HOUSE AND GARDEN 
culture, and plants, each year, three hun¬ 
dred of the choicest bulbs for her own 
private use. She did not purchase this 
amount to begin with, but she let them 
multiply, saving the conns each year, until 
now she has the above number of bulbs. 
The gladiolus is not over particular 
about soil; a light, loamy, rich soil, and 
considerable moisture suits it well. Plant 
rather deep, from four to live inches; they 
are less liable to need support; but if the 
soil is heavy, not so deep. Set the bulbs 
two inches apart in the row, and the rows 
six inches apart. 
The time of planting may vary with cir¬ 
cumstances. If a succession of bloom is 
desired, plant the first as soon as the 
ground is in good condition, and not in 
danger of a hard frost—the plants with¬ 
stand a light frost—a light covering will 
prove a safeguard, if caught by a severe 
frost. 
With the first planting do not use the 
largest bulbs; keep them for the second or 
third planting, as the larger bulbs with¬ 
stand the dry heat of summer better than 
the smaller ones. This succession of plant¬ 
ing, with a two weeks’ interval between, 
may be continued profitably as late as the 
middle of June, or even later, acording to 
some specialists, but the months of August 
and September being notably hot and dry, 
the later plantings are much more likely to 
be less luxuriant, unless moisture is plenti¬ 
fully supplied. With these later plantings 
it is not difficult to find places, as some 
early vegetable has been used, leaving va¬ 
cancies which can be utilized in this way. 
It is better to plant the gladiolus in beds, 
or groups, rather than in rows, as the 
plants help to sustain each other; but 
where they must be supported, tie to a 
stake carefully placed at the side of the 
Why not use part of this spring in propagat¬ 
ing from your old plants? Pandanus Veitchii 
can be sprouted in damp sand 
Leaves of Begonia Rex root easily if given 
several inch cuts and spread carefully on 
damp sandy earth 
Leaf propagation is one of the most inter¬ 
esting of garden practices. Begonia leaf 
showing the roots starting from the in¬ 
cisions 
bulb, or place stakes at intervals around 
the bed, and wind a strong cord around, 
which will keep the heavy stalks from fall¬ 
ing outside the bed. Some prefer to nail 
strips of lath to the top of the stakes, and 
wind twine over the top both ways, form¬ 
ing a small square for the spikes to pass 
up through, which steadies them against 
the wind. 
For bouquets cut the stalks when about 
half grown; they develop in water until 
the last bud is open. With this kind of 
cultivation the gladiolus will prove a 
joy through the summer. To continue it 
from year to year great care should be ex¬ 
ercised in removing and storing the bulbs 
and little conns or bulblets for the increase 
of desirable varieties, remembering to give 
new locations for each year’s planting, to 
avoid deterioration. At least one year 
should intervene between bulbs occupying 
the same ground. 
Harvest the bulbs before severe frosts, 
keeping your varieties separate as much as 
possible ; put in a cool, dry place for dry¬ 
ing out and fuly maturing. Cut off the 
tops and store the bulbs in shallow boxes 
and baskets in a cool, dark cellar, being 
careful not to pile them much. Plant the 
little sets thickly in the spring, very much 
like sweet peas, and you will be rewarded 
the following year with much added bloom. 
M. A. Nichols 
449 
In the Vegetable Garden 
T is time now either to plant or to start 
the last crops, and the tender ones 
which cannot safely be put in until settled 
warm weather has come to stay. These 
crops may be considered in three groups, 
d) Vegetables to be started, such as cab¬ 
bages, cauliflower, endive, kohl-rabi, let¬ 
tuce, broccoli, Brussell’s sprouts, kale and 
second transplanting of late celery. (2) 
Vegetables to be sown or planted, that 
should not with safety be put in during the 
first half of May—pole beans, lima beans, 
pole limas, eggplant, okra, peppers, melons, 
pumpkins and squash. (3) Succession or 
last plantings of early vegetables for fall 
and winter use—such as beet, carrot, corn, 
cucumber, tomato, kohl-rabi, lettuce, peas, 
radish and turnip. 
Vegetables to be Started 
T this season of the year, when the 
ground is often dry as dust, and no 
rain may fall for weeks, more care will be 
needed to get seedlings of cabbage, lettuce, 
etc., started along than was required in 
early spring, when everything that can 
grow pushes up to the light. If empty 
coldframes are at hand, they will make a 
good place for starting such seeds. Put in 
several inches of clean fresh earth, run 
through a quarter-inch screen. If it is 
heavy, lighten by mixing with it a sufficient 
amount of leaf-mould and sand. If no 
coldframes are available, make a bed in a 
convenient place where it can be watched 
and watered if necessary. A bed four feet 
wide and ten feet long will give sufficient 
space for starting several hundred plants. 
A day or two before you are ready to 
(Continued on page 454) 
A cutting from a rubber plant with the roots 
which it has developed within two weeks 
after planting 
