10 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
HOW TO GROW THE GLADIOLUS 
'T* 1 1 R ( iladiolus will s^row and bloom in almost any 
kind of soil, if only it can have full exposure to 
the sun. it re(|uires no "fussint;" over. It is singularly 
free from disease or insect pests. It will stand more dry 
weather than most flowers. It will even survive outright 
neglect, returning good for evil by its wonderful bloom. 
At the same time, no plant responds more quickly or sat- 
isfactorily to good treatment. It likes best a rich, sandy 
loam. If your soil is heavy or stiff, work in a liberal 
amount of sand. If it is very light and sandy, spade in 
a liberal amount of well-rotted manure in the Fall. Best 
results are obtained by preparing the beds in the Fall. 
This is especially true when thoroughly rotted manure 
is not to be obtained and fresh manure must be used. 
By Spring it is decomposed, and the ground in the very 
best of condition. Fall-turned sod makes an e-xcellent 
foundation. If not I'all-prepared, the land should be 
given a liberal dressing of manure or commercial fer- 
tilizer, and this s]3aded in to a de]5th of 15 inches. 
With a well-prepared bed in a sunny exposing the 
measure of your success with Gladioli rests wholly in the 
quality of your bulbs. I have found by experience that 
a great many people fail to understand the vital im- 
portance of these brown-husked treasure boxes, in which 
are locked the plants for which they have made such care- 
ful preparation. To them bulbs are just "bulbs," either 
large or small as the case may be, and the larger bulbs 
are necessarily the best. Nothing could be farther from 
the truth. Small bulbs, properly grown, cured and stored, 
will often throw up plants and flowers twice the size of 
large bulbs which have been poorly grown and improp- 
erly cared for. Soft, light bulbs will never make strong 
plants. The best of soil is useless unless the bulbs put 
in it have within themselves the vigor to make the most 
of it. 
With your bed prepared, and sure of the quality of 
your bulbs, the next ste]> is the planting. In the latitude 
of northern New York this may be an}* time from the 
middle of i\pril to the middle of May, whenever the frost 
is wholly out of the ground. Farther south earlier plant- 
ing is advisable. For succession of bloom, bulbs may be 
set at intervals u]> to the 15th of June. The smaller 
bulbs should be set two inches deep, and the very large 
ones twice that de])th. 
In ])lanting small beds I have found it an excellent plan 
to remove the soil to the re(|uired tlepth. lay down an 
inch of said over the exposed surface, set the bulbs at 
proper intervals, pointed side up, replace the soil and 
firm down thoroughly. Mass eiTects are best obtained in 
round, oblong or square beds. For cutting purposes plant 
in single rows, four inches apart in the row, and rows 12 
inches apart, or in double rows 18 inches a])art. 
.\ succession of bloom from the middle of July until 
frost may be obtained by planting early and late varieties 
together, and also by setting the first bulbs eight inches 
apart in the row and two or three weeks later making 
a new planting between these. Gladioli are also very 
effective in clumps and among other plants in the her- 
baceous border. When used in this way, set the bulbs 
four to si.K inches apart each way. 
See that the jjlants have ])lenty of w'ater when they 
first appear above ground and later when the flower- 
spikes begin to show color. Keep free from weeds. If 
this is done they will require no other care. However, 
an occasional stirring of the soil around them will be an 
advantage, as it tends to kee]) the top-soil finely pulver- 
ized, forming a dust mulch which helps to retain mois- 
ture. 
l'\)r cutting purposes I know of no other flower to com- 
pare with the Gladiolus. Beautiful as it is in the garden, 
it is even more beautiful when cut and tastefully arranged 
for interior decoration. Cut when the first bud shows 
color, and given fresh water daily, it will open every 
bud to the last one, and this will be as beautiful as the 
first. 
The stalks should be cut well down toward the base 
and then j)laced in tall vases filled with clear water. No 
charcoal or other substance should be used for ]>urifving 
the water, as the Gladiolus will not foul it as some flowers 
do. Change the water daily, at the same time cutting a 
small piece from the stems. This should be done on a 
slant as then the water has a freer passage up the stems. 
As the lower flowers wither they should be removed, 
which is easily done by a gentle pull. As the lower buds 
always open first, the symmetry of the spike is jireserved 
to the last. The result is a succession of fresh flowers 
every day for a week and even longer from the same 
spikes. — .\rthur Cowee in Glorv of the Garden. 
DISEASES OF VIOLETS 
T^ 
'HE control of diseases and insect pests is a problem 
which always confronts the Violet grower. How- 
ever, since growers have come to realize that sanitary con- 
ditions in greenhouses go a long way in controlling 
disease, there has been a marked improvement in the 
healthfulness of the crop, says Prof. E. .\. White in 
Florists' lL.vcliaiii;e. 
The principal diseases are leaf s])ot and stem rot. The 
leaf spot is the most feared. The character of this 
disease is too well known to need description. It forms 
semi-transparent spots on the leaves which spread rapidly 
under favorable conditions. Reproduction is bv spores 
which are carried from one plant to another by currents 
of air. They germinate rapidly and in a very short time 
the disease may spread over an entire house. Humid 
atmospheric conditions and high tem])eratures induce the 
disease. Heavy fumigations with tobacco smoke also 
cause the disease to spread. Plants weakened by abormal 
conditions in the houses are more susceptible to spot ; 
therefore the plants should be kept growing vigorously 
from tl;e cutting bench to maturity. As soon as spot 
ajipears on a plant, all affected leaves should be picked 
and destroyed immediately. Great care should be taken 
in watering the plants so that the foliage may dry i|uicklv 
and not remain wet over night. 
."^tem rot is very troublesome in some sections. It fre- 
quently makes its appearance in the cutting bench and the 
disease is not noticed at the time of planting the houses. 
During the Summer the aft'ected plants may grow vigo- 
rously, but as Fall approaches, they wilt diu-ing the dav. 
After a short time the plants die, and examination shows 
that the fungus has ]3enetrated all portions of the stem, 
thus cutting oft' the food supply. Care should be taken 
to select healthy plants for propagation. Cuts should be 
made at a node and fresh sand used with each lot of 
cuttings. If a diseased plant is noticed, it should be re- 
moved and some of the soil taken with it. Fresh soil 
should then be obtained and one of the reserve plants 
used for filling the vacancy. 
C»ther fungus diseases which may appear if cultural 
conditions are not ideal are crown rot, scald or edge burn, 
and oedema or the wart disease. With careful attention 
to soil jjreparation, ventilation and watering, these 
troubles need not exist. 
Among the insect pests the aphis and red spiders are 
the most troublesome. Water spray for the spiders and 
cyanide gas for the aphis keep these insects in control 
with little difficulty. 
