October, 1918 
£3b e Slower (Brower 
107 
WAYSIDE 
AGE OF GLADIOLUS CORMS. 
On this subject my experience dating 
back some years may prove interest- 
ing. When I was a boy in short pants 
it was my father’s regular practice 
every Sunday to hitch up the horse and 
make a tour of the greenhouses. I be- 
ing the only one of six children inter- 
ested in flowers made the trip with 
him and incidentally got rid of going 
to Sunday school. 
One Sunday we discovered a yellow 
Gladiolus in bloom, price 75c. It was 
bought immediately and tag with name 
on it placed beside it. On the way 
home father stopped and told my 
brother-in-law about it and he wanted 
to see it, so back we went and then the 
bloom was cut so no one else would 
see it. That fall father got the bulb 
and it was given special care until 
spring. It made good growth, putting 
up a spike about three feet high. It 
was always grown by itself as it was 
considered the King of the garden. 
This yellow Gladiolus never made 
any cormels and never a divided corm 
nor did it set any seed. As the years 
went by the spike seemed to grow 
shorter, but the size of the flowers was 
about the same. When my father died 
my brother wanted the bulb and he is 
still growing it in the angle made by 
the porch adjoining the house and 
where it has the sun all day. It seems 
to be growing stronger each year so 
far as I am able to judge. As I am 54 
years of age you can see that this 
Gladiolus corm is over 40 years old. 
D. E. Nelson. 
TIME FROM PLANTING TO BLOOMING 
of Gladioli. 
Referring to the article by Dr. C. C. 
Miller in the Wayside Rambling De- 
partment for September, it occurs to 
us in this connection that a variety 
which averages to bloom early may be 
considered an early variety and even 
though there might be exceptional 
bloom from some particular variety 
one year, which would come early, it 
would not necessarily put this variety 
in the early blooming class. Anyway, 
it is probable that only the real early 
varieties would bloom early. Pink 
Beauty , we believe, is the acknowledged 
leader so far as earliness of bloom is 
concerned. It is presumed that many 
of our friends will at once say that 
they have a seedling which may beat 
Pink Beauty, but please remember that 
often the first bloom from seedlings 
comes earlier than it will after the 
variety has been grown successive 
years. Once in a while some one re- 
ports a variety blooming along with 
Pink Beauty, but seldom, if ever, does 
any variety beat Pink Beauty. Halley 
with the Editor is not a close second 
to Pink Beauty by any means. It comes 
from ten days to two weeks later and 
there are several other varieties that 
are as early as Halley like Lily Leh- 
R AMBLINGS 
mann, Prince of Wales, Pink Progres- 
sion and Lucretia. Pink Beauty we 
must all admit is not high class as a 
flower, but when there is no other va- 
riety it is certainly worth having and 
it deserves a place in every Gladiolus 
grower’s garden because of its earli- 
ness. 
As suggested by Dr. Miller it would 
be better to take the average time of 
blooming for a given number of corms, 
but this means considerable record 
work and it would seem that the 
earliest bloom to open is a pretty fair 
guide, since Dr. Miller wrote the 
article referred to he writes that he 
finds the average bloom of Pink Beauty 
July 12th which is only four days later 
than its first bloom. 
We have it in mind to some time 
take the average dates which have been 
published in The Flower Grower 
from time to time and list the varie- 
ties from these average dates as to 
their earliness. Additional records are 
desired before doing this. 
Madison Cooper. 
marking tags for gladioli. 
In the September issue of The 
Flower Grower I have read about the 
marking tags and offer my method for 
consideration. The way I do it is this: 
I take strips of paper, write the name 
of the variety I want to mark on it and 
fold it double, with the name inside. 
Then, it is pressed down between a 
leaf and stem and it will surely stay 
there. If a person has a lot of one 
kind to tag out, he can sit down and 
write a number of tags and go down 
the field and have it done in no time. 
John Zeestraten. 
TOOL FOR ROGUING GLADIOLI. 
Take a large file such as the black- 
smiths or horseshoers use, sharpen 
the point and drive the other end into 
a piece of wood, (a corn cob will do) 
and you have a light handy digger for 
Gladioli, plantain, dandelions, etc. 
Country Jake. 
Propagating Lilium Candidum. 
One of our subscribers, who has been 
interested in growing Lilium Candi- 
dum for many years, wants information 
about propagating the “Scales” to 
best advantage. He says he has sev- 
eral bushels of scales of which he 
would be glad to propagate a part and 
send a part of them to those who are 
interested, for enough to cover post- 
age and packing. He is desirous of 
awakening renewed interest in the Lily 
and suggests that it is a fit companion 
to the Gladiolus, of which he is also 
very fond. 
Can anyone throw light on the sub- 
ject of growing Lilium Candidum from 
the scales? 
New York State Fair Flower Show. 
(From Florists’ Exchange . ) 
The floral exhibit at the fair at Syracuse was large 
and called forth much favorable comment. There 
were a large number of entries. 
The table decorations brought out many fine ex- 
hibits. Werner Bultmann won first honors in this 
entry with a very pretty center piece of Gladiolus 
Panama and individual favors of the same variety. 
In the bridal bouquets P. R. Quinlan and W. Bultmann 
each won first in two classes. There were many en 
tries in these classes and some exceptionally pretty 
work was shown by out-of-town florists. A large 
basket of Roses exhibited by P. R. Quinlan carried off 
first prize. 
From Buffalo, Wm. Griever and Edw. Slattery, 
manager for the Palmer store showed attractive dec- 
orative designs which aroused considerable admira- 
tion. 
The exhibit of the F. R. Pierson Co. of Tarrytown, 
N. Y., was up to the firm's usual high standard, con- 
sisting of several long tables of Ferns and Roses. 
John J. Prouty of Baldwinsville, N Y., won first in 
the Gladiolus classes for white, pink, blue, yellow, 
red, and six ruffled varieties; also first for a collec- 
tion of 12 varieties and first for a collection of 20 va- 
rieties. Thus he had a perfect score with eight firsts 
out of eight entries. 
The F. R. Pierson Co. carried off the grand special 
Rose premium for the best collection and display of 
Roses, comprising 500 blooms and consisting of the 
following varieties; American Beauty. Columbia, 
Rosalind. Silvia. Francis Scott Key, Mrs. Charles 
Russell, Double White Killarney, Killarney Bril- 
liant, Sunburst, Ophelia, Mrs. Aaron Ward, Hoositr 
Beauty, Richmond, Radiance, Christine Miller and 
Mme. Cecil Brunner. 
The premium for the best new hybrid tea Rose in- 
troduced in 1917-18, was awarded to Jerry Brookins, 
Orchard Park, N. Y., for September Morn. 
The silver medal awarded by the American Rose 
Society for the best collection and display of Roses 
by an amateur was captured by the Syracuse Rose 
Society whose collection consisted of 57 varieties of 
hybrid perpetual, hybrid tea and tea Roses. 
Jerry Brookins. Orchard Park, N. Y., exhibited 
some very fine hybrid tea Roses, conspicuous among 
his collection were well grown specimens of Mrs. 
Francis Scott Key. 
John J. Prouty’s prize-winningcollection of Gladioli, 
20 varieties, five spikes each, named, comprised the 
following: Niagara, Golden King. Ida Van, Attrac- 
tion, Panama, Mrs. Francis King, Baron Hulot, Hazel 
Harvey, Glory of Holland. White King, Loveliness. 
Annie Wigman, Empress of India, Princeps, Pink Per- 
fection, Glory, Mrs. W. E. Fryer, Mrs. Frank Pendle- 
ton, America and Black Beauty. Mr. Prouty’s col- 
lection of six spikes, ruffled, named, was made up of 
Glory, Purple Glory, Orange Glory, Cinabar, White 
King and Mottled Beauty. His prize winning ex- 
hibits for color were : white, Europa : yellow. Schwa- 
ben ; pink, Pink Perfection ; red, War; blue, Baron 
Hulot. The following made up his exhibit for the 
best 12 varieties : America, Ivory, War, Gretchen 
Zang. Mrs. Frank Pendleton. Peace, Pink Perfection. 
Mottled Beauty, Schwaben, Evelyn Kirtland, Charl- 
emagne and Summer Beauty. 
In the Gladiolus classes, amateur, the silver medal 
offered by the Am. Gladiolus Society for collection of 
Gladioli, was awarded to Madison Cooper, Calcium, 
N. Y. His group consisted of Myrtle, Lily Lehmann. 
Europa. Niagara, Schwaben. Glory of Holland, Eldo- 
rado, Wm. Walt, War, Peace, Liebesfeuer, Summer 
Beauty. Evelyn Kirtland and Intensity. Mr. Cooper 
also took first for his collection of ten named varieties, 
three spikes of each. His collection comprised Madam 
Mounet Sully, War. Peace, Loveliness, Giant White, 
Mrs. Dr. Norton, Mrs Watt, White Glory, Mrs. Frank 
Pendleton and The King. Mr. Cooper's exhibit of 
Primulinus Hybrids in colors was unusually fine. 
In Dahlias, the premium varieties staged by N. 
Harold Cottam & Son, Wappinger Falls, N. Y.. com- 
prised : King of the Autumn, Weber, Rev. T. U . 
Jamieson, Southern Belle, Pierrott. Grace Reed, John 
Reding, Mme. J. Coissard, Bianca. Gracchus, Margaret 
Bouchon, D. M. Moore, Dr. H. H. Rusby. Sneenweitze. 
Snowstorm, America, Breezelawn. Princess Juliana 
and Governor Guild. 
The F. R. Pierson Co.. Tarrytown, N. Y.. staged a 
large and splendid trade exhibit of Nephrolepis 
Ferns, including varieties in which it specializes. 
The group consisted of N. elegantissima. N. elegantis- 
sima compacta, N. mt/scosa. N. Smithii, N. superbis- 
sima. N. viridissima. N. Scholzeli, N. Harrisi, N. 
Teddy, Jr., N. Bostonicnsis compacta. N. Giatrasi, N. 
tuberosa compacta and N. cordata. The exhibit was in 
charge of J. Theo. Trevillian and Alfred Wood. 
The amateur section was fully represented and the 
exhibits showed skill in culture and good judgment 
in selecting material for exhibition purpose. 
Among the striking features of the show was the 
New York State service flag, 62 stars representing 
the number of counties in the State. The size of the 
flag was lift, by 18 ft., and 60,000 blue immortelles, 
and 10,000 white Cape flowers were used in it, 100 sq. 
ft. of Ruscus forming the border. The flag, was de- 
signed and made by the superintendent. Prof. D. 
Lumsden. Ithaca, N. Y. There was also an American 
flag, in which 6000 Asters were used, in the following 
varieties : red. Rosy Red, early branching type ; white, 
white late branching, blue purple late branching. 
The “Heart of France" was a large design in the 
shape of a heart comprised of the new red Astor. 
Heart of France. The last two features mentioned 
were designed and exhibited by James Vick’s Sons. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
D. Lumsden 
