GUIDEBOOK FOR 1949 
Page 33 


CULTURE 
PoupenewN.. |. G5. and the N. A..G.-C 
issue Cultural leaflets. Inquire of their sec- 
retaries for copies. See page 34. 
Increased data in fore part of our Guide 
Book, together with more new varieties than 
usual, have all but wiped out the space usually 
devoted to cultural directions. So, this year 
we will retain only some pertinent highlights’ 
Simple as can be. Inexpensive, too. Plant 
healthy, young bulbs of the large size of 
varieties currently winning first prizes in the 
major shows of the world. Soil prepared in 
the fall with heavy applications of well rotted 
cow manure and bone meal is excellent. Avoid 
horse manure in any season. Plant in the sun- 
miest location possible. Shelter from strong 
winds is desirable. Preferably in a group 
planting by themselves. They can be at their 
best in rows among the vegetables. 
Plant large bulbs 5 inches deep, medium 
bulbs 4, small bulbs 3 and bulblets 2. If soil 
is extremely sandy plant somewhat deeper. 
If very heavy, somewhat less deep. For best 
bloom production set bulbs apart in row 
roughly about 4 times their diameter. Sow 
bulblets thickly, like peas. Distance between 
rows as little as will permit of your particular 
method of cultivating, weeding, etc. 
If a heavy application of cow manure 
(3 to 6 inches deep) and coarse bone meal 
(25-30 Ibs. to 500 sq. ft.) was applied in the 
fall and the ground left rough, no more ferti- 
lizing need be done the following year. 
A plump bulb of 114 inches diameter has 
plenty food to start production of a show 
specimen spike. If the bulb is 2 inches or 
more in diameter it may have two or more 
prominent eyes or sprouts, indicating that 
it will make as many stalks and spikes. Now 
this one bulb cannot be expected to make two 
or more spikes of the same show specimen 
quality it would produce if held to a single 
eye and spike. If you want to bringsrenewed 
youth and vigor to your old jumbo bulbs and 
beat the other fellow, just disbud the bulb, 
i.e., gouge out all eyes except the most prom- 
inent one. just as you gouged out the little 
specks of scab or disease, dusting as before. 
We are of opinion that bulbs may be lost by 
this process only by failure to heal the cut 
surface sufficiently before planting. 
Above all. we beg our readers not to put 
off inspecting the plants for thrips infestation 
until blooms appear. If they already have 
a good foothold at that time you may have 
a very discouraging task on vour hands. 
We recommend preventive — spraying. 
once every 10 days after plants are up 6 or 8 
inches until blooming. In any event, have 
your insecticide on hand to use if needed. 
The thrips problem is now satisfactorily 
solved—a great blessing to all concerned. 
We are through with NAPTHALENE 
FLAKES for gassing bulbs in storage... . 
through w ith TARTAR EMETIC and its 
necessary “‘sweets’’ accompaniment for plant 
spray ... through with CORROSIVE SUB- 
LIMATE (bichloride of mercury) bulb soak- 
ing as a prerequisite to planting, using it only 
where a particular batch of bulbs show some 
definite signs of some disease to be corrected. 
For dusting bulbs in storage. The sooner 
the better after dug and roots relatively dry. 
If not dry in a week it is not nearly so im- 
portant as getting the bulbs dusted promptly 
to prevent thrips from crawling down the 
short stem to the crown of the bulb where 
dust may never penetrate. D. D. T. does 
not gas them like napthalene flakes. Use 
any D. D. T. dry dusting powder 1 to 3 per 
cent strength is enough . . . over 5 per cent 
a sheer waste of money and increase of pos- 
sible human hazard by inhalation. 
If you use D. D. T. liquid spray, the wet- 
table powder form is much safer (to you) 
than the liquid forms offered unless the label 
on the liquid clearly states that it carries no 
oil or oil emulsion base. Use either the wet- 
table powder or liquid spray at the formula 
rate suggested on the label. If several 
strengths are suggested for various kinds of 
plants or pests, adopt the strongest formula. 
A WORD TO THE WISE 
Disappointment can be minimized by leav- 
ing to the highly trained gladiolus specialist 
the experimentation and cash investment 
necessary to try out all the new offerings of 
the many hybridizers. Those who know the 
quality of competition in national, state and 
regional shows in the last few years have come 
to realize that inferior sorts rarely win. We 
list only those varieties currently winning 
first prize awards and, on occasion, a limited 
few new ones which we have grown and which, 
in Our opinion, are about to take their place 
in the winning ranks. We have almost no 
errors to acknowledge. 
We have no knowledge of the existence of 
any other gladiolus catalog in the world that 
even closely approaches so exclusive a list of 
prize-winners. 
Also, it is well to leave to the federal, state 
and university entomologists, pathologists 
and to gladiolus specialists pogeerenne with 
them, the determination of best usages for the 
control of insect pests and bulb and plant 
diseases. Experimentation by others with 
poisons, poisonous gases and with insecticides, 
the component parts of which are not under- 
stood by the user, and with unapproved meth- 
ods of fertilization, usually leads to trouble. 
