28 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
considerable change of temperature occurred. The results were magnificent; 
I had splendid spikes in profusion. I exhibited on nine occasions, taking 
eight first and one second prize, one of the former a silver cup. 
I have just (October 25th) taken up those five hundred bulbs with the 
exception of a few still in bloom. Many came up doublets, and there were 
several triplets; about a dozen turned yellow just before blooming, and died 
off, and about another dozen, which had bloomed early, were rapidly 
becoming black, and so of course worthless. There was little or no 
spawn on this entire lot of five hundred. I shall in future take up any 
choice sorts that bloom early, very soon after they have done. It does not 
seem to do the slightest harm to take them up quite green and full of sap, 
provided about 18 inches of the stalk be left to wither gradually. 
My spawn of last season, and my undersized bulbs, I grew in two large 
beds, in nice light rich soil with a good deal of sand. Many of them have 
bloomed, giving fair medium-sized spikes, and all have taken up in prime 
health, nice and plump and fleshy-looking, and nearly every bulb, from the 
size of a marble upwards, was well laden with fine healthy well-developed 
spawn. These little matters are well worthy of the consideration of 
Gladiolus-growers. If you drive them—that is, grow them very rich, you 
obtain grand spikes of bloom, some deaths, a fair increase of bulbs, and 
little or no spawn. If you adopt the opposite system, and use light rich 
sandy soil, you obtain moderate blooms, no deaths, and an immense progeny 
of juveniles. 
Next, as to novelties. I obtained as usual all Souchet’s new sorts for 
1865 (three bulbs of each). Of Milton, one made no sign, it never came up, 
and the other two grew on weakly, turned yellow in July, and died off; so 
I have never seen Milton, but I am informed by those who have that it is 
a fine flower. Of Newton, one bulb died, and two bloomed fairly, giving a 
curiously coloured flower, rosy crimson shaded, dark brownish red feathers, 
white throat, extra fine shape; it will, I think, be a fine flower, but will require 
an extra fine season. Of Byron, all three bloomed well, and increased 
freely; colour rich ponceau, whitish straw throat, violet blotch, medium¬ 
sized bloom, middling shape. Next comes Shakespere, a splendid flower, 
a rich creamy white, very light lilac feathers, throat straw and magenta 
shaded, shape first-rate, spike excellent. And, last of all, we have Eurydice, 
magnificent, white ground, rosy violet feathers, brownish shaded throat, 
large flower, very fine spike. I really do not know which of these last two 
flowers most to admire; both are light grounds, both are very beautiful, and 
in my opinion, a great advance on any existing variety. Our friend “ D., 
Deal,” (no mean judge of what a good flower should be) considers Eury dice 
as good fully as one of Standish’s very best, which it resembles—namely, 
Eleanor Norman, but I must say I like the foreigner much more. Shakes¬ 
pere and Eurydice are both fine vigorous growers, and seem first-rate in all 
respects. If I were pressed to choose between the two, I think I would give 
the palm to Shakespere for distinctness of style and colour. 
The flowers of 1864 (Souchet’s) have, on the whole, done very well. 
Madame Furtado is very fine as a light flower. Meyerbeer is very rich as 
a dark shaded red. Madame de Sevigne is A1 in her own way, a decided 
beat on such fine sorts as Le Poussin, &c. Fulton is a most splendid 
shaded scarlet, but a little too thin. My seedlings of 1864 have grown well, 
and many have bloomed; but while several good flowers have appeared of 
fair average merit, and distinct enough in themselves, still there are not 
more than two or three which promise to be decided acquisitions. The seed 
