62 
The bulb room should be kept rather dry, with 
plenty of air circulation and ventilation. An electric 
fan may occasionally be used to good advantage. 
The air in the bulblet room should contain more 
moisture. A tub of water may be kept in it and hot 
water poured into it in very dry weather so that the 
air may be filled with the steam, if one lives in a dry 
climate. Here in our Willamette Valley climate there 
is usually sufficient moisture in the air. If the dirt in 
which the bulblets are stored is fine it will contain a 
sufficient percentage of moisture even though it looks 
rather dry. Better be kept this way than too wet. 
Most authorities claim that a temperature of about 
40 degrees Fahr. is best for the storage room. How¬ 
ever, if it is desired that a quick growth be had in the 
spring, it will be found that a temperature of from 60 
to 75 degrees is probably better. Bulblets will stand 
more cold than bulbs. However, neither should be per¬ 
mitted to freeze. The better they are cured the more 
cold they will stand. Most of them will stand a tem¬ 
perature as low as 28 degrees without great inj ury, but 
such a low temperature is not desirable and should be 
avoided. 
DIGGING AND CURING 
In our climate, gladioli may usually be dug any time 
from September till the latter part of November. The 
cheaper varieties are dug first and gotten out of the 
way of the higher priced ones which should be left till 
last in order to mature as many bulblets as possible and 
that the bulbs may reach their highest degree of ma¬ 
turity. 
It is a peculiarity of the gladiolus bulb that it may 
