10 ^>l)e Slower (Brower 
[This department of The Flower Grower is intended to be one of its most helpful and 
valuable features. All questions asked in good faith and which are of general interest will 
have careful attention. The full name and address of the writer must be given, but not 
for publication.] — Editor. 
Excessive “Tinting” of Gladioli. 
To the Editor 
Can you tell me through the columns of 
The Flower Grower why so many Gladioli 
came variegated this season, both early and 
late? It seemed no difference in time of 
planting, where several bulbs of a kind were 
planted together, sometimes one or two 
would show variegation : Halley, War, Or- 
ange Glory, Mrs. Francis King, Crackerjack, 
Evelyn Kirtland, Spinx and many others. 
While the variegation was pretty and odd, 
is it a disease ? Last season just two bulbs 
showed stripes. This year so many. Will 
those be normal next season ? The ground 
was covered with stable manure last fall, 
plowed under ; wood ashes sown over this 
spring, fertilized in rows with sheep manure, 
well cultivated. 
Mrs. G. W. Bain. 
Answer :— What you refer to as "va- 
riegation” is what is commonly known 
as "tinting.” This means a coloring, 
streaking or mottling of certain varie- 
ties which are subject to this and ap- 
plies particularly to the light colored 
varieties. As we understand it, it may 
be caused by an excess of potash in the 
soil and from the fact that you have 
used wood ashes it may be that this is 
the cause of the unusual condition in 
your plantings for 1918. I also under- 
stand that extremely warm weather 
with plenty of sunshine is likely to 
cause tinting especially if it follows 
periods of heavy rainfall. 
If any one can throw additional light 
on this subject or if they have opinions 
or ideas we would be glad to hear from 
them. 
Division of Gladiolus 
Corms from Age. 
To the Editor 
In taking up my Gladiolus corms in No- 
vember I was surprised to find that about 
one-third of the plants had each of them 
two corms of ordinary size, but generally 
one corm is smaller than the other. A few 
of them were about equal size. Several had 
three corms and one had six corms, each 
about half an inch in diameter. As I had 
previously found but one corm to a plant I 
am curious to know if the multiplication is 
usual and if not, the probable cause in this 
instance. Can you inform me ? m. a. s. 
Answer:— The division of corms you 
have experienced is not at all uncom- 
mon. It is the natural result with 
most varieties as they become older. 
While division of corms doe snot neces- 
sarily mean old age, as many varieties 
divide in this way naturally, yet as a 
general statement division in this way 
means that the corms are growing 
old. The fact that you state that pre- 
viously you have found but one corm 
to a plant would indicate that you 
must have had stock for some little 
time. Whether divisions are as strong 
for bloom another year or not is still 
an unsettled question, and this has 
been discussed in past issues of The 
Flower Grower and The Modern 
Gladiolus Grower. Further careful 
experiment is needed along this line. 
Cause of Crooked Gladiolus Stems. 
To the Editor:— 
What causes so many spikes of the Gladi- 
olus to grow crooked this year? Quite a 
number of Halley are crooked, and other 
varieties not yet in flower are showing a 
good percentage of crooked spikes. P. G. 
Answer:- Halley is inclined to make 
crooked spikes during most any sea- 
son. This is a weakness of this par- 
ticular variety. The cause of crooked 
stems is commonly excessive heat or 
bright sunshine and especially follow- 
ing a wet time. There are times when 
even some of the most upstanding va- 
rieties will make crooked spikes. On 
the other hand, with uniformly cool 
weather at blooming time the weak 
stemmed varieties like Halley will de- 
velop a reasonably straight stem. 
Utilize the Gladiolus Tops. 
[ IV ritten expressly for T he Flower Grower. ] 
In gardening as well as in farming it 
is a good rule to return to the land as 
much as possible of the crop which we 
take off of it. The piles of Gladiolus 
tops left in the field after the crop of 
bulbs is harvested are generally con- 
sidered of little value. They cannot 
be used as food for cattle, they do not 
decay readily, they are tough, bulky, 
and hard to handle, but they will yield, 
if properly composted, a considerable 
amount of good fertilizer which can be 
returned to the soil. 
I usually let them stay in piles in the 
field for a few weeks till they are moist 
and soft, then gather them into one or 
two big stacks with a layer of sods on 
the top to hold moisture. In the spring 
these piles will be quite soft but too 
stringy to use as fertilizer. If left as 
they are another year they will be well 
rotted but the product will be very 
sour, and it will pay to take a little 
time and labor to get better results by 
composting with lime, either the refuse 
January, 1919 
from tannery vats or the ordinary 
agricultural lime of commerce. For 
this compost I like to get a quantity 
of sods, loam, or muck. Horse manure 
if available would be excellent. Pile 
up the sods and half decayed tops in 
layers with a bushel of lime spread 
over each layer to aid the decomposi- 
tion and keep it sweet. 
During the summer add to this pile 
lawn clippings, weeds, if they have not 
matured seeds, tomato or bean vines, 
potato tops, any vegetable refuse which 
will decay readily, mixing in an occa- 
sional wheelbarrow load of loam or 
muck. 
Last fall I used such a compost to 
mix with an equal amount of hen 
manure and the following spring this 
material was in fine condition and 
made a well balanced fertilizer, as de- 
cayed vegetable matter is rich in pot- 
ash, and hen manure has a surplus of 
nitrogen which is absorbed and held by 
the fine humus of the compost. 
A similar combination with any 
coarse green manure would be excel- 
lent. If the compost is not used in this 
way fork it over once and let it remain 
till spring when it can be spread on 
the field after plowing. 
Sifted coal ashes may be used in the 
compost as an absorbent and filler. 
They have little fertilizing value. 
Wood ashes are rich in potash and 
lime and should not be mixed with any 
fertilizer or manure. Spread them on 
after plowing. There is nothing better 
for a bulb crop. 
The rubbish which is left after clean- 
ing the bulbs should be composted 
separately and used on the garden or 
potato patch. This will avoid all pos- 
sibility of carrying the infection from 
diseased bulbs back to the field. 
Corn stalks are good material for 
the compost heap, but if there is any 
danger of the presence of corn borers 
burn them and save the ashes. Burn 
all brush, rubbish and weeds that have 
gone to seed, and scatter the ashes on 
the field. 
S. E. Spencer. 
In Our Glad Garden of Delight. 
[Continued from page 1.] 
It has been my good fortune to have 
seen rare orchids in the south, exquisite 
in color and indescribable in beauty, 
but they are only for the favored few, 
while the Gladiolus is within the reach 
of all. 
If you wish to start the day right, 
go out in the early morning and walk 
down the rows of Gladiolus blooms. 
Dull care will flit away and you will go 
back to your daily tasks refreshed in 
mind and body. 
We need food for the soul and God 
has given us the Glads for just such 
a feast, and happy the man and woman 
who dine off such fare. Would that 
we could persuade others to do so. 
Gladiolus corms may be shipped in 
pretty cold weather if packed in corru- 
gated paper boxes well lined and double 
wrapped. Comparatively large pack- 
ages are much safer against frost than 
smaller ones 
