The Carden Magazine, May, 1920 
133 
sandy, fertile soil has some advantages. A good grade of garden 
fertilizer may be applied at the rate of 5 to 10 lbs. per square 
rod, broadcasted and cultivated into the soil previous to plant- 
ing, but manure should not be applied to the soil the year the 
corms are planted. The writer has used a mixture of 2 parts 
acid phosphate, 1 part nitrate of soda and 1 part sulphate of 
ammonia with good results. It is our opinion however that on 
fertile soil acid phosphate alone will be sufficient. 
Gladiolus can be planted anytime from early May tothe latter 
part of June. We find it advantageous to plant at several suc- 
cessive dates, for this insures flowers from the last of July until 
late in September. It takes from 70 to 1 10 days from planting 
to produce flowers, depending upon the variety, the soil, and 
weather conditions. 
In cutting be careful to allow three or four leaves to remain 
on the stalk, to assist in the ripening process of the new bulb 
or corm, which goes on after the flowers are produced. We 
make it a practice to cut the spikes as soon as the first flower is 
open, and take them indoors and place them in a vase of water. 
By this method the flowers last much longer than if allowed to 
remain in the garden until in full bloom. Clip a half-inch off 
the bottom of the spike and add fresh water each day and the 
blooms may be expected to last a week. We find too that we 
can ship the flowers a distance not requiring more than a 
day in transit, by parcel post. 
As soon as there is danger of hard freezing the corms should 
be dug, taking special care to preserve the bulblets or cormels 
found at the base of the new corm. The corms and cormels 
can be stored in shallow boxes or paper sacks after they have 
been dried. Of course each variety should be kept separately; 
and by carefully saving the cormels one can rapidly accumulate 
a surplus stock of corms. 
The following are some of the varieties which have given us 
satisfaction and represent a succession in blooming period, and a 
variety of colors: Halley, Mrs. King, America, Pink Per- 
fection, Panama, Niagara, Schwaben, Mrs. Pendleton, Baron 
Hulot, Glory, Peace, War, Europa, Chicago, White, Princeps, 
Ida Van, Empress of India, and Hereda. 
GLADIOLUS COMES IN CHARMING VARIETY 
Here indeed may the seeker for summer cut flowers find something to fit with any scheme of indoor 
decoration and new shades in the “primulinus hybrids” greatly increase the range of decorative uses 
