Hornberger's Home and Garden Service 
5 
experiments; I am sure that pressure would then be brought to bear on persons 
responsible for our large Gladiolus exhibitions, as well as exhibitions of other flowers 
so grown, so that all persons who grow Glads by natural methods may have a fair 
and equal chance in our various exhibitions. Professional exhibitors are staging 
highly misleading exhibitions, and thousands of persons are being misled into believ¬ 
ing that many of these highly advertised and prize winning exhibitions are the result 
of natural methods of culture. Thousands are led to believe that they can duplicate, 
in ordinary good garden soil by natural methods, the same size, length of stem and 
number open Many of these varieties are as yet unproven, and the only endorse¬ 
ment these exhibitors have are the many medals, cups and ribbons that they receive. 
I have been familiar with exhibitions in the past where professional exhibitors 
have won the highest honors, and unlimited favorable advertising, from such com¬ 
petition. It was most unfair to all other exhibitors who grew their flowers by natural 
methods, and perhaps 99% of all visitors who viewed these exhibitions with rapt 
interest, did not know the facts I am giving you. 
There are two distinct methods of growing Glads that I classify as natural 
methods of culture. The first is by non-irrigation methods, where rainfall is ample 
in the growing season to produce good root crops. The second method is by the use 
of irrigation to supplement natural rainfall, where it is absent or too limited for good 
crop production. It is true that the use of irrigation by man made methods may be 
called artificial, but when used only to supplement natural rainfall I consider it a 
natural method of culture. However, should the grower “over irrigate” in order to 
force his plants to assimilate extra and excessive applications of plant food resulting 
in what may properly be termed “field forcing”, then I consider such methods as 
artificial methods of culture, and should be so distinguished from natural methods 
of culture. 
In addition to the use of special prepared seed beds and cloth houses, various 
ocher methods are resorted to in order to produce a spike of bloom with many more 
open flowers than it will ordinarily produce under good culture by natural methods. 
Do you consider it fair to the great majority of exhibitors who grow their exhibition 
bloom under ordinary culture, but by natural methods, when they are compelled to 
compete on an equal footing with artificial methods of culture or preparation. 
Chrysanthemums are grown in Calif, by the car lots, that have been grown under 
Cloth Houses, these flowers are equal in development with the best eastern green¬ 
house grown “mums” the same varieties when grown in the open under natural 
methods of culture can not compete with them. 
A STORY SELDOM TOLD 
In the sketch below we 
try to give you some concep 
tion of the differences be¬ 
tween large bulbs and their 
approximate rate of increase 
of Minuet and Solveig, when 
grown under average non¬ 
irrigation methods. 
MINUET. (Propagator. A.) 
BALANCE AND UTILITY. 
Fine to grow—Good to show. 
Succeeds under average growing 
conditions. 
SOLVEIG. (Propagator. E.) 
ALL MERIT FOR EXHIBITION ONLY. 
Bad to grow—Fine to show. 
(Prop. E.) requires special culture. 
