120 lUi; Canai.ian Hokiicli.ilrist. 



, Tlie flowers of ilic Arum Sanctum, or Solomons Lily, are sweet scented, and 

 often of a foot in length, seven to nine inches across, of beautiful form ; in color, 

 they are a rich ebony black. The spadix is ten to twelve inches long and ebony 

 l)lack, while the foliage is a rich green. 



The Arums are a large genus of curious perennials, most of which are too 

 tender to endure our cold winters without being taken up and stored inside. 

 They are, probably, of Egyptian origin, and are well represented among amateurs 

 by Arum maatlaium, or the so-called Spotted (!alla. To cultivate them success- 

 fully, plenty of moisture is needed during the growing season, and they should 

 be grown in good, rich soil, whether in pots or in the ojien ground. 



POINTS ABOUr C.LADIOl.I. 



^HE culture of gladioli may be summed up in three senten- 

 ces : " Keep the ground loose. Keep the weeds down. 

 Draw an inch of soil to the plants." The last operation is 

 designed to give the plants greater firmness to resist winds and 

 rain, which are so apt to beat them down when in blossom. If 

 you have many bulbs it is useless to try to support the flower 

 stalks in any way ; but if you are determined to do it, you can 

 drive a few stakes and stretch a wire along to which to tie stalks : 

 hut it is better to cut down such as are top-heavy. In the future, 

 possibly, no gladioli will be grown but such as are rigid enough to 

 resist wind and rain. It is a good plan to prevent the maturing 

 of seed, except when wanted for sowing, both because .seed-bear- 

 ing is always exhausting, and because if the stalks are cut ofl" as 

 the flowers fade, the rows will have a neater and more pleasing 

 appearance. 



When the frosty nights begin, it will be time t(^ think of taking 

 up the Ijulbs. Much has l)een said of the importance of letting 

 the plants stand until the tojis tlie down. Not only is there no 

 need of doing this, but it increases the labor of ''lifting" fully tight-fold : for 

 instead of having a good handle to ea( h bulb, you will have to grojie about in 

 the dirt for it. The best way of lifting is to have a man go along the rows with 

 a spade, thrusting it under the bulb.s, but not raising them, while another follows 

 pulling up as many ])lants as he can grasp, and leaving each kind by itself with 

 its label near it. The stalks are cut off the same day as closely as possible to 

 the bulbs, which are then put into boxes and put into a place secure from frost 

 until December, when the dry roots, the old withered bulbs and the bulblets are 

 taken off and the clean bulbs are removed to the cellar, where they remain until 

 the loth of May again. 



