Kunderd's Glory, illustrating the recent 

 frilled type of flower 



Peace, showing one of the best forms of the flower, white. 

 One of the Groff Hybrids 



La Luna, showing the characteristic throat color of 

 the family 



The Most Gorgeous Summer Flowering Bulb — By Leonard Barron, 



THE CLAIMS OF THE GLADIOLUS AS A FLOWER FOR EVERY GARDEN — 

 ITS LONG SEASON, DIVERSITY OF COLOR, AND EASY CULTIVATION 



New 

 York 



IN THE last analysis there are a host of 

 good reasons why the gladiolus gains 

 in popular favor with each succeed- 

 ing year. In common with all "bulbs" 

 it is certain in results, which means much 

 to the average amateur. Of all the "Cape 

 bulbs" it has the greatest multiplicity of 

 color and varieties — indeed there is an 

 almost bewildering embarrassment in the 

 latter respect, but this need not become a 

 real worry if the beginner but selects those 

 that are clearly distinct. 



A few specially named kinds stand out 

 prominently before us and any of them are 

 really worth growing. Varieties are some- 

 what duplicated under different names by 

 different raisers, but that is largely a matter 

 for the connoisseur who buys new high 

 priced novelties that are palpably much 

 alike. It is wisdom in all such cases to try 

 out novelties on a small scale. For the 

 general amateur who only wants color, 

 and plenty of it, there are the mixtures 

 offered by the dealers and these are usually 

 graded into groups, as red, light, blue, etc., 

 yielding a good proportion quite true to the 

 name. Of course the purist in color will 

 purchase only named varieties of merit. 



By no means the least recommendation 

 of the gladiolus is that it can be had in 



flower over such a very long season by the 

 very simple expedients of successive plant- 

 ings or planting variously sized bulbs at one 

 time. Make the first planting in April or 

 even earlier, and the last in the early part 

 of July and you will get flowers from July 

 to October. The different sized bulbs of 

 any one planting will flower earlier or later 

 according the size — the smaller bulbs 

 requiring the longer time to develop. 



As a cut flower for home decoration the 

 flower has the unusual merit of lasting a full 

 week, and if the spikes are cut as the first 

 few flowers are opened the unexpanded 

 buds will continue to develop in regular 

 succession. All that is necessary to keep 

 the bouquet looking fresh and tidy is to 

 pull off individual flowers as they fade. 



Given a fair average fertile soil, the kind 

 that will produce a crop of corn or on which 

 you could put apple trees, and you can suc- 

 ceed to perfection with this plant. The 

 only cultural requisites that are to be ob- 

 served for the best results is first to fit the 

 ground thoroughly by good cultivation 

 before planting and to follow up by stirring 

 the surface throughout the season. The 

 commercial grower opens a. furrow with a 

 plow and cultivates with a horse culti- 

 vator all the season. Artificial watering 



241 



is then not necessary. In the home garden, 

 where grown for the cut flowers only, the 

 same sytem may be followed as is done for 

 the regular vegetable crops in rows. When 

 planting for garden effect the bulbs are 

 best planted in clumps or masses. 



How deep to plant? There is quite a 

 diversity of opinion here, which tends to 

 show that after all it is not a vital point. A 

 depth of six inches is generally approved 

 however, with less on very heavy soils. 

 The advantage of deep planting is that the 

 plant easily supports its flower stalk with- 

 out stakes, a very desirable result, and a 

 point that should always be in the mind of 

 the gardener. The individual bulbs should 

 be spaced the distance of their own diameter 

 if in rows or double that distance in groups 

 or masses. And I repeat — six inches deep. 

 Another good reason for this depth is the 

 new bulb forms right on top of the old one 

 and for the best development of the bulb 

 itself — that means fine flowers in the suc- 

 ceeding year — a proper depth is essential. 

 Shallow planting brings the new bulb 

 too near the surface. 



In the South the bulbs can be left in 

 the ground all winter and they will not 

 seriously suffer. In the North they must 

 be taken up. A slight degree of frost is not 



