TEE LAMES' FLORAL CABINET. 
2-28 
it is probably the more certain way in the line of im¬ 
provement. Yet, very many of our most valued seed¬ 
lings were accidentals, and each year produces varieties 
with colors and markings entirely new, but not at all times 
desirable—by leaving this part of the work to the bees. 
The Gladioli dislikes a stiff, clayey soil, but will thrive 
well in almost any other; its preference being for one of 
a moist, sandy nature, or light loam. They do best on 
sdd ground, with but little manure, and that well rot¬ 
ted successive plantings on the same ground should be 
avoided; chauge the locality of the bed so as not to re¬ 
turn to the same spot for at least three years. It is the 
better plan to make your ground very rich for some 
light crop this year, then plant Gladiolus on it next: 
this plan cannot, however, be conveniently carried out 
in small gardens. 
Increase of desirable sorts is effected by the small 
bulbs or bulblets that form at the base of the new bulb ; 
these are produced in greater or less quantities for some 
cause or causes that we do not understand. Some varie¬ 
ties will average a hundred per year, others will pro¬ 
duce scarcely any ; this will in a great measure account 
for the marked difference in the prices of the named 
sorts ; it will also account for the rapid increase of the 
more common varieties and the sudden disappearance of 
these greatly prized. Choice sorts are usually short 
lived unless they are increased by the bulblets. In many 
of our named sorts old bulbs will not produce good 
flowers, if, indeed, they produce any : consequently the 
bulblets of all favorite sorts should be saved and planted 
each Spring: at least a sufficient number of them for a re¬ 
quired stock. The question is frequently asked : “Do the 
varieties sport or return to the type, or do the white and 
yellow grounds put on the scarlet ? ” To all such queries 
we say No, most emphatically. “But then,” continues 
the querist, “ how is it that now all mine are red? The 
first year or two of my growing them the collection was 
.•superb, the best 1 could get: now they are not worth 
•growing.-’ I will tell you. The light colors have less 
vitality, as a rule, than the dark ones, consequently do 
not rapidly reproduce; and, like delicate, beautiful 
children, are short lived. On the contrary, most of the 
older red varieties are nearer the type and possess 
healthy, strong constitutions, and increase with great 
rapidity. 
I have planted small bulb3 of the variety Brench- 
leyensis, not larger than peas, and in the Fall have taken 
from them more than two hundred well-ripened bulblets. 
"From a Shakespeare, a variety that never flowers well 
•excepting from young-bulbs or many others of that 
class, I should consider myself fortunate if I could get a 
•dozen. The explanation is, the rare kinds die out; the 
more common ones multiply so rapidly that quantity is 
kept intact at the expense of quality. It is impossible 
to keep up a good variety unless you grow them on 
from bulblets, or buy your stock from year to year from 
.those who do. 
The bulblets may be sown in early Spring in any con¬ 
venient out-of-the-way place in the garden, and given 
the same treatment as recommended for the seed. If 
There are only a few years left to love ; 
Shall we waste them in idle strife ? 
Shall we trample under our ruthless feet 
Those beautiful blossoms rare and sweet 
By the dusty way of life? 
in good soil they will, with proper attention, nearly all 
flower the second year. The first season they require 
but little room ; make your drills the width of a com¬ 
mon garden hoe, and about two inches deep ; sow the 
bulblets so close that they will nearly touch each other, 
and they will do much better than if more scattered. 
Take up in the Autumn after the first frost, carefully 
dry and pack away during the Winter. 
The planting should bo made as early in Spring as the 
ground can be got in order; no ma tter if there should be 
hard frosts after, it will not penetrate the ground suffi¬ 
cient to injure them. For late flowering, reserve some 
of the stronger bulbs until the first of July, which will 
keep back their flowering until about the lirstof October. 
There is another important point in the cultivation of. 
the Gladiolus that will apply equally well to the cultiva¬ 
tion of all other flowers and plants, a point upon which 
success or failure usually turns, a point upon which 
more questions are asked than upon all others, — it is, 
“What is the best fertilizer?” The importance of the 
question cannot, should not. be overlooked. I have tried 
bones of all denominations: bones in their natural state, 
bones crushed, bones powdered, bones dissolved with 
sulphuric and muriatic acid, bone phosphates and super¬ 
phosphates. They are all very good and valuable aids ; 
but when united with sinew and applied to the hoe, 
bone becomes magnum bonum. Muck, leaf-mold, peat, 
are all good. Guano of the various 4 brands, and the soil 
called “night,” have their advocates — in the merchant. 
But for bulb culture, all the named stimulating manures 
are dangerous and should not be used. It is true some 
of these manures will give the flowers colors and size 
wonderfully magnified, as stimulating food will the in¬ 
dividual whose countenance has blossoms that rival the 
Rose, though not the blooms of health. My experience 
has been that bulbs produced with such help are dis¬ 
eased and short-lived, and, in fact, I think more city and 
suburban gardens are ruined by applying plant-food 
that plants cannot use than from all other causes put 
together—I think I may safely include the gardeners. 
The object of manure is to return to the soil those ele¬ 
ments that go to produce plant-life, and which have to 
an extent been exhausted by the previous crop. For 
that purpose there is nothing that will take the place of 
well-rotted turf ; it is to the soil what bread is to the in¬ 
dividual—the staff of life; it produces plants healthful, 
strong, vigorous and clean, instead of worms and aphis. 
For small gardens, where what is termed “ a rest ” is im¬ 
practicable, it is invaluable and has no substitute. The 
next best for flowers is the manure from the cow-stable, 
which should be well-rotted ; they may be used together 
to good advantage. In this connection let me say that 
I mean these remarks to apply to small gardens only, as 
turf could not be got in sufficient quantities for general 
use; for that stable manure occupies the first place 
among fertilizers, as it contains the largest number of 
ingredients to sustain plant-life and in the greatest 
variety of form. In ordinary gardening there is but 
little, if any, danger of using too much—that is, when it 
is evenly distributed. 
There are only a few swift years—ah ! let 
No envious taunts be heard; 
Make life’s fair pattern of rare design, 
And fill up the measure with love’s sweet wine, 
But never an angry word ! —[Selected 
