242 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



Mat, 1913 



injurious but a long continued cold winter 

 causes rot, although even in the latitude 

 of New England a few bulbs will be occas- 

 ionally found to have survived the winter 

 in the ground. It is better, however, to 

 take up the bulbs each fall, any time after 

 the tops have died down, and sort them 

 over and separate the flowering bulbs from 

 the old dried bulb and the multitude of 

 little cormels that will be found attached 

 to the bulb, of varying size from a grain of 

 mustard seed to a good sized hazel nut. The 

 larger of these may even flower the succeed- 

 ing year but the smaller ones will not. 

 The bulbs and their increase can be taken 

 up and kept through the winter in a place 

 that will keep potatoes — they are just as 

 easy to handle. The following spring they 

 may be sorted into sizes, the flowering bulbs 

 planted in the flower garden and the smaller 

 ones in rows in the vegetable garden for 

 growing up to flowering size, a process 

 which will occupy a period of about four 

 years, some attaining full size each season. 

 Some varieties increase much more rapidly 

 than others. 



The garden gladiolus is a mixed hybrid 

 and has several very well marked types, 

 but there is confusion because the types are 

 so closely blended that there are inter- 

 mediate steps connecting the types all 

 along the line. The principal types are 

 as follows: 



Gandavensis — This is the oldest, from 

 which all the others are in some way de- 

 scended. It is adapted to all situations. 

 The colors are solid, and the spike compact 

 with the flowers well ranked. It flowers 

 late in the season. 



Lemonei — The earliest flowering group, 



America, pale rose piiik. Very popular for cut 

 flowers 



sometimes called the butterfly gladiolus 

 on account of the bright colors with 



strongly marked contrasts. The flower 

 is somewhat hooded, a character that it 

 acquires from one of its parents G. draco- 

 cephalus or the dragon head gladiolus. 



Nanceianus — Intermediate in season, 

 characterized by wide spreading flowers 

 and the petals well expanded, growth 

 somewhat slender with a tendency to make 

 a one sided loose-habited spike. The group 

 is remarkable for having the greatest range 

 of coloring. 



Childsi — Flowering about the same time 

 as Nanceianus and very much like it indeed 

 in range of coloring. This group is most 

 valuable for all-around purposes, showing 

 a range of color from pure white to the 

 deepest crimsons and scarlets and pur- 

 ples. The flower spikes rank very well 

 but the petals are somewhat deficient in 

 substance. 



Princeps — Characterized by large flow- 

 ers opening three at a time, flaming scarlet 

 with white lines. Season, late. 



Brenchleyensis — The commonest of the 

 old time gladiolus, very floriferous. Flowers 

 small, bright scarlet. This is really a form 

 of Gandavensis and is, perhaps, responsible 

 for any prejudice that some people seem 

 to entertain for gladiolus in the past. It 

 is too "hot" looking for a mid-August 

 day. 



Groff's Hybrids — Embracing selections 

 from all preceding types blended together 

 and consequently in this class the types 

 all conform to each of the many classes 

 which appear in succession. Mr. Groff 

 selected from each type the varieties that 

 seemed best suited to his purpose and 

 blended them into a strain that is known 

 by this name. 



Notes on Some of the Newer Gladiolus— By Mrs. Francis King, 



Michi- 

 gan 



IT IS November and all tuberous 

 things, all tender bulbs have now 

 "been safely garnered in ere the 

 winter storms begin." Dahlias are in 

 their sandy nests; gladioli repose in labelled 

 paper bags; tritomas, galtonias are all in 

 dry cool spots for winter safety. 



As we work under leafless trees and where 

 nothing of green remains save the bright 

 grass and the rich hues of pine and hemlock 

 the colors imprisoned within each bulb are 

 sure to rise before me. I see again the 

 rainbow of that wonderful exhibit of gladi- 

 olus as it was to be seen in Chicago last 

 August; the matchless beauty of such 

 blooms as Niagara and Panama. And at 

 the Editor's request I here set down a few 

 notes on the gladiolus made last summer, 

 both at home and away from it. 



And first let me say that the best recent 

 happening for the lover of this flower, and 

 consequently of course, the best thing for 

 the grower of gladiolus in this country was 

 the formation of the American Gladiolus 

 Society. 



I have lately come to the conclusion to 

 use in any future writings upon flowers in 

 all accurate color descriptions of varieties, 

 the terms and numbers of the great French 

 publication Repertoire des Couleurs* so 

 that my descriptions can be standard- 

 ized. 



But to the gladiolus! Let me herald 

 first the coming, the glorious coming of 

 the lavender beauty, Badenia, by name. 

 No words can paint the beauty of this 

 flower. A true lavender in color, not too 

 blue, its flowers are large, finely expanded, 

 and many open upon the stem at one 

 time. 



Countless combinations of this with other 

 flowers crowd upon one's vision. Which 

 would be fairer, an arrangement of like 

 colors? Shall we let Badenia open above 

 a mass of well staked velvet-purple petunia? 

 Or shall we see it rise above quantities of 

 cool pink Ostrich Plume aster? Again, we 



*Repertoire des Couleurs issued by the French 

 Chrysanthemum Society. 2 vols. 



might grow it near palest yellow snap 

 dragon; or, a more subtle arrangement yet 

 plan to have it late against Salvia azurea 

 the junction of its stems with the ground 

 masked by rippling mounds of Phlox 

 Drummondi, var. lutea. All pale yellows 

 and buffs, all rich purples, all blues which 

 are almost turquoise rise to the mind as 

 I think of the delicious pictures easily 

 created with this noble gladiolus. Badenia 

 has but one serious defect, its price is 

 very high. To remedy that condition let 

 us wish it the Arab wish "May its tribe 

 increase." 



Now for the glorious pair Niagara and 

 Panama. Niagara shall have the first word. 

 Niagara is quite worthy of several descrip- 

 tions. I therefore give first its commercial 

 one, prefacing that by the fact that it has 

 already secured three honors from horti- 

 cultural societies including one from the 

 American Gladiolus Society. "In type," 

 says its originator "the variety resembles 

 America, but the flowers appear to be 

 somewhat larger, measuring 4^ inches 



