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PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS gladiolus 



section and have various delicate shades, 

 markings, and blendings of blue-grey, 

 purple, scarlet, salmon, crirason, rose- 

 white, pink, yellovif &c., often beautifully 

 mottled and blotched in the throat. 

 Named varieties appear in the trade 

 catalogues, but as new ones appear every 

 year and the older ones drop out of sight 

 it is scarcely worth while to waste space 

 here with a string of mere names. 



For beds and borders and groups on 

 the grass G. Childsi is very effective. 



Culture and Propagation. — This is 

 the same as that described below under 

 G. ganda/vensis, 



G. Colvillei. — A beautiful hybrid 

 between G. cardinalia and G. trisUa, 

 having showy crimson - purple flowers 

 flaked with white. It grows about 2 ft. 

 high and is excellent for massing in 

 borders or beds. The flowers are very 

 valuable for cutting. There are two 

 white forms known, one alhus with 

 white flowers and red stamens, the other 

 having white flowers and white stamens, 

 known as ' The Bride.' 



Culture and Propagation. — Immense 

 numbers of these white forms are imported 

 from Holland every year, and grown for 

 the London and other markets. They 

 flourish in rich light soil and not too 

 sunny situations, but with a free circu- 

 lation of air, and protection from cold 

 winds. The corms may be planted any 

 time from the end of October to January 

 about 4-5 in. deep. A protection with 

 litter or the remains of a spent mush- 

 room bed during the winter will be bene- 

 ficial, and the flowers will appear from 

 May to July according to the time of 

 planting. Grown in pots G. Colvillei and 

 its varieties are excellent for the winter 

 decoration of greenhouses and conserva- 

 tories. 



G. gandavensis. — What is popularly 

 known as the Ghent Gladiolus originated 

 in 1837 by M. Beddinghaus, gardener to 

 the Due d'Aremberg, at Enghien, cross- 

 ing G. psittacinus and G. cardinalia. 

 There can, however, be little doubt that 

 before the gandavensis type had become 

 fairly fixed the services of other species 

 were brought into force, and the most 

 likely of these were oppositiflorus (which 

 shows in the white forms), hlandus 

 and ramosus. Other species may also 

 have been used, but in any case the 

 gandavensis Gladiolus as we now know it 



is the result of much crossing and inter- 

 crossing between the best forms as they 

 were developed. M. Souchet of Fon- 

 tainebleau was one of the earliest to take 

 to the serious business of producing 

 gandavensis hybrids. Se used the hybrids 

 obtained from cardinaUs and psittaci- 

 nus, and crossed them with blandua and 

 ramosus, and in 1862 many of them 

 bloomed for the first time in his garden, 

 and were a vast improvement on the 

 original type. About 5 years later — in 

 1857 — the late Mr. James Kelway of 

 Langport began operations in hybridising 

 plants of this section, and down to the 

 present day his firm is noted for the 

 many very beautiful forms produced. 

 Mr. Standish of Ascot was another early 

 hybridiser of these plants. About 3000 

 named varieties have appeared since 

 those days, but the vast majority are 

 now sunk in oblivion — a fate no doubt 

 in store for those at present causing a 

 sensation, when they too make way for 

 still further improvements. As every 

 nurseryman invents the names of his pets 

 it would be useless giving a string of 

 them here, but it may be remarked that 

 the prevailing colours of the gandavensis 

 Gladioli are exquisite and delicate, and 

 consist of various shades and mixtures 

 of white, cream, violet, crimson, lilac, 

 purple, maroon, sahnon-red, rose, scarlet, 

 yeUow, orange, pink, amaranth &c. 

 variously striped and blotched. 



Soil. — A light sandy soil has been 

 often recommended for Gladioli, but the 

 best and most successful growers prefer 

 a stiff loamy soil, well drained and 

 deeply dug, such as would suit Roses. 

 Other soils of a lighter nature will pro- 

 duce excellent GladioU, and in wet cold 

 localities such soils may be more suit- 

 able than the stiffish loam recommended. 



Where Gladioli are grown extensively 

 a dressing of stable or cow manure may 

 be deeply dug into the soil in September 

 or October. The land may then be left 

 in a rough state to be sweetened by the 

 frosts and rains until about the beginning 

 of March, when the surface nlay be 

 levelled with a hoe, which is better than 

 a rake for this particular purpose. 



Planting. — Planting may then com- 

 mence, but is best deferred unless the 

 ground is in a friable condition and not 

 in a wet sticky state. The drills 

 into which the corms are put should be 

 about a foot apart and about 4-5 in. 



