and gold blossoms blending so well with the autumn colourings 

 of the vineyards and orchards. It stands over 4 feet with 2 

 feet or more of blossom, and is the hardiest and most prolific 

 gladiolus ever known. Nothing attacks it, moles dislike the 

 bulbs, no thrips or rust or caterpillars are known among it, 

 and it blooms when the big garden gladioli are well over. In 

 England it blooms too late and is caught by the early frosts ; 

 but in the south of France it is entirely happy, and, blooming 

 in November, is a gold mine to the florists. I do not think that 

 it has been cultivated in California, but when it is there will 

 be a fortune for someone. It has a curious habit of making 

 runners with good-sized bulbs on the end, and one's stock is 

 soon increased tenfold. Here it is quite useless to florists and 

 nurserymen : it is so easy and increases so rapidly that every- 

 one has it. I was lucky enough to have it first : it was sent 

 me by a friend in the Transvaal who rescued the bulbs when 

 ground was ploughed up to make a new golf course. 



It has always seemed to me that from this species might be 

 raised a stock of thrips-resisting hybrids, for it would un- 

 doubtedly cross with the big commercial hybrids. It may be 

 that it was used originally to produce these, but I am inclined 

 to think that it was the yellowish-red somewhat hooded form 

 from the Northern Transvaal rather than the brilliant G. 

 psittacinus var. Hookeri that produced the old brencheyensis and 

 gandavensis hybrids. It is undoubtedly " a good doer ". I have 

 heard of an airman in flight coming down from the heights 

 to find out the explanation of half a square mile or so of flaming 

 scarlet veld amid the rolling hills of the Transvaal. 



It is rumoured that seeds of this species sown in April bear 

 flowers in May of the next year ; but I think this is very doubtful. 

 Anyway, the bulbs produce so many cormlets that who would 

 want to grow it from seed ? 



