80 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 



of charm in the flowers, but because of a certain lack of freedom 

 in growth, which prevents it from giving those large deco- 

 rative effects which modern flower gardeners seek. It does not 

 form huge masses, surmounted by great lustrous flowers, like the 

 Paeony. It does not uprear lofty spires like the Delphinium. It 

 does not spray itself in clouds of brilliant blossom over arches 

 like the Rose, or form dazzling columns like the Sweet Pea. It 

 is a neat, somewhat close grower, with sword-shaped leaves and 

 arching flower stems closely studded with funnel-shaped flowers. 

 But it is by no means an inconspicuous plant. The flower spikes 

 are thrown well above the foliage, and in the most vigorous 

 varieties they rise to a height of thirty inches or more. In suit- 

 able soil half-a-dozen corms set a few inches apart will form a 

 fine clump. 



The Gladiolus is what is called a florist's flower that is, it 

 has been specialised under distinctive varietal names, provided 

 with a standard of excellence, and exhibited in special classes at 

 shows. The old florists made quite a pet of it, and, naturally, 

 they wrangled over it. They disputed over the proper pronun- 

 ciation of the name. One was for Gladiolus; a second declared 

 that this was wrong and that it should be called Gladiolus ; a 

 third heaped scorn on both parties and insisted that Gladiolus 

 was correct. " Custom," said a philosopher, " is the legislator of 

 languages," and custom decrees that our flower shall be called the 

 Gladiolus. 



The strait-laced florist is often, and justly, held up to ridicule 

 for his narrow-mindedness, but we must give him credit for one 

 thing at least he does improve flowers. He has worked wonders 

 with the Gladiolus. He is now more absorbed in the Rose, the 

 Carnation, the Dahlia, and the Sweet Pea. But it matters nothing 

 at all that Gladioli are not grown for exhibition so long as they 

 increase in favour for flower garden decoration, and that they are 

 certainly doing. The florist has served his purpose in showing us 



