May, 1918 
Obe Slower (Brower 
53 
“ Gladiolus Studies II. 
Culture and Hybridization of the Gladiolus.” 
By Alfred C. Hottes. 
= | IV ritrn expreitli for The Flower Grower. ] 
ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO the mem- 
bers of the American Gladiolus 
Society and some other experts 
and growers received question blanks 
from Mr. Hottes, then in charge of the 
Gladiolus trial grounds at Ithaca, cov- 
ering a wide range of topics relating 
to the culture of Gladioli. The infor- 
mation thus obtained and his experi- 
ence of four years in the trial grounds 
forms the basis for this pamphlet of 
270 pages. 
The opening chapter discusses the 
Gladiolus as a cut flower and we note 
an interesting sentence in a quotation 
from an article by Mr. H. H. Groff : 
“ One of the reasons for the popularity 
of the Gladiolus as a decorative flower 
is the fact that it has no perfume.” 
Well deserved praise is given Mrs. 
B. H. Tracy for her original and artistic 
methods of arranging cut spikes for 
exhibition, and several planting sug- 
gestions are given for combinations 
with other flowers such as Hyacinthus 
Candicans, Iris, Phlox and Roses. In 
discussing the choice of soil the ques- 
tionaire shows an almost unanimous 
preference for light or sandy loam, 
bulbs to be covered four to six inches 
deep. 
In regard to fertilizers there is the 
widest diversity of opinion and prac- 
tice. Potato phosphate, sheep manure, 
bone meal, wood ashes and well rotted 
stable manure are all good, and the 
editor remarks that “the condition and 
cultivation of the soil are quite as im- 
portant as the chemical analysis.” 
One peculiarity of Gladiolus blooms 
is the variation in the arrangement of 
the segments. This is called “ aestiva- 
tion” and is due to hybrid origin. The 
first arrangement brings the upper- 
most segment or petal inside and on 
the same spike we often find the order 
reversed bringing the lowermost petal 
inside. When the flower has a blotch 
(as Mrs. Frank Pendleton ) this causes a 
marked difference in the appearance of 
the flowers as the first arrangement 
gives us two blotched petals, the second 
only one. 
In addition to a full range of colors 
in Gladioli, red, white, yellow, purple, 
blue and all intermediate shades, they 
show a remarkable variety of mark- 
ings and color combinations. 
The markings are described as dots, 
stippling, (very fine dots) splashes, 
(long irregular patches of color) feath- 
ering, (fine marking originating at the 
outer edges of segments) mottling, 
(irregular spots) blotches, (regular 
large areas of color found on the lower 
segments) penciling, (fine lines in the 
throat) suffusion, (colors laid on as 
though painted over another color) 
* Cornell Extension Bulletin No. 10. Published by 
the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell 
University, Ithaca, N.Y. 
A Review by S. E. Spencer. 
marbling, (intermixed or clouded ef- 
fects) blends, (gradual transition of 
one tone to another) and flecking, 
(small dashes). 
A majority of the two hundred or 
more who responded to the question 
relating to the ideal flower are in favor 
of medium large wide open blooms of 
clear distinct colors, light shades for 
the flower market and more reds and 
darker tones for outdoor effects. Many 
approve curved stems, side branches 
and double flowers. 
Probably the most interesting part of 
the book for experts and growers is 
the chapter on “ Hybrids and Hybridiz- 
ation.” “A hybrid is the offspring of 
a cross between individuals of a dis- 
tinctly different nature,” and “The 
first record of the crossing of plants 
was in 1719 when Thomas Fairchild, 
an English gardener, crossed a Carna- 
tion with a Sweet William.” 
It is at once apparent that the mod- 
ern Gladiolus is a “ multiple hybrid ” 
having been developed by the crossing 
of many wild species, and the resulting 
varieties crossed and recrossed till 
there is scarcely a trace of the original 
stock, consequently the Mendelian law 
of heredity does not apply except in a 
general way. 
A chapter on “Crossing Technique” 
brings out many interesting sugges- 
tions. We note that in the grounds of 
the Bureau of Plant Industry at Wash- 
ington the workers carry the pollen in 
a small tube attached to the left thumb 
by a rubber band. Breeders use small 
brushes, sticks, penknives and forceps 
for gathering and applying pollen, at 
any convenient time of day as soon as 
the pistil of the receptive flower is fully 
developed. The editor insists that 
careful emasculation and tagging of 
the parent flower and a record of the 
work are essential to accuracy, and the 
blooms should be covered to protect 
them from pollen carried by bees or 
the wind. 
Opinions differ as to the desirability 
of the further use of wild species. 
Groff says, “ The only value that any 
wild species can have to a breeder for 
practical results is as a foundation for 
laboratory stock, to be discarded yearly 
with their early hybrids as he advances 
step by step toward his ideal.” The 
editor and others favor the use of wild 
stock for the purpose of obtaining new 
types and colorings. When we con- 
sider that only about a dozen have 
been used for crossing and then think 
of the remarkable results that have 
been produced by the use of one wild 
species, the Primulinus, we must ad- 
mit there is still a good chance for 
many surprises. 
Every grower has a method of his 
own for raising seedlings. Mr. Doug- 
las starts the seed in a hot bed, Mr. 
Fuld in a greenhouse in December, dry- 
ing out the little corms ready to plant in 
the field in May thus saving a year. 
Thomann sows seed in flats early in 
March and moves them out of doors 
when weather permits. Mr. Wilmore 
plants in trenches ten inches deep. 
Mr. Betscher removes an inch of soil 
from a bed, sows the seed thickly over 
the entire surface and covers with soil, 
using burlap mats or carpets to cover 
the surface and keep the beds moist. 
“ Never let the seedling bed get dry.” 
The product of a seed is a corm, it 
has the same soft husk or tunic as the 
larger ones. Botanically speaking, a 
bulb is made up principally of thick- 
ened scales, as the garden lily bulb, 
and bulblets grow on the stem above 
ground. The thickened part of a 
Gladiolus stem is, strictly speaking, a 
corm and the small hard shelled offsets 
are cormels, but the general public is 
not proficient in botany and the more 
general terms “bulbs” and “bulblets” 
are in common use. 
The propagation of named varieties 
would be very slow if it were not for 
the small cormels so freely produced 
by both large and small corms, con- 
sequently the success of commercial 
growers depends largely on the ability 
to get results from this part of the 
stock. In field culture not over twenty 
to forty per cent of the cormels grow. 
Peeling the hard shell is recommended 
as insuring a vigorous and certain 
growth, and is practical for small num- 
bers of choice cormels but they should 
be planted at once or stored in sand to 
prevent mold. Larger quantities may 
be soaked for a day in warm water to 
soften the hard shell. They should be 
planted early while the ground is cool 
and moist and harvested before the 
tops turn brown. 
Corms of all sizes should be stored 
in shallow trays in a temperature be- 
tween 40 and 50 , not too damp or too 
dry, any place suitable for keeping 
potatoes will be all right for Gladioli. 
If the air is too dry cover them with 
sand or fine dry loam. 
The chapter on “ Indoor Culture ” 
gives suggestions for growing under 
glass both early and late varieties. 
Colvillei and Nanus stock may be 
potted not later than Dec. 1 and trans- 
ferred to the benches or planted in the 
benches between the rows of some 
early flowering crop as Carnations. 
Of the late or garden varieties the 
light colored sorts are preferred. In 
all cases they must have a period of 
rest before being started in growth 
again. 
Mr. Cowee says : “ In solid beds I 
have produced excellent spikes in 90 
days with the earliest varieties but 
among Carnations it usually takes from 
[Concluded on page 57.] 
