October, 1920 
Slower (Brower 
Queries and Answers Department. 
“ All questions asked in good faith and which are of general interest will have careful attention. I 
The full name and address of the writer must be given, but not for publication.” 
Gladiolus Troubles. 
To the Editor 
Practically all my Glads are looking sick, and show- 
ing white strips along the edges of the blades and in 
some cases the ends of the blades seem to be dead. 
What is best to drive away or destroy Aster beetles 
on the Gladiolus? They eat the buds before opening 
and petals after they are opened. 
If you can help a little to solve the above problems 
with an answer in The Flower Grower, I think a 
lot of amateurs would appreciate it. 
Frank N. Skinner. 
Answer — The yellowing or browning of 
the edges and tips of Gladiolus foliage may 
indicate diseased bulbs or the effect of ex- 
tremely hot weather. This also sometimes 
happens during a hot and humid period of 
weather. It may also result from a surplus 
of water in the ground. There is nothing 
that can be done and usually this trouble is 
not serious enough to need a remedy. Some 
varieties are much more susceptible to this 
trouble than others. 
We doubt if any remedy is necessary or 
would prove effective in destroying beetles 
on Gladiolus buds. The buds form so 
rapidly that any remedy applied would be 
but temporary. Our own experience is that 
the damage is on such a small proportion 
that it is hardly worth while to bother 
about a remedy. 
Short Spikes from 
Gladiolus America. 
To the Editor 
I found many short stems last year among my 
Americas. I attributed it to a spot of barren soil, 
and I allowed the corms from those short stems to 
get mixed with the others and this year have short 
stems all over the field, and more of them, I think, 
than last year, so I presume it is something else. 
The individual flowers are just as large, but the stem 
is rather blunt at the end, and not so many flowers 
are fully developed. Would old corms have a ten- 
dency that wav ? I have a good many old corms. If 
it is not that, what do you think it may be ? 
W. G. Nyce. 
Answer— Think probably that your re- 
sults are as much owing to weather con- 
ditions as anything. We find this season 
many varieties inclined to make “ bunty ” 
spikes on the end of a rather long stem. This 
we attribute to the continuous warm and 
humid weather since about June 15th. Of 
course old corms have a tendency to develop 
poor flower spikes, but we don’t think this 
is your chief trouble this year. 
Growing Calla Lilies. 
To the Editor : — 
I would like to obtain some information concerning 
Callas. I have some large plants which have been 
growing since last fall, having been repotted last 
June. Can 1 take these plants now and give them a 
rich soil and larger pots and expect flowers this 
winter? H. L. C. 
Answer— Much increased interest in the 
growing of Callas is now being shown, which 
is natural with the high prices of the true 
Lilies. The matter is discussed fully and 
lucidly by William Scott in his excellent 
book, “ The Florists’ Manual,” as follows : 
“ Remember one important thing, and that 
is that the Calla comes from northern Africa, 
and does not want to be starved in a cool 
greenhouse. There are several ways of 
growing them. To begin with they propa- 
gate easily from offsets, which you can take 
off when repotting the plants in the fall. 
Some plant them out, but if they have much 
root room they grow too rampant and the 
flowers are too large to be useful. 
“ In early May our houses are too crowded 
to keep the Callas on the bench, and they 
are taken outside and laid down where they 
can be covered in case of a sharp frost. The 
top withers away and for a few months the 
root is dry. In August we shake off all the 
soil and start them growing again in 5-inch or 
6-inch pots, keeping them in a frame as long 
as there is no danger of frost, and in winter 
give them a light house where it is not less 
than 60° at night. Although almost an 
aquatic, the soil should be in such condition 
that the water passes through it freely. For 
soil use three-fourths of coarse loam and 
one-fourth of decomposed cow manure. 
They want lots of syringing and fumigating, 
for thrips and red spider trouble the leaves. 
“ If you want to raise some specimens that 
will require a 9-inch or 10 inch pot and bear 
three or four flowers at one time, select 
some of your strongest plants in May and 
plant them out two or three feet apart in a 
deep, rich soil, where you can water them 
copiously in dry times. They lift easily at 
the end of September and will make great 
plants. 
“The small offsets or bulblets that come 
off the corm in August can be potted in 
2-inch pots and in May shifted into 5-inch 
and plunged in a frame. They want a co- 
pious supply of water during summer. It is 
remarkable the strong flowering plants you 
get from these little bulblets in a few months. 
As previously said, the Calla, when planted 
out and given liberal space for root growth, 
is inclined to grow very strong and give few 
flowers in the dark days. In the bright days 
of spring you will get lots of flowers from 
these beds, but the flowers are often un- 
wieldy in size. Growing a good strong corm 
in a 6-inch or 7-inch pot during winter in a 
bright, warm house will be found as prac- 
tical and profitable as any method. 
“ The Calla tubers will bear resting or 
allowing the soil in pots or beds to become 
perfectly dry. Those grown in pots are 
usually placed outside in June on their sides 
so that the soil may become dry. The top 
withers and they are kept in this state till 
early September, when they should be 
shaken out, given new soil and started 
growing, and will soon flower. For this 
seemingly unnatural rest they are not in the 
least any the worse in health or vigor. — 
Horticulture, ( Boston. ) 
Time to Dig Gladioli. 
To the Editor : 
Quite a number of my early planted Glads have 
bloomed and turned brown down to the ground. 
Can they be dug now safely so as to lessen the work 
later on? 
A. H. B. 
Answer: — Nineteen hundred and twenty 
was an exceptional season with Gladioli and 
for that matter other crops as well. Follow- 
ing a rather cold and dry spring season, 
(it was not dry all over the country but in 
many places) the weather turned to almost 
tropical conditions. While the temperature 
was not excessively high during the day it 
kept up at night which resulted in the 
growth of vegetation which was not conduct- 
ive to strength and vitality. This caused 
forced growth and premature ripening of 
some varieties of Gladioli. 
You can safely dig any varieties that have 
ripened their foliage pretty well to the 
ground and be sure that little or no growth 
is likely to be lost. Possibly some develop- 
ment of bulblets or cormels will be lost, 
167 
but little or no growth of the corm can take 
place after the foliage has ripened. 
Moving Gentians. 
To the Editor 
Can you tell me how to transplant Gentians, and 
time for doing so ? U. B. 
Answer — We could have answered this 
question better if the inquiry had been put 
in a more definite form. If, however, it re- 
fers to the common Gentianella (G. acaulis) 
rather than to the race as a whole, the an- 
swer is, that of all the months of the year we 
have found late September and October 
much the best for the purpose. About that 
period new stoloniferous growth is being 
made freely, and, with soil warmth still ex- 
isting, with fair supplies of moisture, the 
plants may be pulled to pieces and trans- 
planted with impunity. The operation is 
often taken in hand at other times onward 
from those stated till the end of February, 
or even later. It will depend upon the 
locality, soil conditions, and the measure of 
attention given subsequently as to what suc- 
cess may be achieved. Following planting, 
cool conditions, with frequent showers or no 
lack of soil moisture, are necessary if the 
divisions are to get away quickly and make 
a good start, hence the drying conditions of 
spring and onwards are about the worst we 
know of for the work. Doubtless many 
thousands of plants are lost annually because 
purchased in our markets when in flower, 
planted indifferently, and neglected after- 
wards. There is no greater mistake. In 
the early autumn the risks from heat and 
drought are not experienced. If the plants 
referred to are big, sward-like masses, wash 
away a goodly portion of the soil from the 
roots, when the tufts can be separated more 
readily. Three or six well developed shoots 
are sufficient for a planting piece, and this 
number, with the heads gathered together 
compactly on the same level, and held tightly 
in the left hand, should be inserted well up 
to the leaves in the soil, and made quite 
firm. In planting, these are things that really 
matter. As to soils, the plant succeeds in 
many diverse kinds, though least happy and 
frequently all but flowerless in heavy, reten- 
tive clay soils. The species revels in loam 
and leaf soil, is often extremely happy and 
flowers well in those of a calcareous nature, 
and not less so in the cool loams over the 
red sandstone. To very light soils an ad- 
dition of lime may be made with advantage. 
— Gardening Illustrated (English.) 
Late Fall Planting. 
While it is admitted that Peonies 
ought to be planted in September and 
Irises in July or August, yet we know 
of some of the best growers who plant 
as late as the ground can be worked in 
the Fall, both of these flower stocks. 
We have had surprisingly good results 
by planting Peonies as late as December 
1st, but it is advisable to cover these 
late planted divisions. We used for 
this purpose heavy charcoal bags, but 
ordinary bransacks would answer. 
They may be weighted at the corners 
and should not be put on until real 
freezing weather comes and they should 
be removed as soon as the frost is out 
of the ground in Spring. 
Don’t forget to say a good word for 
The Flower Grower in that new 
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