GLADIOLUS 



In the first method all that is necessary is to separate 

 the conns growing from the original, either when clean- 

 ing in the fall or before planting in the spring. 



When seeds are sown, the seedlings should all pro- 

 duce corms of flowering size in 3 years. Seed should be 

 planted very early in the open ground on rich, sandy 

 soil and not allowed to suffer in the least for lack of 



moisture. At the end of the first season's growth the 

 corms of the seedlings will be the size of peas, and can 

 be stored under the same conditions as large corms. 

 The second season plant the corms as if they were gar- 

 den peas. Some will bloom the second year, and all 

 should bloom the next. 



Increasing stock by the small corms or bulblets is the 

 most common method, and the one by which a variety 

 is perpetuated. The small corm is but a cutting; nr eye, 

 and can be stored in bags, boxes nv nili, i- ^miaM.- re- 

 ceptacles and kept from frost. It is a li, Ip to ^i.riuting 

 if the corms are not allowed to dry fut during' iln' pe- 

 riod of rest. They should be planted like 1-year seed- 

 lings, making blooming bulbs the first and second year. 

 E. H. Cdshsiajj. 



AAA. From the An 





The garden evolution of Gladioli in general is ex- 

 plained at length below. The writer has been asked to 

 present the American share in this interesting history. 

 Some ten years ago, when the writer began, under the 

 inspiration of Luther Burbank, his own work in hy- 

 bridization, the best American-grown stock available 

 was the Hallock collection of some 400 named varieties 

 of Gandavensis and about 100 of the earlier Lemoine 

 hybrids, all of European origin. After trial, the writer 

 placed them all in mixtures. 



About this time Luther Burbank began to offer a few 

 named varieties, but shortly afterwards sold his whole 

 stock, the collection being now in the writer's hands. 

 This collection, in the opinion of the writer, is the best 

 strain of Gandavensis. The varieties were largely of 

 variegated tvpes, with manv of unique markings and 

 peculiar form. BurbaTik bad tHvpn pnrficiilar atfpiiti.m 



of Calif... -in ..'' ! I '..:•' ' '' ' . ''. ' '■' " '• ." 



stiff petal-^, , f Ml I I ."I ■v.-!, :., ; :, ,, . TIm. 



peculiarity "f tii- ll.i'.-.-c- I.I i :i - aM la im I iIm- -;iU>M 



like the hyacinth was also his c.ntrilnitioii. All of his 

 varieties are now grown in mixture by the writer with 

 the exception of a white variety, which promises to be 

 distinct and valual)le for some time to come. However, 

 the vitality of Burbank's strain is remarkable, and in 

 the opinion of the writer it is greater than that of all 

 the other strains of so-called American hybrids which 

 constitute the principal stocks of commerce on this 

 continent. 



GLADIOLUS 647 



The latter strains have probably been largely pro- 

 duced from self-fertilized seed of European and Ameri- 

 can varieties, themselves the product of natural selec- 

 tion, thus carrying to their progeny the objection of a 

 weak and degenerate parentage. 



The work of Dr. Van Fleet, ..t" X. ,v .1. i -. > , v,as car- 

 ried on more for scientific than . i 1. : I. iilts,and 

 reaped a deserved success. 11-. ' ii'-r has 



found that the offspring of ajiui. i". a ~ ,, i, ,s stable 



than that of wi'-Lala., 1 -i .,,.,-i,i, J ^ am lies, the 



former system liML.hir^ -1-^1 irw varieties of perma- 

 nent commt n 1 i jIi they are in themselves 

 valuable as pari lit . i i i. i -inidation of new strains. 



The best Wi.rlv .1 a -i la lailissional character, in the 

 opinion of the writer, lias been done by T, S. Moore, of 

 Indiana, who has spared no trouble or expense in pro- 

 curing choice material upon which to build, and with 

 satisfactory results. As to G. criienliiii (a strain of 

 reds), the writer thinks that little is to be gained by Its 

 use, as we have too many reds already. Its roots tend 

 in this climate to early and rapid degeneration. 



The writer believes that the beauty of the individual 

 flower is the highest ideal, though vigor ..f plant rim\ 



Gladio'lusas a cut-flower rather than a gaialiai |iiaiit. ami 

 believes higher satisfaction is gotten finm , uiiihl' tlf 

 spike when the first bud opens than frotii lea\ in;,' tlir 

 flowers to open outdoors. 



A new strain of great interest is composed of the hy- 

 brids of the G. Papilio, var. major, a most interesting 

 species in which the under color, a unique shade of blue, 

 is overlaid with dull terra-cotta. In seedlings raised by 

 the writer these colors have separated, producing the 

 most beautiful heliotrope and clematis blues and rich 

 velvety jiurples, colors quite unknown in the older sec- 



Anotber strain likely to be preset;te.l .;,.mii i^ ih,- j.ri.il- 

 uct of the old species G. dn/r... .,.;,,, ;,.,,. '\-\:,- il.mais 

 of the hybrids are covered witli jniiin!.- il a, -miliar to 

 those of the species. The species aii.l its liylniils have 

 exceptional vigor and vitality. 



Gladioli are most adaptable to all soils, providing 

 reasonable assistance is given. Clean, sandy loam is 

 preferable, fertilized at least every other autumn with 

 well-rotted manure, which is carefully covered below the 

 depth of planting. Before spading or plowing the 

 ground it is well to dress freely with fresh, hardwood 

 ashes. On heavy clay use leached ashes freely, and 

 cover deeply all the green vegetable refuse and leaves 

 that have been partially rotted under the manure pile 

 since the previous autumn. Also fill in the trenches 

 with sand or loam. In swamp muck and vegetable de- 

 posit, a mixture of sand added yearly is all that is 

 needed, the trenches being tilled with sand at planting. 

 Cold, springy swamp laials with tlie water half filling 

 the trenches at plantinu'. have iriven perfect satisfaction 



with blooming bulbs, that lia\e I n lieveloped on the 



other soils. Water sli.iul.l lie fr.a ly used during the 

 season of active growth ; iiHHlnately with blooming 

 stock before budding in .iiai,]- t" n|i.ii the plant; then 

 again freely before the I'lids show ta.lor and until after 

 blooming. Full exposure t.> the siui :md air is necessary 



for the best results 



H. H. Gboff. 



11. THE KINDS OP GLADIOLI. 

 dr.icoeephalus. in 

 rtoribundus. 'J3, "Jtj. 

 atroviolaceus, 7. Frcebeli. 31. Q 



bifloniR, S. G,ind,aveiisis, 27. 



blaudns, 22. Kraiidis. :i. 



opposititlf 

 P.%pilio, IS 

 psittacinu 



the trade, but they are 



