CROSS-BREEDING AND CULTURE OE THE GLADIOLUS. 
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varieties would also be a grand point; imagine the colour and marking of Gladiolus Prince Albert, 
or formosissimus, in a raceme of erect flowers, like those of gandavensis or fioribundus! What could 
be a more splendid object! 
I admit there are many obstacles to prevent the accomplishment of this much-to-be-desired feature, 
still I think it is to be done, and would suggest that the difference of constitution should be taken into 
consideration. The fact of their coming from opposite parts of the Cape; and, again, elevation may have 
something to do with their freedom of seeding. Their general character is decidedly favourable, there 
being no distinctive difference between them to constitute what is generally accepted as an obstacle to 
the production of crosses; consequently it must be attributable to some peculiarity we are not 
acquainted with. Therefore I argue the necessity of looking to the habitat and locality of each plant 
and the probable influence it would have on them. Lastly, I would suggest the experiment—which, by 
the by, would be rather tedious—of taking, say three varieties of each kind—the more distinct the 
varieties, and the nearer the alliance, the better—and seeding them together, crossing the offspring of 
the six varieties with each other. Thus a series of years would be occupied before the feature would 
be obtained, but I think that the most feasible way of setting about to obtain it; and I believe it would 
be brought about by gradually imparting the constitution of the opposite parents to each other’s 
offspring. 
The cultivation of this tribe is very simple. They require a good friable loam, with an admixture 
of leaf mould, placing a layer of cow manure at the bottom of the bed. The natalensis varieties should 
be planted in March, about four inches deep, and nine inches apart in and between the rows. The 
early flowering kinds are best protected in pots in a cold frame during the winter months, and planted 
out in the spring; for their growing so early as November renders them liable to suffer injury from 
the severity of the winter if they are planted out at that season ; hence it is advisable to pot them in 
the autumn, and store them in a cold frame, merely protecting them from frost. 
I would strongly recommend grouping these plants, and in doing this, would recommend the late 
flowering kinds to be planted in the following way:—Gandavensis splendens in the centre ; a row of 
fioribundus around it; followed by the orange variety of gandavensis, polystachius, and Colvillii 
superba; filling up the margin, two or three rows deep, with ramosus, this being the most dwarf 
variety of this division of the family. This arrangement would be productive of contrast of colour, and 
they would be graduated in height. The early flowering kinds would have a beautiful effect planted 
little towards the male parent, the purple stripes of the female parent being less strongly mai’ked than the original mules, and the 
flower is scarcely as large or bright coloured, following the course I have observed in other cases, that seedlings from a cross-bred 
plant by its own pollen sometimes degenerate in the size or brilliancy of their flowers. 
“We must nest turn to the Gladioli of the northern hemisphere, there being, however, a plant of intermediate position, G. 
eequinoctialis, on the heights of Sierra Leone, The northern Gladioli are all purplish, with a tendency to rose-colour, and in a few 
eases to blue, excepting the whitish and the white varieties. They peremptorily refuse to breed with the Cape species; and, 
although I will not say that the cross is impossible, I have failed in so many attempts that I have abandoned them. But although 
the northern species differ somewhat from those of the Cape territory, and agree with G. natalensis in a more direct presentation of 
the flowers to the front from an erect stalk, there are a great many different local forms of them, with a great general similarity of 
aspect and intermediate forms, which almost defeat the attempts to distinguish them specifically, but furnish, with a similarity of 
flower, a strange diversity of seed—the winged or foliaceous margin of the African species being conspicuous in Byzantinus, com¬ 
munis, Boucheanus, and some others; totally disappearing in G. segetalis, Fischerianus, and some others; curtailed in some 
varieties, and almost obsolete in others, of G. communis. The gradual curtailment of that margin in varieties of communis, as well 
as the close resemblance of G. segetalis to them, shows that the separation of the latter as a genus is preposterous. But there 
is another strange circumstance connected with them, which tends to show how species originate. G. Byzantinus will grow 
and increase greatly in almost any soil or situation; G. segetalis is very apt to die at Spofforth. I supposed it tender 
and fearful of wet. The white Gladiolus eommutatus of Bouehe, communis albus of the Dutch, but in truth a white 
G. segetalis, always dies at Spofforth. I believe they perish because the soil, however good for barley, is too light for 
them. Near Trieste and in Santa Maura, G. segetalis engrossed strong yellow ploughed land that lay flat and wet, and 
was also pestered by Aristolochia Clematitis; but G. Illyricus is only found in meadows of alluvial soil, subject to inun¬ 
dation ; and where I saw it in flower in May, near Trieste, the sod was then three inches under water. Yet these three species 
require nice discrimination to separate them. Although the northern Gladioli, which conform with cardinalis, &c., as to then- 
seed, will not breed with them, I believe, on the contrary, that there is no obstacle to their breeding with their European congeners 
that have round unwinged seeds. -I should conceive that G. Byzantinus and communis, which have seeds like the African sorts, and 
are not particular as to position, are nearest to the northern Gladiolus of the oldest days; that some of its offspring, having fallen 
into peculiar situations, have acquired constitutional peculiarities, with some alterations of aspect and structure, that have become 
fixed characters. x 
“ I have already shown that the Gladiolus crossed from G. oppositiflorus (which breeds freely with the Cape species) by pollen of 
G. natalensis (which will not), produces seedlings, one of which having flowered, reverted a little towards the male type, I believe 
all the Cape species of Gladiolus to be convertible ; I have found no positive impediment. The rare G. abbreviatus might be abnost 
made between G. cunonius and tristis; it has the curious leaf of the latter, and a flower approaching to that of G. eunonius. 
“ The blending of colours amongst cross-bred plants is rather capricious. The scarlet G. cardinalis with a white G. blandus, 
and with the yellowish G. angustus and G. oppositiflorus, gave a purplish rose-colour. G. natalensis impresses its colour much 
more strongly on G. oppositiflorus than G. cardinalis does, being more nearly akin; whether from that cause or not I will not 
presume to guess.” 
