HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



GLA 



whole plant forms a magnificent object when 

 given plenty of room for its development. The j 

 bulbs should be planted in the fall, in a dry, ' 

 rich, sandy loam, and they will amply repay'a 

 generous mulching. The Dutch were the first 

 to introduce this species from the Cape. They 

 do not give the year. There seems to have been 

 a number of varieties, from which they pro- 

 duced a great number of hybrids, or, more 

 properly, cross-breeds, as they all seem to have 

 the same specific character. G. recurvus, the 

 Eecurved Gladiolus, is an unassuming, yet in- 

 teresting species. It is rather a tall, slender- 

 growing plant, usually two feet high, and pro- 

 duces from two to five flowers of small size; 

 color, violet-purple tinged with yellow. The 

 sheath is white, mottled with a purplish-brown, 

 and it is as glossy as the finest porcelain, which, 

 indeed, it greatly resembles. Its fragrance is 

 like that of the violet. G. suai-eolens, the Fra- 

 grant Gladiolus, is a species bearing pale yellow 

 or straw-colored flowers, the upper petals dotted 

 with red. The flowers are small, but very fra- 

 grant. It is best suited to green-house culture. 

 Introduced in 1799. G. undidatus, the Wavy 

 Gladiolus, is a slender, dwarf-growing species, 

 producing flowers on one side of the stem only. 

 They are of a pale yellow color, with a broad red 

 stripe down the center of each petal. It was in- 

 troduced in 1760. G. i-iperatus, the Viper Gladi- 

 olus, so named because of the resemblance of 

 the flower to a viper's head. This species is 

 more singular than beautiful. The flowers are 

 greenish-gray, with dark stripes, and are very 

 fragrant. Introduced in 1825. We omit de- 

 scriptions of very many species, having included 

 in the list all, or nearly all, of the important 

 ones, or those with distinctive features, that are 

 now represented in the hybrids that have taken 

 possession of the field, and given the parents 

 only the refuge and protection of the botanical 

 garden. 



Hybrid Gladhlus. The hybridization of any 

 popular tribe, when it is attended with so lit- 

 tle labor, in proportion to the results produced, 

 as in this class, is speedily carried to an extent 

 which renders characteristic distinction indefin- 

 able; and perhaps the introduction of the num- I 

 berless names which necessarily arise out of 

 such a circumstance is to be regretted, as occa- 

 sioning difficulty and labor beyond what most 

 cultivators are disposed to submit to. For the I 

 purposes of sale, however, and also to enable ! 

 the producer to recommend very particular sorts 

 to dealers and amateurs, it is essential that every 

 seedling or variety that is at all deserving of be- 

 in g perpetuated should have a distinctive name. 

 As we have before stated, the many hundred 

 named garden varieties of Gladioli are descend- ) 

 ants of G. Gandavensix, but how and where this 

 variety was produced has been for a long time 

 an open question, why we could never fully un- 

 derstand, for we have the word of one of the j 

 most prominent horticulturists in the world, 

 Louis Van Houtte, whose word was authority 

 whenever given, that it was produced at Ghent, 

 and was a cross between G. psittacinus and G. <;<//- 

 dinalis. This we should consider a full settle- 

 ment of the question; not so, however; for the 

 late Hon. and Rev. William Herbert, an ac- 

 knowledged authority on bulbs, says Mr. Van 

 Houtte is in error; for after repeated attempts 

 to hybridize the two, he, Mr. Herbert, could not 

 succeed; consequently it could not be done, 

 and what Mr. Van Houtte said had been done 



GLA 



was a mistake. All the English writers agree 

 with Mr. Herbert, and say the origin of G. Gand- 

 avensiti is obscure. There is no question, how- 

 ever, as to the fact, that to G. Gandavtmsis we are 

 indebted for all our fine garden varieties, as it 

 crosses freely with many of the species, and 

 each cross seems to possess merits superior to 

 either parent. It is a common mistake to call 

 our many varieties hybrids, when in reality 

 they are all, or nearly all, cross-breeds; and 

 this is one of the most interesting features in 

 Gladioli culture, that every cross between well- 

 known varieties tends in almost every case to 

 improve, not only the beauty of the flower, but 

 the vigor of the plant. We wish now to remove, 

 as far as possible, the prevalent erroneous idea, 

 that it is a difficult task to raise new and choice 

 varieties from seed. The only secret, the only 

 mystery is, that one can with so little trouble 

 and expense produce flowers that will give such 

 intense satisfaction and pleasure. It is no more 

 trouble to raise Gladioli from seed than it is to 

 raise the most common vegetable. With the 

 simplest garden culture, there is an almost ab- 

 solute certainty of success . Prepare your bed 

 in spring as for any hardy annual, sow your 

 seed, and cover to the depth of one inch. Hoe 

 as often as needed for other crops; keep them 

 well weeded ; take up the bulbs after a frost, or 

 before, if they show signs of ripening; store them 

 in a dry cellar, free from frost; plant them out 

 again the next spring, and the ensuing summer 

 very many of them will flower. If the precau- 

 tion is taken to sow the seed in a hot-bed, close 

 the same upon the approach of a heavy rain, 

 which they dislike exceedingly. Very nearly 

 all the bulbs will be large enough to give their 

 most perfect flowers the second year. The fact 

 that the best rarely flower first, will tend to cre- 

 ate in the amateur a warm and lively interest. 

 A pertinent question is, how to obtain the best 

 seed. Commence by making a careful selection 

 of the best varieties in cultivation, keeping in 

 view those of the best form, largest size, and of 

 the most intense and positive colors; wherever 

 they are marked or variegated, have the mark- 

 ings bold and distinct. Plant all in a bed so 

 that they will not be more than one foot apart 

 each way. Without further care you will get 

 some good seed; but a better quality and much 

 larger quantity will be obtained by crossing 

 them in all sorts of ways, which is the most 

 effectually done on a dry day, when there is but 

 little air stirring. It is not necessary to cross 

 fertilize for good varieties, though it is a more 

 certain way; yet very many of our best seedlings 

 were accidentals; artificial fertilization being 

 necessary from the fact of their rarely fertilizing 

 themselves. The Gladioli dislikes a stiff, clayey 

 soil, but will thrive well in almost any other, its 

 preference being for one of a moist sandy na- 

 ture, or light loam. They do best on what is 

 termed sod-ground, with but little manure, and 

 that well rotted. Successive plantings in the 

 same ground should be avoided. Change the 

 locality of the bed every year, so as not to re- 

 turn to the same spot for at least three years. 

 It is much the best plan to make your ground 

 very rich this year, and put on some light crop; 

 then it will be in perfect order for your Gladio- 

 lus next. Increase of desirable sorts is effected 

 by the small bulbs or bulblets that form at the 

 base of the new bulb, which are produced in 

 greater or less quantities. Some varieties will 

 have on an average a hundred in a year; oth- 



