LUTHER BURBANK 



The contrast in appearance of a stem of 

 gladiolus flowers arranged on this new plant with 

 the old form in which the blossoms grew only on 

 one side of the stem, or at most on opposite sides, 

 is very striking. 



Attention was given also to the modifications 

 of the form of the individual flowers. In one 

 form, petals were developed that are broad and 

 ruffled so that they overlap, and thus give the 

 appearance of a double flower. In another form 

 the tendency of the anthers to turn to petals was 

 accentuated through selection until a double vari- 

 ety was produced; and in one or two cases the 

 extra petals were added without affecting the 

 natural organs. 



In yet another form, and the one that I person- 

 ally admire most, two flowers appear to be fused 

 into one, so that twelve petals are presented in- 

 stead of six. The variety was fixed so that the 

 flowers on every stalk come in the same way, 

 constituting a double flower of an unusual type. 



Particular attention was also paid to the 

 development of regularity of petal in the case of 

 the double gladiolus flowers. Irregularity of pet- 

 als may be attractive in such flowers as the rose 

 and the carnation, but with the gladiolus the 

 double blossoms are less beautiful than the single 

 ones, unless the petals are very regular. I experi- 



[190] 



