GLADIOLUS. 



105 



magnificent appearance. This class of G-ladiolus is but 

 little known or grown, from the fact of their not flower- 

 ing well, if at all, when planted in the spring, and they 

 are not hardy. The corms should be planted in autumn, 

 in a situation where water will not remain about them, 

 and be protected against frost, either by a cold frame 

 or by a heavy mulching. It is difficult to make the 

 amateur, or even the professional florist understand 

 this precaution, necessary as it is for many, if not all, 

 bulbs. The gardener seems to think that when he has 

 planted a bulb his work is done, when, in fact, it has but 

 just commenced. For the want of this attention no 

 class of plants suffers more than the so-called hardy 

 G-ladiolus. 



The object of this book being to assist the grower 

 in the work of producing flowers of such species as are 

 generally grown and popularly known, we shall but 

 briefly notice the more important of the species, some of 

 which are the parents of the hybrid Gladiolus so gener- 

 ally cultivated. All the species are from the Cape of 

 Good Hope, unless otherwise noted. We would remark 

 here, that all Cape of Good Hope bulbs will thrive under 

 the same general treatment. They are half-hardy, 

 impatient of moisture when at rest, as their season of 

 flowering is the rainy season of the country, and their 

 period of rest during excessive drouth. They all suc- 

 ceed well grown in a cold frame, which protects against 

 both cold and moisture. 



G. alatus (Winged). A very interesting little 

 plant ; the flowers have a delightful fragrance not unlike 

 that of the Sweet Brier; the three upper petals are 

 bright orange-scarlet, the three lower ones are yellowish, 

 tipped with orange-scarlet. The bulbs are very small, 

 not larger than ordinary peas, and cannot remain long 

 out of ground. 



G. Algoensis (Algoa Bay Hyacinth). — This and 

 the last are allied to the Viper species, and have the same 



