1881 . ] 
THE GLADIOLUS.—SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
13 
clear of weeds at all times, and giving them 
the winter and spring dressings at the proper 
time.—M. Saul, Stourton , Yorkshire. 
TIIE GLADIOLUS. 
HAVE read with interest both Mr. 
' 5 1 [b Kelway’s and Mr. Douglas’s notes on this 
grand autumn flower, and must say I am 
somewhat surprised to find two such eminent 
authorities holding such adverse opinions. The 
word “ degeneration ” may be a misnomer, 
but “ disease ” certainly is not. I have re¬ 
peatedly noticed the foliage to become of a pale 
sickly green hue, and, on pulling up the plants, 
have found several black decayed spots on the 
bulbs. Of course, such bulbs are worthless, 
and with what can they be affected but by 
disease ? When I lived in Sussex, we grew a 
quantity of that good old variety G. brench- 
leyensis , and these roots reproduced themselves, 
doubling and trebling the original stock. The 
soil was rather stiff, on chalk, so that they 
naturally had good drainage, which is essential. 
The bulbs were taken up before frost set in, 
and were stored in dry earth or sand till 
planting-time. The soil here is stiff, on clay, 
and under these conditions we find the stock 
rapidly decrease. I am, therefore, surprised to 
find it asserted that they do equally well in 
stiff clay, and in loam on a bed of gravel, as I 
should certainly prefer the latter soil for them. 
In planting the choicer varieties, we always 
placed some good loam both under and over 
the bulbs, and never thought we were favouring 
nostrums, which might have been the case had 
we used a special manure. Mr. Kelway’s twenty 
acres of Gladioli must be a grand sight, when 
in flower ; and I should consider what with 
no disease, no degeneration, and successful 
growth alike on two such opposite descriptions 
of soil, which produce stems 6 ft. high, that 
Langpoi't must, indeed, be for these flowers a 
veritable “land of Goshen.”—G. Potts, Jun., 
Epsom. 
SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
3 ^—'•JANUARY.—“What a glorious autumn !” 
is the universal remark. It is as if 
one impassioned appeal had gone up 
to Heaven that autumn should linger longer 
than usual, and the answer had come in soft, 
genial, drying days, that are more like a fore¬ 
taste of sunny spring than those that usually 
usher out the old year. Gardening has been, 
and still is, exceedingly pleasant. “ Gardening 
operations of every kind must, of necessity, be 
more or less influenced by the season, the 
weather, and local usage, and the peculiar 
needs of the cultivator.” This is very true ; 
but the golden rule of the gardener should be 
to make every preparation during midwinter for 
the active spring season that surely follows it. 
Hence, composts, turf for potting purposes, and 
other special soils, should be gathered together, 
and turned, so that the frost can act upon them 
beneficially. During frosty weather, work is 
generally scarce ; but pruning can be done, 
hedge-clippings and other rubbish burned, and 
the ashes utilised for manurial and other 
purposes. 
Kitchen Garden. —We have already indicated 
some of the seasonable work necessary here. 
Those who have Lettuce, Endive , and other 
things in frames must keep a watchful eye on 
the weather, seeing these have been making a 
succulent growth, and a sudden spell of severe 
frost (which may occur at any moment) will do 
the plants much harm, if not protected. At 
the end of the month, if the weather be at all 
favourable, early sowings may be made of 
Beans, Peas, &c. There is always a risk in 
early sowing, but in mild and tolerably dry 
weather early sowings will generally result in 
early production, and increased bulk and excel¬ 
lence of the crop. Be it remembered that 
much depends on the character and position of 
the seed-beds. Rhubarb in the open ground 
may be forwarded by covering the crowns with 
cement-casks, seakale-pots, &c., and placing 
litter round them. The Celery crop has so far 
been uninjured by frost; it will, therefore, need 
protection all the more when the mildness of 
autumn gives place to the severity of winter. 
Fruit Garden. —As planting can be done all 
through January, it will be well, perhaps, to 
give a selection of Apples , Pears , and Plums — 
the three leading fruits found in suburban gar¬ 
dens. Of Dessert Apples, standard or espalier 
trees of the following should be planted:— 
Duchess of Oldenburgh, Yellow Ingestrie , Cox's 
Orange Pippin , Court of Wick A dams’s Pear- 
main , Scarlet Nonpareil , and Braddick’s Non¬ 
pareil. Of Kitchen Apples: Lord Sufield, 
Cellini Pippin, Stirling Castle , New Haw- 
tliornden, Blenheim Orange, Warner s Iking, 
Mere de Menage, and Dumelow s Seedling. Of 
Pears: Doyenne d’Ete might be planted as 
pyramid or standard ; as pyramid or espalier— 
Beurre d’Amanlis, Louise Bonne of Jersey, 
Marechal de Cour, and Beurre Diel; and as 
pyramid, standard, or espalier— Williams’s 
Bon Chretien, Beurre Bose, Jersey Gratioli, 
and Belle Julie. In addition to being grown 
as pyramid or espalier, the following may also 
be planted against a wall :—Pitmaston Duchess. 
