488 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 3, 1897. 
ffjNTS FOR ffMATEURS. 
The Gladiolus —Without disparagement to any of 
the other plants that bloom in our outdoor gardens 
during the months of late summer and early autumn 
it may truly be said that the Gladiolus is not outdone 
by any. Apart from its actual showiness, which, 
when the plant is well done is undeniable, its happy 
nature admits of its association with so many other 
subjects, that the methods by which its beauty can 
thus be turned to account are in proportion. 
Possibly the situation in which Gladioli are most 
commonly to be seen is the mixed herbaceous 
border. Here they do remarkably well, and when 
planted in clumps of from five to seven, or even more, 
at irregular intervals throughout^the border they 
perform yeoman service. But this is only one way, 
although many a gardener does not exercise his 
ingenuity in devising new surroundings for them 
whereby another phase of their bright beauty might 
be shown up to advantage. Shrubberies near to 
dwelling houses are usually furnished with a ribbon 
border of some 18 in. or thereabouts in width. 
Occasionally such a border will run to 3 ft. or 4 ft. 
in width, but this is the extreme. Now, although 
we do not advocate planting in lines as a rule, this 
case would prove an exception. A single line of 
Gladioli next to the shrubbery, more particularly 
when the outline of the latter is a bold curve is a 
most imposing sight. Naturally the plants are of 
stiff habit, but this does not seem so apparent with 
the shrubbery as a background. The space in front 
of the Gladioli may be devoted to Pelargoniums, 
Calceolarias, and other dwarf subjects. 
Either of these two methods will suit those who 
do not intend to make a speciality of Gladioli, but 
those who do will find it better to plant the corms in 
a specially prepared bed or border where they may 
receive closer attention than it would be possible to 
give in the former cases 
With regard to the question of association of 
Gladioli with other plants there is plenty of room for 
the cultivator to exercise a little originality or failing 
that he may well follow any good example that may 
have been set by someone else. Certainly one of the 
finest and most effective combinations that were to 
be seen last year in the whole of Kew Gardens was a 
large circular bed filled with Galtonia candicans, 
and Gladiolus brenchleyensis, the pearly-white of the 
former and the rich crimson-scarlet of the other 
making a most striking contrast. Wherever two 
plants are thus associated for the sake of combined 
effect, the Gladiolus being one of them, the other one 
should obviously be a plant that flowers naturally at 
the same time. 
For planting between dwarf American shrubs in 
small beds in the same way as Liliums, Gladioli are 
likewise very suitable. Here there is no necessity to 
trouble about the correspondence in time of flowering 
of the two subjects for the idea is to obtain a pro¬ 
longation of the show, that is for the Gladioli to 
brighten up the shrubs after their flowers have all 
gone, and their is nothing but the foliage to look at. 
As a cut flower the Gladiolus is not altogether an 
unmixed success. It lasts very well in water, but 
it is somewhat stiff, and needs a considerable amount 
of ingenuity to make it look well. It comes in use¬ 
ful, however, for helping to fill large vases, which it 
is required should present a very imposing appear¬ 
ance. 
Planting Gladioli .—We have said enough to show 
that Gladioli are thoroughly deserving of a place, 
and an honoured place, too, in the flower garden, 
Now comes the question, •' when are we to plant ? ” 
Planting may be performed at any time from the 
beginning of March until the end of April. The 
exact time will depend upon two things ; first, the 
state of the weather, and second the time at which 
the flowers are required. In a season like the 
present it has been almost impossible to plant early 
for the soil has scarcely ever been out of the quag¬ 
mire stage since the commencement of the year, and 
upon heavy soil it is impossible to work under such 
conditions. There is, of course, an infinite variety 
of soils with a proportional variety of behaviour. 
Some, of course, will dry pretty quickly, and the 
late fine weather will have brought them into con¬ 
dition for planting. 
With regard to the time at which it is required that 
the plants should flower.it is advisable to plant batches 
at various intervals extending through the whole of 
the planting season, thereby giving a succession of 
flowers. For the same reason different localities 
should be chosen, with different aspects. These 
conditions will have a very material effect upon the 
blooming period. Thus corms planted on a border 
facing the south or west would be in bloom some 
time before others planted at the same time on a 
border facing to the north, or in a shaded nook. 
Soil.— In order to do Gladioli well it is necessary 
that the soil should receive some preparation in the 
autumn. The plants love a rich soil, but the corms 
must not be brought into direct contact with rank 
manure of any kind. Therefore, all manuring must 
be done in autumn. Almost any soil can be made 
to grow good Gladioli if treatment according to its 
kind is given. For a soil of medium lightness a 
dressing of cow manure is admirable. This should 
have been dug well in before winter, and the surface 
soil thrown roughly up for the frosts to work their 
will upon. Go over the site now and level the 
surface by means of a fork and plant at once. 
Skinning the Corms. —Amateur cultivators have 
from time to time been somewhat exercised in their 
minds to account for apparently sound and healthy 
corms producing malformed and distorted growths. 
This is due to the skin of the corm being of ro tough 
a nature that the growth is twisted and injured in 
pushing its way through. The remedy for this is to 
break the tough skin at the top of the corm in the 
case of any varieties that are special sinners. 
The trowel will prove to be the handiest tool for 
planting with. In the case of common varieties all 
that is necessary is to make a hole about 4 in. in 
depth, lay the corm in and return the soil to its 
place. A little more attention may be given to the finer 
varieties. Make the bole a little deeper, and put in 
at the bottom a good layer of wood asbes mixed with 
sand. Lay the corm upon this, and then cover with 
soil. The corms should not be buried more than 
from 3 in. to 4 in. below the surface of the soil. 
Tulips in Pots.— These are unusually forward this 
year even where no fire heat has been given them 
through the winter. The flowers are opening 
rapidly, particularly on such varieties as Keizer 
Kroon, Ophir d'Or, and Pottebakker White. If they 
are required for any special function they must be 
shaded closely, and the flowers kept from opening by 
tying a thin strand of raffia round them. Keep the 
house as cool as possible. 
Richardias.— These are held in great esteem for 
the Easter celebrations, at which they are much 
used, when they can be had for church decoration. 
Easter being so late this jear, it will be a matter of 
some difficulty to have them in bloom at that time. 
Plants which flowered early will, except in exceptional 
cases, be out of flower even now. In such a season 
as the present, the utility of keeping some of the 
plants back will be well demonstrated. These 
should now be well fed with liquid manure. It can 
generally be ascertained by feeling the centres of the 
plants, whether they are going to throw up a flower 
or not. Those plants which feel thin and empty may 
as well be turned out into another house, or into a 
sheltered position out of doors. This does not mean 
that they are to be neglected. On the contrary, they 
must still be watered regularly, although clear water 
may be substituted for manure. 
Hyacinths in the Open.— If support has not been 
given these it should be seen to at once as the flower 
spikes are large and heavy,and a moderate wind would 
knock them about sadly if unsupported. Let the 
stakes be as neat and thin as is consistent with the 
required strength and rigidity. They should reach to 
the lowest bell of the flower, but need not be longer 
than this. It will be advisable now to take notes as 
to the relative periods of flowering of the various 
varieties. This will be a guide for another season 
when arranging beds with several varieties that it is 
wished should be open at the same time. Nursery¬ 
men can only give general information as to the 
flowering time, which information is more or less 
modified according to the special locality, and thus 
it behoves all cultivators to observe for themselves. 
— Rex. 
-- 
Authors state that something like 300,000 species 
of insects in the world have received scientific names. 
The vegetable and animal food consumed by them 
must amount to many tons, besides that which they 
render useless. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked, by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Plant to Name —I enclose spray of flowering plant. 
Would you tell me the name of it, and where it can 
be bought, also how to propagate and cultivate it ? 
Does it grow in a greenhouse, or outside.— Plena. 
Acacia armata, a native of Australia, is the name 
of the plant you send. It is a handsome greenhouse 
shrub, and one of the most free-flowering and useful 
of all the Acacias. You should be able to obtain it 
from any respectable nurseryman. It is an exceed¬ 
ingly easy plant to grow, the chief point to observe 
about it beirg that it needs abundance of water at all 
times, and must never be allowed to get dry. After 
the danger of frost is over, the plants will do better 
outside than they will under glass, for they are not 
so likely to be attacked with red spider and thrips 
and moreover they ripen their growths better. For 
soil, a mixture of equal parts of peat and loam with 
sand will suit them well. Pot firmly. Propagation 
may be effected by cuttings, which root with great 
freedom. The cuttings should consist of the points 
of the shoots and may be about 3 in. in length. Take 
them off some time before the middle of the present 
month, insert them in pans filled with sand, put them 
in a propagating frame, keep them warm and moist, 
and they will root in from six to eight weeks time. 
Treatment of Genistas. You may give your plants 
a little manure water at alternate waterings, Tender¬ 
foot. They will require pruning presently to keep 
them in shape, but you need not trouble about this 
until after flowering. The dropping of the leaves you 
complain about is due to the lack of light, and to the 
uncongenial atmosphere of the dwelling room. 
Green Glass for Fernery.— Subscriber is erecting a 
fernery and has been advised to glaze with green 
glass. He wishes to know whether this will suit the 
Ferns. 
We should not advise the employment of green 
glass under any circumstances. It used to be very 
popular some years ago,but its inutility and positively 
harmful tendency has since been demonstrated. 
The ferneries at Kew used to be glazed with this 
kind of glass, but the greater part of it has been 
removed, and with beneficial results to the plants. 
The shade needed by the Ferns should be given by 
means of blinds. 
Cut Grass for Hotbed. —Mowings from a lawn 
are of little use for making up a hotbed. They give 
out a very fierce heat for a few days, but this soon 
goes. The bulk of the material should consist of 
leaves, which have more " last ” in them than any¬ 
thing else The grass may be turned to some 
account by using it for making up fresh linings when 
necessary. 
Potting Odontoglossums — September is possibly 
the best time of the year for potting Odontoglossums 
C. B., and we should advise you to shift them then. 
For the slugs the best thing to do will be to lay traps 
of Lettuce leaves. These should be gone over in the 
evening with a light, when the marauders will likely 
be caught. 
Smell of Yiolets. —There are various flowers the 
smell of which has injurious effects upon the nerves. 
The humble Violet is the latest addition to the list 
according to W. Rushton, who states that the smell 
of Violets alwajs causes him to sneeze violently. 
He declares that this is not imagination but a posi¬ 
tive and painful fact. 
Seedling zonal Pelargoniams. —Tenterden has a 
batch of seedling zonal Pelargoniums, and wishes to 
know how to hasten them into flower so that he may 
see as soon as possible what sorts they are and 
whether they are worth keeping or no. 
The best way will be to grow the plants on, shift¬ 
ing them from small sixties into small thirty-twos. 
Do not stop or pinch them at all, but take them up 
with a single stem, until they develope a flower bud. 
Then pinch the points out, and thus throw all the 
strength of the plant into this bud. Seedlings are 
not infrequently rather shy of blooming, but by> 
treating them thus they are not only induced to 
