DIGGING AND CURING BULBS: Gladiolus bulbs 
ordinarily mature in 6 or 8 weeks after blooming, 
except that this period is much shorter for Sep- 
tember and early October blooming. A few varie- 
ties appear to mature in a much shorter time and 
must be dug when the first sign of brown foliage 
appears; in genera] it is better to dig most varie- 
ties before such signs appear, as bulb diseases 
appear quickly after the foliage turns brown. All 
bulbs must be dug well before danger of the 
ground freezing hard. Also, if possible, bulbs 
should only be dug when the soil is reasonably 
dry. Loosen the soil on both sides of the row 
with a spading fork so that the bulbs can be 
lifted without breaking away from the foliage. 
Place in a screen bottom tray (1/8 inch hardware 
cloth) and work the earth through the screen. 
Cut (do not break) the foliage just above the bulb 
at once. If screen bottomed trays are available, 
the bulbs should be placed in these, for drying 
and for storage, not to exceed 4 inches in depth, 
and set in the sun for not more than one day. The 
trays should then be placed under an airy shelter 
for several days before removing to the basement. 
All during the curing process there should be a 
free circulation of air over and under the bulbs. 
Occasional stirring of the bulbs in damp weather 
hastens curing. An electric fan directed on the 
bulbs will help dry them rapidly and thus help 
prevent disease. 
Soil may be separated from small growing 
stock and bulblets by washing witha hose through 
a screen bottomed tray. Washed bulbs and bulb- 
lets dry very slowly and therefore require extra 
care in drying. 
CLEANING AND STORAGE: After two to three 
weeks the old bulb is easily removed, leaving a 
clean scar on the base of the new bulb. If a ma- 
jority of the bulbs break clean, suspicion should 
be directed to those which do not, as these may 
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