192 THE GLADIOLUS. 



DISEASES AND ENEMIES. 



A cold, damp soil, causing rot, is the greatest difficulty in 

 gladiolus culture : this may be in a degree remedied by 

 planting the bulb in sand. Rust is a disease of which the 

 cause is yet unexplained : the whole plant turns a dirty 

 spotted yellow, and the bulb is found to be eaten with white 

 spots. As soon as the disease is observed, dig up the bulb, 

 and throw it away. It seems more prevalent in damp soils, 

 appearing just as the plant shows bloom. A green cut- 

 worm often eats off the tender shoots in early spring : the 

 only remedy is to examine the base of each shoot at night, 

 and kill the worm. The skin covering the bulb is some- 

 times infested with mealy-bug: immediately burn every 

 bulb so infested, let the variety be choice as it may. 



MULTIPLICATION OF VARIETIES. 



This is an evil which will soon be felt. All the world are 

 raising seedling gladioli. At least one-half of the seedlings 

 are equal to or better than old-named varieties. Each 

 grower names his favorites ; and we are in danger of 

 having a confusion of synonymes which will rival the 

 palmiest days of pear-culture. How this can be remedied 



