Page 20 
THE GLADIOLUS FANCIER’S 
DONT’S ON DIGGING 
Do not leave part of stem on bulb, cut 
close and burn the tops. 
Do not leave bulbs to dry where frosts can 
reach. 
Do not pile deeply. Quick drying (not in 
hot sunlight) is extremely important to pre¬ 
vent spread of diseases in storage. 
Do not remove roots and old bulb for some 
weeks. Wait until they separate with ease and 
without tearing the new root base. This 
waiting period is the most desirable time for 
sprinkling your bulbs lightly with napthalene 
flakes. See paragraph on that subject. 
WE DO OUR PART 
Does the N R A affect you as a 
bulb buyer? Read and see. Per¬ 
haps you have signed the N R A 
consumer’s pledge or by signing 
the N R A for your own industry 
either tacitly or otherwise pledged yourself 
to buy from those supporting it. 
We have signed the blanket code because 
the federal government has been busy with 
more important codes affecting bare necessi¬ 
ties of life. A specific gladiolus industry code 
under federal compulsion may never be 
reached but certain benefits are likely to 
accrue to the industry. 
We have helped organize (1933) the Na¬ 
tional Commercial Gladiolus Growers Associ¬ 
ation. This group is now considering the 
adoption of the lawful, fair competitive prac¬ 
tice of omitting from their Retail catalogs 
hereafter any listing of planting stocks, i.e., 
Small bulbs and Bulblets. In the whole realm 
of floriculture, the world over, such sales are 
patently wholesale and such offerings should 
be strictly confined to bona fide, accredited, 
commercial growers. 
The very ease of propagation of the gladio¬ 
lus has defeated the Gladiolus Industry in its 
attempt to sell bulbs above cost of produc¬ 
tion. You amateur buyers make no attempt 
to buy baby narcissus or baby tulip bulbs. 
But, the gladiolus usually gives some bloom 
from small sized bulbs and not infrequently 
even from bulblets and years ago, some de¬ 
pression caused American growers to offer 
planting stock at retail. This industrial ail¬ 
ment has not extended beyond Canada. 
FOREIGN ORIGINATIONS 
Foreign originations must be withheld from 
sale by our growers who import them, for a 
period of at least two years, under the regula¬ 
tions of the federal Bureau of Plant Quaran¬ 
tine which makes actual inspection of the 
stock twice a year to make sure no disease 
has appeared before permitting the bulbs to 
be disseminated. 
This is the reason the new, foreign sorts, 
among them a few winning the coveted 
Awards of Merit and First Class Certificates, 
are slower than American sorts in arriving 
at the U. S. shows. Some growers import 
most all the new ones to make sure of includ¬ 
ing the best and offer the whole lot for sale 
soon as released. Of course, many of these are 
no better than our best American sorts. Some 
next to worthless. On the other hand, many 
of our largest florets come from Europe. Scot¬ 
land has given us Queen Mary and a lot of 
long spikes carrying medium sized florets. 
Canada has given us Picardy and other good 
ones. Australia and New Zealand have given 
us Miss New Zealand, Marmora and other 
fine, large sorts with a maximum number 
open. In fact, in Australia and New Zealand 
it is a waste of time to bring a spike to the 
shows bearing less than ten to twelve florets 
open and expect to win a first prize in the 
Exhibition Type Classes. 
FLOWER ARRANGEMENT 
A few suggestions may help. 
Use plain containers, avoiding top-heavy 
sorts. Yellows or any of the pinks in green 
containers. Light pink in blue. Lavender 
and salmon pink in cream. Reds and scarlets 
in black. Smokies in gray. Violets and pur¬ 
ples in yellow. White, cream or any color in 
silver, pewter or clear glass. 
Give every spike freedom of space, hardly 
touching its neighbor, if at all. 
Shorten stems only to accomplish a definite 
purpose. 
Of course, any of the varieties in any par¬ 
ticular color class, being tints and shades of 
the same color, combine harmoniously. As¬ 
sorted light and dark violets are stunning. 
, In combinations of color keep the dark low 
and central. 
Separated by whites or creams the most 
difficult colors will lose their power to clash. 
With several spikes of a variety having a 
throat marking, add a few of the color of 
such marking. 
Many blotched and smoky sorts are com¬ 
plete harmonies in themselves. 
Combine complementary colors, red with 
blue and green, violet and purple with yellow. 
If other foliage is desired use Sprengeri 
Fern, Cedar, Artemesia Silver King, Gypso- 
phila Bristol Fairy, Maiden Hair Fern. The 
last two are particularly good with the smaller 
glads. Try light pinks, white or cream with 
Artemesia Silver King in blue container. 
Remember gladiolus foliage, rescued from 
spikes that have finished blooming, are usable. 
If other flowers are desired in combination, 
use Delphinium, Liatris, Lilies, Buddleia. 
The latter, like dahlias, last better if a few 
inches of the stem is first placed in hot water 
