Cultural Directions 
The Gladiolus is a flower of easy culture 
and does well in any soil, but should be 
planted in full exposure to the sun. They 
will do well planted in the hardy borders or 
in front of shrubbery. Many of the best va- 
rieties produce small bulbs, and in buying 
a mixture you will find it much better when 
the size of the bulbs varies to a considerable 
degree. The largest bulbs do not always 
give the best results. It is essential that the 
bulb should be of blooming age rather than 
size. Soil should be well prepared in the 
early spring, with a good coating of agri- 
cultural lime and bone meal thoroughly 
worked into the soil, but fresh stable manure 
should be used only where the ground 
may be manured the previous fall and well 
worked over in the spring before planting. 
The various ways in which the Gladiolus 
can be planted make it one of the most 
showy and attractive garden flowers. 
Planted in round, oblong, or square beds, 
planting bulbs from four to six inches apart, 
so that they may be weeded and hand- 
hoed, they will give a wealth of color not 
equaled by any other flower. 
Plantings for cut flowers should be made 
in rows eighteen inches apart, with bulbs 
three inches apart in the row, covering from 
four to six inches, according to the size of 
the bulbs; press the earth firmly around 
each bulb. Care should be taken to plant 
the bulbs right side up, and deep enough so 
that the new bulb, which forms on top, will 
not be pushed too near the surface. For 
succession of bloom, plant from the time 
the ground can be worked until July 1. 
After the spike begins to show, all weeds 
should be removed, and if the soil is kept 
thoroughly worked, watering will hardly 
be necessary; they are great drinkers, how- 
ever, and respond quickly to water. Al- 
ways water after sundown. 
There is no finer garden flower, but the 
finest specimens are shown if the spike is 
cut when the first bud opens and allowed to 
develop in the house; every bud on stalk 
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