March 14, IS 9. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
223 
generally known and more widely grown than any others. I take turves 
that have been laid up a year, and to two-thirds of this add one-third 
of manure a year old. 1 have used horse and cow manure, both 
separately and together, and have obtained the strongest growths from 
the co.v manure alone. A depth of about 2 feet of this compost is suffi¬ 
cient. From the middle to the end of March I plant the corms, cover¬ 
ing the whole with a frame for protection from spring frosts. The 
great desideratum in treating these, and other late flowering plants, 
is to get them into bloom as early as possible, and in this way extend 
the flowering period. The flowering period can only be extended at 
one end, and that is towards earliness. The lateness is entirely con¬ 
trolled by the time at which the early autumn frosts visit us. 
I find several advantages resulting from this system of frame 
cultivation. One advantage I find is that the sides of the frame break 
to a great extent the force of the high winds we have in tha late 
summer. Having a restricted area at my disposal I had to find out how 
near I might plant the corms to each other. The first year I put them 
9 inches apart, the same as I would do in the open ground, but I found 
I could with advantage lessen the distance, and I now give them only 
4 to 6 inches from corm to corm. This would be much too little did 
they all flower at the same time, but I find from experience it is quite 
sufficient, and all the spikes which are in flower at one time have ample 
room to grow and display their beauty. I am not favourable to planting 
the corms 6 inches deep, as recommended by some. About 3 inches I find 
ample, and this brings the plant more under the direct influence of the 
sun heat in the early part of the year. This is a factor in the growth of 
the Gladiolus which cannot be over-estimated. 
When the plants have grown somewhat they require considerable 
moisture, and if the summer be dry water should be given copiously. 
The plants should also be mulched, which will lessen the labour of 
watering. When the flower spikes develope it will be necessary to stake 
them, and care should be taken in not tying them too tightly, so as to 
prevent the expansion of the stem, nor too loosely, so as to allow any 
margin for the flower spike to be frayed against the support. Then as 
soon as the flower spikes show colour a light frame should be put up 
and covered with shading. I find slating laths suitable for the frame¬ 
work, and any common light shading will do. The latter should not be 
heavy, or the colour of the flowers will be impaired, and it should be so 
arranged as to allow a free circulation of air among the flowers, also so 
that the rain will run o2 it and not through it. Drops of rain on the 
petals spoil the flowers, particularly those of a light colour. An old 
Celery trench, with some more manure added, makes a capital bed. I 
have had some splendid spikes from a bed made up in this way. The 
corms should be started in small pot, or squares of turf in the green¬ 
house, and planted out the first week in June. Earlier than this is 
risky. One year I planted mine out in t is way the last week in May, 
and a frosty night starved them so that they were no earlier in flower 
than those p’anted straight into the open ground without being first 
started. 
I would advise amateur growers to purchase their main stock of 
seedlings along with a limited number of named varieties. There are 
two especial reasons why I recommend the seedlings. One is an 
economical one. On an average, a hundred first-rate seedlings can be 
had for the price of twenty named varieties, and there is an element of 
uncertainty which excites the curiosity and makes one anxious to see 
what each seedling may turn out to be. It is watching the growth and 
actual development of the p'ant that has its charm for me. Another 
reason why I recommend seedlings is on account of their strong con¬ 
stitution and robust habit. My theory is that the named kinds, like 
animals, deteriorate, their constitutions become weaker, and they require 
an infusion of fresh blood to re-invigorate them. This is precisely what 
you have with the seedling Gladiolus. You get it with all its vigour of 
youth, fresh from the hand of the hybridiser, and I venture to say that 
the ordinary amateur will derive more satisfaction out of a given ex¬ 
penditure in seedling corms of Gladioli than he will from named 
varieties. It is, however, advisable to have a certain number of the 
latter, and in choosing them for growth in the north of England, quite 
as much care ought to be given in selecting early blooming varieties 
as is shown in choosing varieties of colour. 1 think it may be taken for 
granted that the further away from scarlet you get in the colour of the 
Gladiolus, the less robust is its constitution. I am led to make this 
statement from the observation of a small collection for a number of 
years past, where several times, the colours other than scarlet have com¬ 
pletely died out, and have had to be several times renewed, but the 
scarlet ones retained their original vigour. These were treated in the 
ordinary way, and not started previous to being planted out. 
By the treatment I have adopted, not only have I stopped the 
deterioration of the corm, but have actually increased and improved 
it. When I harvested my crop in 1887 the corms were considerably 
larger than when planted, and had increased in number about 50 per 
cent. I have some samples where in two years the increase has been 
fourfold, and in some cases I have had a sixfold increase. This leads 
me on now to the method of increasing the plants by splitting the 
corm in halves. It will be observed that upon raising the dry skin on 
the crown of the corm there are two eyes opposite to each other, on 
each side of the base of the cld flowerstalk. This is not invariably, but 
generally the case. Sometimes there is only one eye, sometimes three 
or more, but two is the general number, and if the corm be of a 
reasonable size, it may be cut in halves vertically, allowing half of the 
corm to each eye. If more than two eyes appear, leave the two strongest 
and cut the others out. This cutting of the corm must not be done 
until within a few hours of the time of planting. The result will be 
that each half corm will produce a flowering spike, at the base of which 
a new corm will grow. In this way, if they be reasonably well grown, 
the plants will be increased twofold each year. From a cut corm of the 
variety named Teresita I had two large spikes, one bearing twenty-four 
bells and the other twenty-two, in addition to which they threw out 
three lateral spikes from the main ones, bearing sixteen, fourteen, and ten 
bells respectively, or a total number of bells from one corm of eighty-six. 
From a cut corm of Daubenton I had two large spikes bearing twenty- 
two and twenty bells respectively, with three laterals bearing twelve, 
twelve, and six bells respectively, making a total of seventy-two bells. 
On some of the seedlings the bells were 5 inches in diameter as they 
grew on the spike. The largest spike I cut was a fine sa’mon seedling 
measuring 5 feet 6 inches from the ground, the flowering part of the 
spike being 2 feet 6 inches. This remarkable spike had some individual 
flowers with ten petals, giving it the appearance of semi-double, but 
this was not the case with all the flowers on the spike. From the 
produce of one seedling corm planted in 1887 I had six good spikes the 
following year. The substance of the fo'iage and flower of the Gladiolus- 
is of a firm stout nature, and it has not many enemies. The worst is 
the much dreaded wireworm. I notice, however, among the named 
varieties a greater per-centage of disease than among the seedlings. 
A discussion ensued on the paper, and at the conclusion a hearty- 
vote of thinks was extended to Mr. Beckwith. — (Darlington and 
Stockton Times.') 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— These, especially where the young 
growths have not been kept closely fastened to the walls, are late in 
flowering ; in fact wood growth seems to be in advance of the flowers. 
Very little pruning ought to be necessary at this time of the year, the 
requisite thinning out being done in the autumn. As a rule it is unwise 
to use the knife now other than for thinning out where at all crowded, 
and for cutting back long branches to a healthy back growth. This 
keeps the centre of the tree better furnished with good bearing wood. 
The most profitable trees are those that form abundance of medium 
sized to small fruiting wood every summer, this ripening and flowering 
much more surely than more vigorous growth. Very rank shoots ougbr 
to be cut clean out, these not being suitable for laying a good founda¬ 
tion to any part of the tree. Shoots with unripened points or that are 
damaged should be cut back to a triple bud below these portions. 
Young trees may be pruned and trained exactly as advised in the case 
of Apricots on page 180. 
Dressing and Training. —Outside Peach and Nectarine trees are 
not dressed with some kind of insecticide so generally as they ought to 
be. Their principal enemies are scale, red spider, and black and green 
aphis. What will destroy the eggs or breeders of these that may be 
located either on the trees, in the crevices of the walls, or just below 
the surface soil, will also act as a remedy for mildew. There are plenty 
of remedies for all these pests to be had from seedsmen and sundries- 
men which, if given a fair trial, will answer the purpose. If shreds and 
nails are used in fastening the trees, the latter should not press against 
the wood, and especially ought any shreds and nails to be removed that 
unduly confine old wood, gumming being the result of neglect in this 
respect. 
Protecting Peach Blossom. —The trees, though somewhat later 
than usual, will come on rapidly in bright warm weather, and some kind 
of protection ought to be afforded soon. Many trees will be thinly 
