LUTHER BURBANK 



In the meantime, the gladiolus had been much 

 under cultivation elsewhere, and its general and 

 special qualities had been greatly improved. 



But there remained plenty of modifications that 

 could be made to advantage, and in starting a new 

 series of experiments I had no difficulty in discov- 

 ering faults to be remedied. 



Recent Work With The Gladiolus 



One of the modifications, to which reference 

 has already been made, had to do with the 

 arrangement of the flowers on the stalk. My suc- 

 cess in developing a race having the flowers 

 arranged on all sides of the stalks has already 

 been referred to. In taking up a new series of 

 experiments, I attempted to improve on the earlier 

 variety, by shortening the stems of the flowers, so 

 that they were compelled to arrange themselves 

 more compactly around the stem; by ensuring 

 regularity of placement; and by diversifying the 

 plant arrangement. 



Some forms were developed having two ranks 

 of flowers, one on either side of the stem. Other 

 races were developed with flowers in four ranks; 

 yet others with the flowers in a spiral. Meantime 

 the individual blossoms were enlarged in size, and 

 their stems shortened, so that, when grown in a 

 spiral about the stem, they crowd one another, 

 making practically a solid mass of petals. 



[188] 



