly every State the 

 Gladiolus has become one of the most desirable Summer flowers 

 in the public eye, the fact remains that every year, almost without 

 exception, there is a Gladiolus glut on the market, during either 

 the latter part of August or the beginning of September. It almost 

 seems that the higher the price you pay for bulbs of the choicest sorts, 

 the greater the loss if you happen to strike the market at this par- 

 ticular time. 



From the present outlook there is absolutely no chance of a 

 change in conditions; in fact, the more popular Gladioli become 

 the more of a glut we will have to look forward to during the period 

 when the flowers are in bloom in every bed, border, and backyard. 

 Yet florists in general will keep on planting their bulbs, as they 

 have always done during Spring, in the open ground. They may 

 make several plantings so as to obtain early, midseason and late 

 crops, but as they cannot control weather conditions their main 



Fig. 168. GLADIOLUS "SCHWABEN." One of 

 the many good recent introductions. A yellow 

 sort and one of the showiest for outdoors, it 

 often carries from eight to ten perfect flowers 

 open all at once 



