34 



precarious.* Two years ago, we got a fine lot of plants by sow- 

 ing them in the open ground in May ; while, in other seasons, 

 both before and since, scarcely enough of the capricious little 

 things have couie up to pay for weeding. If the season is too 

 wet, they rot ; if very dry, they certainly v»'ill not start, and arti- 

 ficial watering has failed to remedy the difficulty. Planting in. 

 boxes in winter and forwarding in a frame, under glass, though 

 attended with considerable care and trouble, is usually partially 

 successful, at least, and will pay where the varieties are scarce 

 and valuable. The boxes should be taken from the frame about 

 the first of June, and set into the ground in some partially shaded 

 spot ; water occasionally in dry weather. A good size for the 

 boxes, is, say thirty inches long and fifteen inches wide, outside, 

 and about five inches deep inside. 



The raising of seedlings of almost any plant, is a very attractive 

 and pleasant pastime ; albeit, success with most kinds is '• glo- 

 riously uncertain," while, with others, i'ailure is almost certain. 

 Experiments in sowing Gladiolus seeds, however, seem to prove 

 success to be the rule, and disappointment the exception. 



The seeds resemble those of the parsnip ; they should be sown 

 pretty thickly, about the middle of May, in the open ground, and 

 covered with about half an inch of fine loam. Do not be alarmed 

 if the plants do not show themselves before July. They look so 

 much like grass, and the weeds by this time will have so much 

 the start of them, that if a thick skull be set to weeding them, all 

 care and trouble concerning them will be pretty certain to end 

 just at this period. VVateruig at night is advisable occasionally, 

 if the weather be dry. Take up and preserve them according to 

 the directions given for the named sorts. 



From seeds sown May 18, 18(32, and treated in this simple 

 manner, we got several spikes of very beautiful — some were 

 extra — tiowers, in 18G8, and most of the balance bloomed in 18(J4. 



The sowing in 1863 was on May 19th. Owing partly to very 

 dry weather, many of these did not come up till July. Yet sev- 

 eral from this planting showed fiowers in October, I8u4. A few 

 of these corms now measure '2 inches in diameter — many of 

 them 1| inches — while the balance, owing to the extreme drought 

 of the season, average about 5 of an inch. Corms raised from 

 seed sown in March, 1803, in boxes, and put into a cold frame. 



* The following is one among many exceedingly valuable hints contained 

 in an article on tlie Gladiolus, which came to hand since the above was 

 ■written. " Collect these [bulblets] carefully, bag and label them and lay 

 them aside for eighteen mouths, then sow them in the open border in a 

 prepared bed ; they will come up in ten days, not one will fail, and lorm 

 bulbs which will bloom the next suuuner." — E. S. Maud, Jr., in The Hor- 

 ticuUurUt. 



