light, sandy soil. They will produce bulbs ranging from very small 
to real large in some cases. Not all will grow, but you should get 
a very substantial increase by this method. 
ABOUT THRIPS 
The cheapest, and about the most certain, form of insurance 
against thrips is to soak all your bulbs overnight in a solution of 
bichloride of mercury (corrosive sublimate) . It is a good plan to 
do this no matter what previous treatment your bulbs have had and 
no matter where you obtained them. Not only does this treatment 
protect you against thrips, but it is also effective in controlling cer¬ 
tain gladiolus diseases. 
Make a solution of one ounce of the bichloride power to seven 
gallons of water. If the powder does not dissolve readily, use a 
small quantity of hot water, then mix with the larger quantity. To 
be effective, the solution should be kept at about 60° F. Use only 
glass, wooden, or crockery containers, metal destroys the effective¬ 
ness of the solution. 
The only effect you should notice from this treatment is a slight 
delay in blooming date, usually ten days to two weeks. There have 
been some experiments made with other materials, such as Lysol, 
which apparently do not retard the date of blooming whatsoever, 
but we are not in a position to recommend specific treatment with 
this solution at this time. 
If your planting is small, particularly in a climate where thrips 
can live over Winter in the ground, it would seem a good insurance 
to spray, starting when the plants are about six inches tall, and 
continuing until the buds start to open. On larger plantings, where 
the expense would be noticeable, you can watch the plants carefully 
as they develop. Any silvery streaks on the leaves mean trouble, 
if you look closely you can usually find the thrips themselves out 
on the leaves in the sun, or down between the leaves on a dark day. 
If you do find it necessary to spray, we recommend the tartar 
emetic treatment widely used by commercial growers in Florida. 
Make a solution of four pounds of tartar emetic, sixteen pounds of 
brown sugar, to one hundred gallons of water. For small quantities 
use two ounces of tartar emetic, eight ounces of brown sugar, to 
three gallons of water. Tartar emetic is a standard chemical also 
known as antimony tartrate. The solution should be kept stirred 
as it is used, do not make up a lot in a container and dip off the 
top, as the tartar emetic will settle out in a short time. 
If you should get a bad infestation, in spite of all precautions, 
keep the blooms off the field. Any badly damaged and unusable 
spikes should be cut and burned. Do not leave on the plants for 
the thrip to feed on and multiply. 
In the Fall, after your bulbs are cleaned, AND WELL DRIED, you 
may sprinkle naphthalene flakes among them at the rate of about 
one ounce to one hundred large bulbs. Close up tightly with news¬ 
papers, or place in bags and tie the tops. Place in a warm location 
for about two weeks. Then remove the flakes, put the bulbs back 
in the shallow flats and store in a cool, dry, well ventilated place 
BE SURE TO REMOVE THE NAPHTHALENE BEFORE ROOT BUDS 
START TO SHOW AROUND THE BASE OF THE BULB. Also, do 
not plant any of the dust from the flakes with the bulbs. 
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