Hornberger’s Home and Garden Service 
9 
Why continue to pay this costly tribute to advertisers and their pet originators. 
If you are perfectly willing to have approximately 25% to 50% of your investments 
“peter out” as did the investment of the man quoted who spent $100 for 250 #6 
bulbs of one of these so called world wonders, then it is up to all of you to continue 
this farce, but on the other hand, if you are “fed up with buying a pig in a poke,” 
all that is necessary is to unite and form a co-operative rating society that will be 
fair to all, and by united effort rate every new variety you grow and submit it to a 
central committee, selected for this purpose. In this way we can develop a trade 
mark, that will be as reliable as the word, “Sterling”, on silver. 
To briefly sum up what will help the gladiolus situation most at the present 
time? My answer would be, a strictly non-commercial growers scientific society, 
having but one main object; the scientific study of the gladiolus, for the individual 
benefit of its members, as well as for the benefit of the entire industry. I am not in 
favor of this work being handled by any so-called commercial growers association; 
1 do not know of any of these that have ever flourished in the past, but any associa¬ 
tion that is formed must be for the interests of the smaller growers, as well as the 
largest. It should not include price fixing, and selling, but be devoted entirely to the 
study and testing of new varieties, as well as diseases and everything related to 
culture. I have in mind a society composed of growers, who with a planned workable 
system, would include each and every grower member; gladiolus plantings, large or 
small, as a practical “trial grounds” or Trial Garden, where such grower member 
could take notes at all seasons, make records, and submit all data to a central com¬ 
mittee, selected for this purpose, where all results could readily be summarized. The 
cost would be modest, the results beyond computation. 
GENERAL INFORMATION. 
HOW TO PLANT AND GROW GOOD GLADS. 
f So much has been written on this subject, that we are omitting the ele¬ 
mentary details required by the beginner, without any conception of cul¬ 
ture. If you require more detailed information, a post card will bring 
the details wanted. 
Perhaps the best text book, where all subjects are handled in detail 
and are right up to the minute, is THE GLADIOLUS free with each $1.00 
membership to the New England Gladiolus Society; read our special offer 
under the title, Gladiolus Societies. 
GOOD SEED BEDS IMPORTANT: Each and every kind of plant has different 
individual requirements, some require acid soils others alkaline, some grow in wet 
places, others, like glads and lilies, require good soil drainage, the water holding 
capacity of the soil should be improved by plowing under green crops, and manures, 
this also adds required plant food, and improves the mechanical condition of the soil, 
plow or spade deep, a foot or more when and where possible. Some of the most ideal 
seed beds are where the top soil is worked very deep, so plenty of moisture is stored, 
and the roots have a chance to go deep. It is true that the average garden that grows 
nice vegetables and flowers is very satisfactory for your glads, but if you are a “fan” 
or an ambitious grower, who wants something out the ordinary, it will pay you to 
give this question of the seed bed considerable study, as that is the real secret of 
exceptional exhibition flowers, and not, as some bulb growers tell you, that you get 
these results from using their bulbs. It is true you need good sound bulbs, but the 
bulbs from any reliable grower will answer your purpose. You can overdo both water¬ 
ing and fertilizing, but exceptional top growth is always at some expense of bulb 
growth, and to grow a few exceptional flowers are worth some sacrifice. Well rotted 
ccw manure worked deep, with a mulch of some kind will help produce out the 
ordinary bloom. Also growing in a cloth house, combined with an ideal seed bed, will 
give exceptional results, study plant feeding, and have your soil tested. Dr. Alfred 
M. S. Pridham of Cornell says: “In reference to the optimum conditions of acidity, 
Dest results with gladiolus, tulips and other bulbs can be had with a ph of 6—6.5. 
Soil which is alkaline in nature, and having a ph, of more than 7 is seldom satis¬ 
factory.” Rotation of crop is desirable, to prevent volunteer plants from mixing the 
stock, also from the angle of disease. I know of large acreage of well drained soils 
where glads have been grown 15 years without rotations. 
WHAT IS AN OLD BULB? It is the general conclusion that old bulbs divide 
and become flat; this is true in part only, because many prim types divide before 
they are a year old, and some varieties produce very flat bulbs even from bulblets. 
Age in plants and animals is more often a dissipation of the vitality and life force 
than a matter of years only, conservation of the life force tends to add to the years 
