December II, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
COO 
•of Wheat, Clover, and Potatoes. Let all who have old orchards 
make the best of them by all means, bat also let all who can do so 
plant young trees. 
TIIE GLADIOLUS—HYBRIDS OF GANDAYENSIS. 
Those who grow thi3 most beautiful autumnal flower have 
carefully harvested the corms, and are eagerly scanning the cata¬ 
logues of the raisers as to what new varieties may be added to 
their list ; those who have not grown them have taken notes 
•of some that they have seen on the exhibition table in order 
that they may commence their cultivation. It may therefore be 
an appropriate time to say something about them, and the more 
especially because some statements have been made which I think 
are not borne out by facts. It is sometimes said that when persons 
grow large quantities of any flower they must know more about 
them than those who grow only a few. Ido not believe this to be 
the case. I am quite sure that many amateurs know more 
about the peculiarities of the different varieties than those who 
grow ten times the number, because amateurs watch each plant, 
and thus it may be that the grower of a few hundred Gladioli may 
know more about them than does the grower of thousands. 
Gladiolus gandavensis is itself a hybrid supposed by some to be 
a cross between G. psittacinus and cardinalis. and by Dean Herbert 
to be a cross between psittacinus and oppositiflorus. I think the 
latter to be more correct, as it would account for the white flowers we 
get; but this is net conclusive, as we know what strange vagaries in 
colour we witness in many flowers. We have, for instance, in the 
Shirley Poppies colours of which we can find no trace in the wild 
Poppy from whence they originated. Whatever the parentage of 
this variety may be it has, under the hands of one or two culti¬ 
vators, attained to great beauty, and no one can see a good stand of 
these set up but must be struck with their great beauty and variety 
of colour. Mr. Baker, who is a most accurate observer and writer, 
says that G. gandavensis was raised by Dean Herbert and sent to 
Yan Houtte, who could not flower it; that it was sent by him to the 
<Oape, wffiere it flowered ; and thence was sent home to Ghent and 
sent out by Yan Houtce as gandavensis ; but surely in this case 
Dean Herbert would hardly have written hesitatingly of its 
parentage, nor do I see why there should have been any difficulty in 
flowering so hardy and free-flowering a bulb. The cultivation and 
improvement of the plant was taken up very energetically about 
forty-five years ago by M. Souchet, who wa.s jardinier en clief at the 
Palace of Fontainbleau. He retired from his office, and then, 
notwithstanding his miserable health, devoted himself entirely to 
their culture. I can look back with remembrances of special 
pleasure to my intercourse with the dear old man. At his death 
the culture was carried on by his nephew and successor, M. 
Souillard, associated with M. Brunelet. A few years later the 
late Mr. John Standish of Bagshot entered very enthusiastically, 
as he always did into everything he undertook, into their hybridi¬ 
sation ; and long before Mr. Ivelway came to the front his flowers 
•obtained a certain reputation. Of course Mrs. Standish, Samuel 
Weymouth, and other flowers which at that time were thought 
most of would now, like the French ones of the same date, be con¬ 
sidered utterly useless. The strides which have been made in this 
flower are very wonderful. In such varieties as Mont Blanc and 
Enchanteresse we have flowers three times the size of some of 
the older varieties, while in form, length of spike, and closeness of 
flowers there is nothing much to be desired that we have not 
obtained. It has been stated lately that the French do not admire 
such close spikes as we do, and that consequently the French spikes 
are less compact than the English. This is an utter mistake. Of 
course all are not equally well set ; but take such flowers as Grande 
Rouge, Cameleon, Cervantes, Ovide, and indeed most of those 
which we exhibit are set so perfectly close as to overlap one 
another, while in length of spike they even exceed any English 
raised seedlings I have seen (except Mr. Burrell’s), eighteen expanded 
blooms having been exhibited of some varieties. Mr. Burrell 
showed a spike of his seedling Snowdon, a grand white flower, at 
Sandy with twenty expanded blooms on it. 
Coincident with this improvement in the flower itself has 
'been that in its cultivation. Mr. Standish used to argue that 
it was best to make the soil as poor as possible, and when too rich 
even to burn it ; but this is now an exploded notion, and the expe¬ 
rience of most growers is that a good strong loamy soil is that 
which suits them best. This is the soil which Mr. Lindsell has, 
and which made me say to him when I urged him to grow them, 
I know if you do you must beat me ; your soil is so good.” I 
believe the same of my friend Mr. Fowler of Claremont, near 
Taunton, and the sample I saw of his flowers the first year of cul¬ 
tivation at Taunton makes me think I, at any rate, shall have to 
take a back seat; in fact, a soil which will grow Strawberries and 
Roses well will grow the Gladiolus. 
The time for planting them is about the beginning of March, 
but at any time during that month or April when the weather is 
favourable will do. I do not think that it makes much difference 
as to the time of fl nvering, wffiether it is a month earlier or later. 
There are some early forms, such as Shakespeare, which will bloom 
at the end of July, no matter whether you plant in March or April : 
while there are others, such as Matador, which will not bloom till 
the end of September, no matter how early they may be planted. 
The best plan is to trench the ground in the autumn where they are 
to be planted, leaving it up in lumps to let the frost penetrate it 
and sweeten it, all manure being dug in at this time. When the 
ground is ready for planting beds should be made 4 feet wide, to 
contain four rows of corms, which should be planted in rows 
12 inches apart, and about half that distance apart in the rows. 
About 4 inches is a good depth for them,.and here let me allude to a 
practice which is now generally practised, but which I heard con¬ 
demned by an eminent authority—viz., that of cutting the corms 
in two before planting. If the outer skin be taken off when the 
corm is dug up there will be seen two if not more eyes, two at any 
rate. Now if the corm be divided so that each part has one of 
these eyes in it, you will have two plants instead of one. If the 
corm is left entire it is possible there may be two spikes, but very 
often if one is a little in advance of the other it will absorb the 
entire strength of the corm, so that the second shoot does not push 
at all. It was stated lately that this was wrong, and that it was 
not possible to obtain good blooms on corms if so treated. With 
regard to the former I can only say that all the spikes exhibited by 
Mr. Lindsell and myself were from cut corms. Nav, more than 
that, I am prepared to say that I and my friend are prepared to 
challenge any one amateur or professional to show eighteen blooms 
from cut corms against those from uncut ones, and that as to the 
corms produced I showed one at the meeting of the Horticultural 
Club, taken at random from some I had already lifted, which was 
between 9 and 10 inches in circumference, large enough for any¬ 
thing. 
In planting I place some coarse road grit and charcoal about the 
corm. I do not like sand for pads, as it is called in East Kent, and 
I think it expresses very well the effect of sand—it gets close and 
soddened ; and I do not believe, either for these or Lilies, that it is 
desirable to use it in this way. Of course, mixed with the soil it is 
useful, but not immediately about the corm. After they are 
planted very little care is necessary for some time, save keeping 
the beds clear of weeds. I believe that the Gladiolus likes a wet 
and moist summer better than a dry one, provided a dry autumn 
follows ; the autumns at Fontainbleau are drier than ours, and the 
dryness of the autumns in Cambridgeshire gives Mr. Burrell a great 
advantage. When the plants are about a foot high and begin to 
show the spike each plant ought to be staked, and it is very 
necessary, as the spikes are apt to come crooked if it is not attended 
to in time. This is a troublesome affair where a large quantity is 
grown, and yet it cannot be dispensed with ; it is possible, too, that 
the stake may have to be shifted afterwards, for it must be at the 
back of the flower, otherwise the blooms will be separated 
instead of being kept close together, and will also be rubbed : the 
stakes are to be about 5 feet in length, so as to let the whole spike 
be tied. When the spikes begin to develop is the time when 
artificial manure is to be applied if used at all. I have never done 
so, but others have used it with, they tell me, good results. My 
friend Mr. Lindsell employs muriate of potash. Mr. Kelway has 
a special preparation which he sells for the purpose. At this time, 
too, mulching must be done, if done at all; the action of fresh 
manure when it comes into contact with the corms is, we know, 
injurious, but I am not aware that when applied in mulching, 
allowing the fertilising salts to be washed down, it will do any harm. 
Its utility or otherwise would, I fancy, depend very much on the 
season. Should it be a wet season I very much question its utility, 
but if a dry one it will prevent evaporation, and secure a certain 
amount of moisture about the plants which I believe they like. On 
the whole, as far as my personal feeling and experience are con¬ 
cerned, I prefer to do without mulching.—D., Deal. 
(To be con ieu£d.) 
IRON. 
Its Use in Connection with Fruit Culture and Diseases. 
(Continued from page 493.') 
Soil fertility rests principally on admixtures. Sand to keep it 
warm, and open it to air and moisture : clay to keep it moist, hold¬ 
ing, and conserving ; lime doubly benefiting as a food directly, and a 
liberator of other food ; humus, to afford aliment and maintain a 
supply of carbonic acid. Alluvial soils are generally fertile through 
an admixture of minerals derived from various rocks. All silts 
