finest specimens are shown if the spike is 
cut when the first bud opens and allowed 
to develop in the house; every bud on 
stock will open and the richest colorings 
result: this is also a benefit to the bulb. 
Do not cut too much foliage to the det¬ 
riment of the bulb. 
In shipping cut blooms of the Gladio¬ 
lus it is absolutely essential that they 
be shipped dry, after standing for a while 
in water. 
Clip off any withered blooms, so as to 
force strength back into the bulb. 
A great many varieties do extremely 
well under glass, and any one having a 
greenhouse should by all means force 
some of those varieties marked with an 
asterisk, allowing from twelve to thirteen 
weeks from planting to blooming time, 
with a temperature of about fifty-five 
degrees, or in carnation beds. 
Bulbs should be dug as soon as the foli¬ 
age turns brown or is cut down by frosts; 
cut stalks close to the bulbs. If possible, 
allow to cure in the sun or in a cool, dry 
place, then, removing old corm, store in 
trays or baskets, in a temperature as near 
forty degrees Farenheit as possible. 
