THE FLORIST. 
291 
be placed in some spare corner out of doors, and covered about two 
inches deep with coal-ashes, or any material which can be easily re¬ 
moved. Here they may be allowed to remain till about Christmas, 
when a portion may be removed to the greenhouse, to forward their 
blooming season. The Van Thol is the earliest, and ought to be 
treated as such, except variety is desired; in that case, take Rex 
Rubrorum and Tournesol; these will be in flower in February, and, if 
properly tended with water, &c., will retain their gaiety for at least 
a month. Of course provision must be made to keep up a succession 
of bloom. 
When done flowering, early Tulips must not be turned out of 
doors, nor otherwise maltreated; they must be allowed a place in a 
frame or greenhouse, where they can go gradually to rest. It will 
not be necessary to give them much water after flowering; but do 
not allow them to be without it until the leaves shew symptoms 
of decline, then gradually withhold it altogether. Afterwards give 
them the treatment directed to be given those grown in the flower- 
border. Charles Fleetwood. 
Newington. 
EARLY BLOOMING GLADIOLI. 
From not seeing any particular notice of the interesting Gladiolus 
tribe in your periodical, I have been induced to write these few stray 
thoughts for your journal, as I think this flower cannot be yet suf¬ 
ficiently known or esteemed ; but although it does not rank as a 
“ florist’s flower,” I think a remark or two will not prove unaccep¬ 
table to some of your readers. There are now in cultivation, I see 
by Van Houtte’s Catalogue, nearly one hundred named varieties, 
independent of a multitude of hybrids not considered distinct enough 
to bear names ; so that it cannot be said they are uninteresting on 
account of their sameness. 1 think a division has become necessary 
to distinguish the early varieties from those blooming in the autumn. 
The early varieties commence flowering in June, and nearly all 
resemble one another in habit, having graceful foliage, with long 
slender spikes of flowers continuing in succession for some time. 
There is a great variety of colours in this division, from the bril¬ 
liant though shy-blooming Cardinalis, to the rich blood-crimson 
peculiar to Rex Rubrorum. As the last of the early varieties fade 
away they are succeeded by the more noble autumn species, fewer in 
number, though infinitely surpassing them in splendour and utility 
in decorating borders. Who that has seen a clump of Gandavensis, 
with perhaps more than twenty spikes of its rich orange and scarlet 
blossoms, can say this flower is unworthy of attention ? As this is 
now nearly planting time for those in the first class, I will describe a 
few varieties calculated to make a good display. First must come 
Insignis, indeed a noble flower, of a very bright orange rose, with 
beautiful stripes up each lobe ; Ramosus, Rosa Mundi, Vitellinus, 
and Minerva, are something similar to Insignis, but all varied in 
