July, 1919 
Slower (Brower 
69 
per lb. live weight) and with the Dove 
of Peace fluttering near, this nation 
will be taxed to the utmost to supply 
the world’s markets. 
This is a plea for the thoroughbred 
hog ; Ihe cost of feeding out is no more 
than for the common scrub ; they grow 
heavier on the same amount of feed 
and mature quicker. Anyway we 
have a lot of faith in this plan, and 
with the Modern Big Type Poland 
China and with the Modern Gladiolus 
will thoroughly try out the “Posy and 
Pig” combination. 
Joe Coleman. 
EFFECT ON BULB OF CUTTING GLADIOLUS 
FLOWER SPIKES. 
Being a constant reader of The Mod- 
ern Gladiolus Grower and The 
Flower Grower 1 notice a number of 
articles on cutting the bloom or spike 
for the best result of the bulb. Different 
opinions have been dwelt upon and as 
I was greatly interested in the subject 
I thought of experimenting a little on 
that line with different varieties. I 
found the following results after dig- 
ging the bulbs in the fall, by leaving dif- 
ferent number of leaves standing. The 
variety I selected was Jessie and I used 
bulblets, the object being to start from 
the first planting of the bulblets and 
looking for the result in the bulb in 
later years. In the photograph you 
will see three bulbs with their spikes 
cut, the result being as follows : No. 
1 made a 1 in. bulb ; No. 2 made a 1 in. 
’ bulb and No. 3 made a 1 in. bulb, soil 
1 and other conditions being the same, 
! under the following treatment : No. 1 
was left to grow and did not bloom ; 
No. 2 was left to grow until the spike 
was above the leaves, but not open 
enough to show color and then pinched 
out ; No. 3 was cut when one flower 
! was open and four leaves were left 
standing. Now, as to the size of the 
bulbs we see no difference, all being 
the same size, the only difference being 
in the number of bulblets, while No. 1 
and No. 2 made a number of bulblets, 
No. 3 only made one bulblet. We see 
in this case by leaving more or less 
leaves standing for best results of the 
bulb it made no difference, only giving 
me more bulblets. Now, as to the 
vitality of the bulbs this must be looked 
into and reported on next year. I am 
saving these three bulbs with others 
and will plant and handle them all 
under the same treatment and show 
the results with photographs to illus- 
trate if possible together with the con- 
dition of the bulbs when dug. 
Herman Kirscht. 
DAYLIGHT SAVING. 
The Daylight Saving Law proved a 
wonderful departure to me as well as 
to numbers of my friends, as well as 
others, both those who have gardens 
and those who love sport or to wander 
about in the great out-of-doors. All of 
us who are confined during working 
hours, in stuffy offices or chemical or 
other scientific laboratories, decidedly 
appreciated the extra hour given us to 
get away from these conditions. We 
think that Mr. Farmer, could, without 
great inconvenience readjust his work- 
ing hours so that those — the great ma- 
jority — who must labor all day indoors 
may gain this extra hour of fresh air 
and sunshine. 
Chas. E. F. Gersdorff. 
RED EMPEROR AND LACORDAIRE 
GLADIOLI. 
Mr. Geo. S. Woodruff in The Flower 
Grower for January, 1919, under head 
of “Some of the Newer Gladioli,” 
speaks about Red Emperor and La Cor- 
daire as being the same variety. We 
can state, however, that these sorts are 
not the same. Red Emperor is one of 
the finest red Gladioli and is of Dutch 
origin. It is a very strong grower 
with gigantic flowers and of intense 
red color. 
K. Velthuys, Ltd. 
Some of our readers will probably disagree 
with Mr. Velthuys that Red Emperor is of 
Dutch origin. If it is the same as Dominion, 
it is of American origin and creditable to 
Mr. Groff. Evidence indicates that there is 
no doubt about Red Emperor and Dominion 
being the same.— [E ditor.] 
SHIPPING CRATE FOR CUT GLADIOLI. 
For cheapness, convenience, strength 
and light weight, I use banana crates. 
Many firms give them away and others 
charge five cents. These crates vary 
in size from 28 to 36 inches in height, 
12 to 15 inches across bottom and 16 to 
18 inches across the top. They are 
constructed with a wooden hoop at 
top, center and bottom, and the staves 
of § inch veneer material are 3 to 5 
inches wide. The staves seldom come 
together and when there are several 
inches between them the crates are 
lined with heavy paper as thick as a 
postal card. 
Line them with wrapping or news- 
paper ; roll 12 to 25 spikes in sheet of 
newspaper, according to amount of 
blossom out, stand up in crate till 
packed full, stitch burlap over top. 
Being larger at top than bottom they 
are right shape and flowers arrive in 
fine condition. Crates will hold from 
150 to 300 spikes, according to size of 
crates and spikes and advance of 
bloom. 
W. Thurston Gibbs. 
DAYLIGHT SAVING LAW. 
The daylight saving law always was 
unpopular with me and, in fact, there 
never was any good in it. I have abso- 
lutely no patience with any one that 
can’t get up in the morning unless the 
hands of the clock point to 6:00 or 6:30 
o’clock. My objection to it is that my 
work in the flowers is done as a side 
line and my regular duties call me to 
work at 6:30 a. m., and with the old 
time I could get up in the morning and 
work an hour or more in the flowers 
before beginning my regular duties of 
the day, but now I have very little 
time in the morning to work in the 
flowers and when I get home in the 
evening after my day’s work I am tired 
out with the day’s business and do not 
feel so much like working in the flow- 
ers as I did in the morning. And then 
beside I always think the flowers are 
more interesting in the morning. I like 
to stroll around among them looking 
for something new and remove any 
weeds and giving them all of the en- 
couragement that I can by cultivation, 
etc. 
L. S. Ream. 
MARKING STAKES. 
I find the best way to mark Gladiolus 
bulbs when planting is to take a stake 
about 1 in. wide and | in. thick and 12 
in. long, write the name with blue in- 
delible pencil and then coat with shel- 
lac over the name. They will stand 
all kinds of weather and last more than 
one season. 
J. T. Doling. 
AGE AND GLADIOLUS CORMS. 
We have grown Gladioli in a small 
way for fifteen years and have not 
purchased much new stock, none at all 
for four years. Have planted the di- 
vided corms for years. Never had 
finer bloom than the past two years, so 
we do not think that division affects 
the blooming. 
T. L. McKean. 
STORING DAHLIAS. 
In the May number of The Flower 
Grower “C. C.” speaks of using leaves 
in which he had Dahlias stored during 
the winter as a mulch for Gladioli. 
I would like to know more about 
this method of storing Dahlias. Nothing 
freezes in our cellar, but it has a cement 
floor and is very dry. We keep our 
roots in sand to prevent them from 
drying up. The use of leaves looks to 
me as though it might require much 
less labor, and I would like to try it. 
Mrs. R. E. Giffen. 
Note by the Editor— 
Will be glad to have further information 
on this subject from those who have used 
leaves for the purpose indicated. 
