178 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
genus we cannot refrain from placing the name of the late 
Mr. Sweet, to whom the floricultural world owes much, and 
at the present day the Hon. and Rev. W, Herbert, a most emi¬ 
nently successful cultivator, who has extended the knowledge 
of this class of plants to a very high degree of perfection. 
The name Gladiolus is derived from the Latin gladius, a 
sword, in allusion to the sword-like shape of the leaves. The 
predominant colour in the flowers is red, though it admits of 
every degree of variation, from the palest blush to the brightest 
scarlet, and from that to purple; yellow and white are both 
found in them. One species, G. cardinalis, is well known to 
afford the most striking contrast possible in any single flower— 
the ground colour of the petals being a most brilliant scarlet, 
with a clear white spot on each of the lower ones. G. ramosus 
is at the same time one of the newest and most beautiful of the 
species; the colour of this is a rich rosy lilac, deeply feathered 
with carmine : it possesses the singular character of producing 
lateral branches of flowers from the principal or main stem. 
G. psittacinus is another very highly ornamental species pro¬ 
ducing its thickly covered spikes of deep-red and yellow flowers 
in great profusion. These species, together with byzantinus, 
communis albus, and some other old species not now in general 
cultivation, attain a height of about two feet: the remaining 
and more choice sorts do not generally rise more than one foot 
or one and a half; this is a great advantage when forming a 
bed, for which they are peculiarly adapted, as their flowers are 
not of that ephemeral character which unfortunately distin¬ 
guishes many of the popular flowers of the same season ; and 
from their great diversity in height, colour, and general appear¬ 
ance, a very pleasing and natural group may be formed : only 
one objection appears tenable against this mode of growing 
them—their liability to become naked near th£ surface of the 
bed, though this partakes more of the exception than the rule, 
it being caused chiefly by an arid soil, and may be materially 
provided against in the formation of the bed, of which we shall 
speak presently. 
Among the dwarfer species and varieties may be mentioned 
Prsecox, Trimaculatus, Galeatus, Herbertii, Loddegesii, Roseus, 
Colvillii, Hirsutus, and Tristis—all of which are individually and 
collectively beautiful; this last is also fragrant, and although 
