CARE AND CULTURE 
THE GLADIOLUS can be successfully grown in practically any soil. They are 
easily grown and respond wonderfully to a little attention, such as timely watering 
and cultivation They will adapt themselves to most any garden and will be found 
doing much better than most flowers with an equal amount of effort by the grower, 
be they amateur or professional 
THE PACKAGE when received should be opened at once to admit air directly 
on bulbs—store in cool, dry and frost-proof place until planting time. 
SOIL and LOCATION —Any good garden soil is very satisfactory; the soil should 
not be worked when wet, and should be kept pliable at all times during the growing 
season. They will not do their best in too much shade. They enjoy being planted 
in rows or in beds ; they are valuable in the landscape, putting clumps of all one 
color or mixed at suitable points for the desired effect. The ground should be well 
drained for best results. 
DISINFECTING —Precautionary measures guarding against insect pests and bulb 
troubles are very effective and most economical. The garden should be cleaned 
and the old tops of gladiolus as well as the tops of other plants and other refuse 
should be raked up and burned. The storage room should be clean and disin¬ 
fected as well as the bulb containers before using them to store bulbs over winter. 
Disinfecting all bulbs before planting is an easy task and is advisable as it will 
practically eliminate any disease or insect pest. We offer but one method: this 
accomplishes all in one operation; use at the rate of one ounce of Bichloride of 
Mercury (poison) to 7 gallons water (B. of M. is more soluble in warm water), 
soak from 8 to 10 hours, the night before planting, (not necessary to remove 
husks) ; a simple procedure is to place bulbs in salt or sugar bags, tie strong string 
around top of bag, other end of string carrying the variety name on it, drop in 
solution, a stick will punch them under—after soaking, hang up by string to dry, 
or they may be planted wet. Use non-metallic container for the B. of M. 
PLANTING —Have soil loose; make trench or hole deep enough so that bulbs can 
be covered with three inches of dirt, (sandy soil, five inches); plant bulbs three 
inches apart in the row. If fertilizer is used at planting time, keep at least two 
inches from bulb, by covering bulb with dirt before adding the fertilizer. 
SPRAYING and THRIP —Thrip is a very small insect 1/16 inch, and the cause of 
most all gladiolus failures. It causes the plant to turn brown, and does not permit 
the development of a good flower. While this insect is no longer serious, preventa¬ 
tive measures must be used. Soak all bulbs before planting, with bichloride of 
mercury as directed above. Thrip survive the winter in your storage, so take the 
bulbs to the garden in the container you soaked them in. Everything taken from 
the storage should be clean. Inspect the plants closely when small, start when 
they are 2" high—if thrip is detected spray daily until they are destroyed, then 
spray once a week, or as your case requires. They must all be destroyed before 
flower spike starts. Spray in the early evening, this gives a minimum of evapora¬ 
tion and permits the spray to spread more thoroughly. The best and most econ¬ 
omical spray is Rototox—write them—The Rototox Co., 81 East Yale St., East 
Williston, N. Y. They will send you pamphlet on how to use Rototox, and prices. 
WATER and CULTIVATION —Water thoroughly so that it will soak down to 
the bulb, at least once a week, but count a good rain as one; cultivate thoroughly 
next day if not sticky. 
THE FLOWER —If you wish to cut the flower do it when the first flower opens 
wide. To get a nice spike with it, slide the knife down close to spike on one side 
stopping six to eight inches from ground, then slide it down the opposite side 
giving knife a twist at the bottom to remove spike with flowers; this operation 
cuts leaves from spike but they remain on the plant, which is essential to properly 
mature the bulb. 
HARVESTING —Bulbs should be ready to dig three to six weeks after blooming, 
or dig when foliage starts to turn brown. Loosen bulb with fork or other tool 
and bulb will lift out by the top—shake dirt off—cut tops off close to bulb, let bulb 
fall in clean container (three inches deep), pile up tops for burning. Let bulbs 
cure three to six weeks in a dry, airy, frost-proof place, stir occasionally for thor¬ 
ough drying—they must be dry. When ready, the old root should snap off easily, 
leaving bulb clean; now store away for winter in containers (boxes or bags) not 
over four inches deep, in a cool, dry, frost-proof place. 
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