DISEASES AND INSECTS. 59 



core or heart of the bulb, cutting away the affected parts 

 with a sharp knife will sometimes save the bulb ; other- 

 wise a diseased bulb should never be planted, as it may 

 infect others. 



Gladiolus are subject to a peculiar form of rot. The 

 surface of the bulb is covered with black specks, which 

 spread all over it, and finally dry up and kill the bulb. 

 Such bulbs should not be thrown away (especially if of 

 valuable varieties), as they sometimes recover; but should 

 be planted by themselves, that they may not infect sound 

 bulbs. We have noticed that bulbs in heavy soils were 

 more subject to this disease than those in soil of a light, 

 sandy nature ; and also that old bulbs are much more likely 

 to be affected than young ones. 



A remedy, or rather preventive, may be to put a little 

 sand in the hole in planting the bulb, and to raise seedlings 

 instead of planting old varieties ; the latter to be especially 

 recommended, as our American seedlings are better than 

 imported varieties. 



In the attention paid to the culture of the hyacinth in 

 Holland, several diseases have developed themselves, which 

 are best described in an article translated from the Dutch 

 for "The Gardener's Magazine," from which we give the 

 following extracts : 



