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becomes desirable, water heavily about once a week, rather than a little each day. It 
is necessary to thoroughly soak the ground in order to get the water down to the 
roots where it will do the most good. Light watering brings the roots up near the 
surface, where they are easily burned by the hot noonday sun. 
Dig the bulbs four to six weeks after blooming, or when the tops show signs of 
turning brown. Do not wait for them to die down completely. First loosen the soil 
with a fork, then carefully pull the plants, cutting the stalks with pruning shears up 
close to the bulbs. Let the bulbs fall into very shallow boxes, or onto burlap or can- 
vas squares, and cure in the sun for a few days. Be sure to cover the bulbs or take 
them in at night if there is danger from freezing. 
Store the bulbs in shallow boxes in a well ventilated place until the bottoms or 
old bulbs can be easily removed. After this is done they can again be placed in 
storage, this time until you wish to plant them. It is a good plan to inspect your 
glad bulbs occasionally during the winter. If any mildew or mold appears, give them 
more ventilation and make sure the bulbs are perfectly dry. 
The bulblets which you found around the base of the new bulbs when you re- 
moved the old bottoms should be stored separately and planted about two inches deep 
in a light sandy soil. They will produce bulbs ranging from real small to very large in 
some cases. Not all will grow, but a substantial increase can usually be expected. 

ABOUT THRIPS 
The cheapest, and about the most certain, form of insurance against thrips is to 
soak your gladiolus 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 treat- 
ment protect you against thrips but it is also effective in controlling certain gladiolus 
diseases. The only disadvantage apparent from this treatment is a deay in the 
blooming dates of the glads treated of a week to ten days. 
The recommended solution consists of One ounce of the corrosive sublimate to 
seven gallons of water. First dissolve the powder in a small quantity of hot water 
and then. add to the larger quantity, which should be kept at about 60° F. for best 
results. Use only wooden, glass, or crockery containers, as metal destroys the 
effectiveness of the solution. 
If you live in a climate where thrips can live in the ground through the winter, 
or if there are other gladiolus plantings in your vicinity, it would seem a good in- 
surance to spray, as thrips can be carried a half mile or more by a strong breeze in a 
very short time. 
Spraying should be started when the plants are six inches tall and continued 
about every ten days until the flower buds start to open. If heavy rains occur in the 
meantime, it is well to spray shortly thereafter. The spray should be applied under 
pressure, in the form of a mist. If drops form on the foliage you are applying too 
much or at too low a pressure. 
If you do find it advisable to use a spray, we recommend the tarter emetic 
treatment, widely used by commercial growers in Florida, where this method of 
thrips control is standard procedure. For large plantings, use four pounds of tartar 
emetic and sixteen pounds of brown sugar to one hundred gallons of water. For 
small quantities, use two ounces of tartar emetic and eight ounces of brown sugar 
to three gallons of water. Keep the solution agitated or the tartar emetic will settle 
out in a short time. We have never known this treatment to burn or damage the 
plants in any way, and it is very inexpensive, also very effective. Tartar emetic is a 
standard chemical, also known as antimony tartrate, and may be obtained from your 
druggist or a manufacturing chemist. 
At blooming time, if you find any damaged spikes, remove them from the field 
and destroy them as soon as they are discovered. This will dispose of those thrips 
which are actually on the blooms and prevent them and their progeny from infesting 
other portions of your planting. 
