350 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
or large pot, it will bloom in the house in January and 
February. It must, however, be observed that it should 
have but very little water while in a dormant state, as it 
otherwise may be apt to rot; but whenever sprouting, 
water must be applied liberally. It is propagated like 
DahUas— by taking young sprouts off in the spring, and 
planting them in sandy soil. 
Gladiolus . — The name is derived from the Latin word 
Gladium, a sword, in allusion to the shape of the leaves. 
But three species of this large tribe are indigenous to 
Europe, all the others are native.s of the Cape of Good 
Hope. It is now exactly a hundred years since the first 
kinds, as : Gs. cunonia, Iritis, recurous and involvivs, were 
introduced into the European gardens, from Africa. By 
hybridizing and proper cultivation the varieties have in- 
creased, not only in number, but in brilliancy and beauty. 
They are so easily raised, and so perfectly adapted to our 
Southern gardens, where they are perfectly proof against 
our scorching sun, that they only need to be known to be 
fully appreciated. 
I will here enumerate some of the best : 
Gladiolus Byzatitmus, is one of the earliest blooming 
sorts, of a deep crimson color, blooming in May ; from one 
■to two feet high. 
Gladiolus cardinalis, brilliant scarlet, spotted with 
white; blooms in May. One to two feet high. 
Gladiolus jioribundus has light pink-colored flowers, 
striped with deep purple, and, unlike most othei species, 
which, as a general rule, have all their flowers turning to 
one side, this is distichous, or has its flowers arranged 
in two rows, one opposite the other. Blooms in June. 
Three feet high. 
Gladiolics gandavensis,di most magnificent flower, the 
stem often rising G feet high, and crowded with large 
flowers of a bright scat let and yellow color. Blooms in 
June. 
Gladiolus ramosvs is a beautiful distichous species of a 
lively rose color, the lower petals striped wi:h white. It 
blooms later than the other species, and if the ground is 
rich, and sufficiently supplied with water it will keep on 
blooming until frost. New hybrid varieties of this latter 
species are: 
Anna Paulowna, pure white. 
Belvedere, orange, striped with white. 
Formosis simus, snifroti, striped with white, 
dark carmine, striped with blue. 
Prince Albert, light rose color, striped white. 
Queeu Victoria, scarlet, striped with white. 
^ Many new varieties have just been introduced, and we 
will speak of them at some future time when their value 
lias been fully te.sted by our e.xperience. 
The bulb of the Gladiolus is flat, rather button-shaped. 
It will last in the ground for several years, not requirinji: 
any care but to be kept clfear of weeds. But as a new' 
bulb is formed every year on the top of the old one, tliey 
should at once be planned pretty deep, say six inches be- 
low the sui face, as they otherwise in a few years will 
work themselves out of tlie grnnd. The best pl.an how- 
ever, is, to traiisplinl' them, every autumn, us soon as the 
leaves ate perfectly vvitiitred. 
The Gladwhis, like almost ah baibs, prefer a deep, rich, 
sandy soil. I'.heyare, however, so easily cultivated, that 
-they will be satisfied with almost any good ’soil soil. 
Rt'BURT Nelson. 
.Fridlland Nursery,'' A-vgvsta.^ Ga , 1857. 
SouTKEurc Trees Br.si — m a Prenmin-! Address be- 
fore ti;c State Agricultural Society of Kentucky, Mr. R. 
J. SpuKR, remarked: 
“ I caaiiot forbear, a word of remark in regard to the in- 
tro.ducti.in of fruit tree-s. especially the Apple. It lias of 
late beer, our fa-hion to procure large quantities of youtjg 
apple trees from the Northern nurseries to plant upon our 
farms; we soon perceive that, with all our care of cultiva- 
tion, they have not the luxuriant growth of our Native 
Trees, and after years of careful attention to them we will 
find when they come into bearing that we are disappointed 
in their quality, not from imposition practised upon us by 
the nurserymen, but from the fact that an apple which had 
proved in the North to be a good winter variety whea 
brought to our climate is only a fall fruit. Life is to« 
short to remedy such disappointments.'’ 
A FEW WORD.S ON HORTICULTURE. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— Much of the beauty 
of our ornamental grounds is lost by too thick planting. 
The single specimen,perhaps, of a Deodar, which we dibble 
in with our fingers, the dozens of little Hollies or wild Ol- 
ives, (Cernsws Caroliniensis, the evergreen glory of the 
world,) which we have captured in the swamp and brought 
home in a handkerchief, see.m so lost in the expanse around 
them, that they are invariably either placed in a bed al- 
ready crowded, or surrounded by a greater crowd in a 
new location. Thus the whole place, however watched 
and tended,” soon runs into a wilderness, beautiful pev- 
haps in many aspects, bat altogether objectionable as re- 
gards the chief end of planting. 
Nature has stamped an “ expression ” on the surface of 
the earth, and our practice lias resulted in defeating and 
concealing it. Each human face, has somewhere in its 
lines, its distinctive claim to original beauty ; some expres- 
sion which can attract; but when all its lines aredrawa 
by pain or passion, this natural charm is lost. So with 
our gardens. The gently rolling surface, the curving 
walks, the glossy leaf and gorgeous blossom, may all ex- 
ist, but if they liave been so planted that the whole affair 
has grown into a single clump, it is at last only a garden 
in convulsions — the expression is lost. 
Bad as this effect is on “ ground,” the evil to the plant 
is greater. Our climate demands for all its vegetable chil- 
dren, ample room and verge enough. Deprived of this, 
they lose not only their expression, but their very char- 
acter — a sad loss to anything. 
The thicket in Middle Georgia, is a modern institution. 
Never shone the sun on a lovelier region than it was 
when bequeathed to us, swept and garnished, tilled and 
planted by the simple agences of the Indian hunting fires. 
The thicket has followed civilization. Our Republican 
Pioneers unseated the forest Monarchs and the “ Young 
America ” of saplings sprung up like weeds. 
For beauty or fruit, we must have space. From the 
Corn-stalk to the Black jack the rule holds. Who looks 
lor beauty in a Black-jack 1 W’hy cumbers it tlie ground? 
Cast it into the fire ! and a capital fire it makes. But 
take the Black-jack in its youih, and give it room to de- 
velop ilselr'and no Pear tree in.tlie Jardin des Plantes — no 
'figure i,ii Geometry will surpass it in the accurate outline 
of its c- me 
A ‘-'belt” has its uses and its beauty. Ti can veil a de- 
fect, if not exalt a chartn. Nothitig i.s easier to generate, 
or hatder to locate. 
A chimp is pi;oper, a,nd most lovely in itp place, ^and 
iw.hen vve shall acknowledge that a single plant of aifine 
sMriety, e. tlie Pittosporum, I'airiy treated, Composes a 
■finer clamp than two dozen in the same area, we may 
upproximaie pei’iection in this particular 
“ .Masses.” And who will comp.u'e the mass of a 
single fu!t-b(jsoatcd Luxeniho(,!rg, to the tangled thickets 
of yellow le-ives and strickcii buds, winch go under the 
name | 
Let us not, then, be afraid to show how nature has formed 
