roots to the surface where they are damaged by the hot surface ground. After the 
flower spikes start showing, soak your glads down twice each week and keep this up 
until you cut the spike. 
When the first blooms open, cut the spikes in the morning (leaving at least 4 
leaves on the plant to develop the bulb next year.) 
Place the cut spike in water in your cool basement, and leave until the following 
morning. You will be surprised to see how the spike developed. Your spike is now 
in its prime for vasing. The gladiolus is primarily a cut flower. Don’t leave these 
lovely flowers out in the wind and sun to be damaged. Enjoy them indoors. 
THE THRIP, A MIGHTY PEST IS HE. And that is just what he is if you don’t 
fight him and hit him hard. The old slogan, “An ounce of prevention is worth a 
pound of cure,” is really true in this case. 
Thrip is a tiny insect, in fact it is a mere speck. They suck the life juice from 
the tender flower spike even before it emerges. The result is a poor spike, if any. 
Thrip are about 1/25th of an inch long, have wings, and are carried around by 
the wind, on clothing, etc. They increase tremendously fast, and if only a few adult 
thrip are present in the spring, they will increase to millions by August. Even if 
you plant thrip free bulbs, you will likely get them from our neighbors if their plants 
have thrip, because thrip are carried around. 
HOWEVER THERE IS AN EASY REMEDY. Fortunately in our cold climate 
thrip cannot easily overwinter outdoors, the danger lies in thrip overwintering the 
bulbs. EVERY GLAD BULB SHOULD BE DISINFECTED before planting, 
no matter if you had them on hand or just bought them. Use BICHLORIDE OF 
MERCURY, 1 oz. dissolved in 7 gallons of water. Place each variety in a cloth sack, 
labeled, and soak the bulbs 12 to 18 hours. The solution should be kept at 60 degrees 
or over. Plant the bulbs while still wet, if possible. This dip kills all thrip and their 
eggs and also certain bacteria that might be present. Now your bulbs are in good 
shape, but you will have to see to it that your neighbors all around also clean up 
their bulbs otherwise as stated above they will spread the thrip around to your 
plants again. Therefore get all the neighbors who have bulbs to bring them to- 
gether and disinfect them. Have a community dip for glad bulbs. BICHLORIDE 
OF MERCURY IS POISON. Use wood or crock container, never a metal one. 
After you have dipped, planted and your bulbs have grown to about 6inches in 
height you should begin spraying. If you start early and spray often, about 10 days 
or 2 weeks, until blooming you will have some very beautiful blooms and few or 
no thrip. 
The best spray formula probably is the tartar emetic-brown sugar solution, as it 
will not burn galdiolus foliage. 1 oz. tartar emetic; 2 oz. brown sugar; 3 gal. water. 
Various arsenic spray materials also are effective, but will burn foliage. Paris Green 
is harmful to foliage, magnesium arsenate least harmful. For three gallons of water 
and two pounds of brown sugar, use one tablespoonful of Paris Green, or two table- 
spoonsful of lead arsenate or magnesium arsenate. The tartar emetic formula calls 
for two teaspoonfuls of T. E. wtih six and one-half teaspoonfuls of brown sugar 
(white sugar is O.K.—molasses and sirup formulas are available) in three gallons of 
water. Any of these mixtures should be used within 24 hours, before sugar begins 
to ferment. Spray material should be applied as a fine mist, with a pressure sprayer. 
Thrips damage to florets occurs long before spikes emerge from plant. If your 
gladiolus are sprayed after each rain or watering frcm the time they are six inches 
high until spikes appear, you will have no thrips damage to your blooms. If you 
started late spray regularly, three times at three-day intervals, every two weeks apart. 
HOW TO DIG GLADS: October is the principal digging month. Lift with a 
potato fork and cut off the stem close to the bulb. 
HOW TO STORE GLADS: Store bulbs in the coolest portion of your basement. 
35° to 40° is ideal. They will freeze at about 28°. They should be stored in shallow 
trays so that there will be a circulation of air about them. [If any thrips are present 
four tablespconsful ef napthalene flakes to 100 large, fully dried bulbs enclosed in a 
paper sack may be used as a home fumigant. Sack should be only partially closed to 
avoid moulding of bulbs. A three-week fumigation by this method is generally used. 

Independence, Iowa, February 3, 1944 
Dear Mr. Ruble: 
All of those small bulbs in that collection No. 3 grew except one and they bloomed 
beautifully. I am sending you a larger order this year (twice as large) and want another of 
your fine collections. 
Very truly yours, 
Mrs. P. L. Lynch 
