May, 1918 
55 
Slower (Brower 
. .in in 
WAYSIDE RAMBLINGS 
LIFE HISTORY OF A GLADIOLUS CORM. 
I have read carefully every issue of 
your magazine, The Modern Gladi- 
olus Grower, since its beginning and 
not only have I been profited by so do- 
ing, but I have been much interested 
in certain opinions and discussions re- 
garding the life era of the individ- 
ual Gladiolus bulb. The commercial 
grower and the florists recommend the 
young vigorous bulbs grown from 
cormels, but while they are most sure 
to give satisfaction it is no proof that 
older bulbs will not do as well if given 
proper care. I never see an old wrinkled, 
exhausted bulb without beholding in it 
a tragedy. It ought not to be so for 
given proper surroundings with avail- 
able food each bulb has the inherent 
power of revivifying itself in a new 
bulb annually. 
While planting this morning some 
bulbs of the variety Contrast, I was im- 
pressed with the size and vigor of them 
and I thought of the years they had 
bloomed for me. Going to my plant- 
ing guide I found I had received the 
bulbs in the spring of 1906, twenty-five 
of them. Everyone acquainted with 
this lovely variety knows they are 
scant producers of cormels. What in- 
crease there was in that line I either 
traded or gave away, never trying to 
increase my original stock of 25 bulbs. 
I am positive that scarce a single bulb 
has grown old and died, very rarely 
one would split into two bulbs much 
smaller than the parent but large 
enough to bloom the next year. By 
that means my stock was increased 
slightly. I gave a few bulbs away and 
upon actual count today I still have 23 
fine large bulbs. The following spring, 
1907, I bought some bulbs of the va- 
riety Capt. Falconer, the color of which 
I much admire. Every year they have 
bloomed for me but today I still have 
the same number of bulbs, never hav- 
ing a division nor a corinel. I mention 
these two varieties especially because 
of all the varieties appearing before 
the advent of Gladiolus America I liked 
these two the best and starting anew 
with America, Panama and Niagara as 
my favorites, I abandoned all that went 
before except the two above mentioned. 
In the last issue of your magazine 
you call for special tabulated experi- 
ence in the matter of whether bulbs 
grow old. I will watch with much in- 
terest further opinions of men who 
ought to know. 
I am going to ask a favor of you in 
behalf of the Iris lovers and it is that 
you publish sometime from the pen of 
some one with experience, the proper 
care of Rhizomatous Iris — subdivision 
Oncocyclus variety — Susiana or Mourn- 
ing Cloak. They are usually grown in 
frames but we are often told to treat 
as tulips. They are so beautiful that 
if they can be handled as tulips the 
Iris lovers ought to know it. Who can 
tell us? 
John H. Neeley. 
SHRINKAGE OF GLADIOLUS CORMS 
IN STORAGE. 
In order to know something about 
the shrinkage in measure and weight 
of Gladiolus corms, I measured and 
weighed a corm of Golden Measure at 
three different times: Oct. 30, 1917, 
Dec. 14, 1917, and April 8, 1918. The 
circumference and weight were as fol- 
lows: 
Circumference Weight 
Oct. 30, 1917 llj inches 6i ounces 
Dec. 14, 1917 llg inches 5i ounces 
Apr. 8, 1918 11 inches 5 ounces 
The corm was kept in a dry cellar at 
a temperature generally ranging from 
50 to 60 degrees. In a cellar not so dry 
and warm the result doubtless would 
have been different. It is interesting to 
note that while the shrinkage in circum- 
ference in the first 45 days was the same 
as during the following 115 days, the 
shrinkage in weight in the first 45 days 
was 50 per cent more than in the fol- 
lowing 115 days. 
C. C. Miller. 
Note by the Editor 
Dr. Miller gives us some exact information 
on a subject which has not to our knowledge 
been covered before. The information 
would be more complete, however, had he 
stated how long after digging the first weights 
and measurements were taken, as no doubt 
the greatest shrinkage takes place during the 
first few weeks after digging. In fact, during 
a warm dry time, shrinkage during curing 
in the field is sometimes quite heavy. Our 
own experience is that early dug corms will 
shrink much more than late dug corms, as- 
suming of course that they were both planted 
about the same time. 
RHODODENDRONS 
They are not supposed to be hardy 
enough to endure our severe winter, 
yet I have had one bloom freely for six 
seasons. The way I protect them is 
thus: I work dry leaves all among the 
branches, and then cover them with 
paper which must be of the best quality. 
It is formed into a cone, and placed 
over the plant. I then give it a good 
covering of straw. When straw is not 
obtainable they can be covered with 
June grass sod. The entire plant 
should be covered with the sods. This 
may seem like quite a task, but a good 
sized plant can be covered in a short 
time. 
The leaves are essential for if they 
freeze at the roots it seems to injure 
them. 
Willis E. Fryer. 
A POTATO PLANTING EXPERIMENT. 
For the benefit of those cultivating a 
war garden this year, will relate an ex- 
periment in potato culture: 
For quick returns we naturally select 
an early variety which at this time, 
if having been stored in moderately 
warm and light cellar will have healthy 
sprouts. If they have not already 
sprouted place them where they will 
have light and warmth and they will 
soon sprout. We then proceed to cut 
the potatoes into pieces so each piece 
will contain one or more eyes or sprouts. 
One potato will very often make sev- 
eral pieces. 
The first row was planted with pota- 
toes on which thick heavy sprouts had 
been left when cutting. Each piece of 
potato was placed in the row carefully 
with sprout up. Next row, potatoes 
had been sprouted and each piece was 
placed with eye up. Next row was 
dropped just as they might from a 
planter. All were covered carefully. 
Potatoes planted were all same variety; 
planted April 15. The result was, when 
first row was blooming, second row 
was about six inches high and third 
row was just coming through the 
ground. 
June 20, first row was ready for mar- 
ket and on display at meeting of Stark 
County Horticultural Society. 
It really pays to be just as careful in 
planting potatoes as well as other 
vegetables for best results. 
Mrs. J. L. Powell, (Ohio.) 
SEEDLING EXPERIENCE IN CALIFORNIA, 
1 YEAR FROM CROSSING TO FLOWERING. 
July, 1916, flowers crossed ; August 
1916, seeds gathered ; Sept. 1916, seeds 
planted ; Jan., 1917, little cormels dug; 
Feb. 1917, replanted in new bed ; July 
1917, part of them bloomed. 
c. M. s. 
Surely only a tropical climate makes 
it possible to have Gladiolus bloom one 
year from the planting of seed. This 
is a very unusual experience, but it 
shows the possibilities. — Editor. 
NEW SOIL FOR GLADIOLI EACH YEAR. 
I make it a point to change my 
Gladiolus field each year. The chief 
reason is to avoid getting stock mixed 
by “volunteers” or the germination of 
corms or cormels left in the ground in 
digging. Another reason is to avoid 
the increasing of disease which may be 
in the ground. 
W. D. Pitcher. 
Brooder House for 
Curing Gladiolus Corms. 
Our correspondent, who suggested 
the using of his brooder house for this 
purpose, reports the best of success, and 
that when cleaning them he found less 
loss from dry rot than he had before, 
when the corms were cured in the 
open air. 
It is, of course, difficult in the north 
to secure enough dry weather and sun- 
shine to properly cure Gladiolus corms 
at digging time, especially towards the 
end of the digging period in late Oc- 
tober or early November. Our corre- 
spondent reports that with his brooder 
house stove going, and a circulation of 
air through the cloth covered windows, 
that the bulbs in from four to six days 
were dried about right, and ready for 
storage. He reports the brightest look- 
ing lot of bulbs that he has ever had. 
