a 
about six inches above the ground with a sharp knife, then bend the spike away from 
the cut. It will usually break clean and leave five or more leaves on the plant to mature 
the bulb. This method of cutting requires a little practice, but it is fast and leaves the 
plant in good condition. To prolong the life of glads indoors, cut the stem a half inch 
each day and give fresh water. 
Digging: Dig your bulbs the middle of October and cut the tops as close to the bulb 
as possible. Spread them out in the shade—we do not like sun-burned bulbs!—for a few 
days to dry, then dust with 5% DDT. Put them in a dry part of the basement and in four 
to six weeks the old bulb and roots will snap off from the new bulb leaving a clean scar. 
DO NOT husk the bulbs—nature has given them a husk to conserve moisture within the 
bulb. We remove the outer husk on bulbs we sell immediately before shipment for just 
two reasons: it makes them look better and occasionally we will find a spot of bruise or 
scab under the outer husk. If the old bulb does not snap off clean or if it looks diseased, 
then throw the bulb out. 
Storing: Store in a cool dry part of the basement. A temperature range of 33°F to 
45°F is best. Bulbs stored under moist conditions will be more susceptible to storage rot 
and disease. If your bulbs are in a cloth bag hung in the basement you can almost forget 
them until spring. 
Dips Before Planting: We use several different fungicides on bulbs which we plant. 
New Improved Ceresan is good for those who have enough bulbs to bother getting it—the 
formulae is: one ounce (2 tablespoons) N. I. Ceresan, the same amount of Dreft or any 
other wetting agent and three gallons of water. Use just enough water on the Ceresan 
and wetting agent to make a paste of it before adding the rest of the water and it will 
mix more readily. Soak the bulbs not over 30 minutes and plant before they dry out in 
moist soil or soak down after planting. 
We like to dust our planting stock of small bulbs and bulblets with Arasan before 
planting. It is easy and has certainly helped us produce clean bulbs. We can dust our 
small bulbs during March and then when the good spring days come they are all ready 
to plant. Arasan is available at the better garden supply houses. 
Another dip: Lysol one and one half tablespoons to a gallon of water, soak three hours 
and plant before they dry. 
More and more commercial growers are getting back to the old mercuric chloride 
dip for bulbs and while it is extremely satisfactory for large plantings is too dangerous 
to recommend. If we can locate the right size wood tank before planting season we will 
use bichloride next spring. 
For up-to-the-minute news about glads, join your local or state Gladiolus society, 
and/or the New England Gladiolus Society, Horticulture Hall, Boston 15, Mass. dues 
$2.00 per year, or the North American Gladiolus Council, 2 Williams St., Bel Air, Mary- 
land—dues $1.00, both of which publish very readable glad information. 
COLLECTIONS OF BULBS 
If you would like to have us select gladiolus for you, the following collections are 
priced well below their catalog value. The colors used will be selected from this catalog 
and from about five hundred other varieties and seedlings which we grow. 
#1. 20 varieties, “I large pulb’of cachuntabeledt: 225 Wy Stee oe Pee bee $1.00 
#2. 50 large bulbs, at least 15 different colors, unlabeled. _ 2.50 
#3. 100 large bulbs, 5 each of 20 different varieties, PLUS at least 2 FREE bulbs of 
newer varieties, labeled _...____ Saas Lane tnst ed ey aa at D Bele nee we EE 
#4. An all WHITE collection: 75 bulbs, labeled, of white and light cream varieties 5.00 
#5. An all SMOKY collection: 75 bulbs, labeled, of smoky varieties ___ piel Qt Bes 5.00 
SIZE OF BULBS 
LARGE bulbs (L) are 114” and larger in diameter. This size produces the finest spikes. 
MEDIUM bulbs (M) are from 34” to 114” in diameter. 
SMALL bulbs (S) average 42” in diameter and must be grown for one year before they 
will produce a satisfactory spike. 
