Page 34 
THE GLADIOLUS FANCIER’S GUIDEBOOK FOR 1951 
CULTURE 
Both the N.E.G.S. and the N.A.G.C. 
issue Cultural leaflets. Inquire of their 
secretaries for copies. See page 35. 
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- 
niest location possible. 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 bulb- 
lets 2. If soil is extremely sandy plant 
somewhat deeper. If very heavy, some- 
‘what less deep. For best bloom production 
set bulbs apart in row roughly about 4 
times their diameter. Sow bulblets thick- 
ly, 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 course bone 
meal (25-30 lbs. to 500 sq. ft.) was ap- 
plied in the fall and the ground left 
rough, no more fertilizing need be done 
the following year or two. 
A plump bulb of 1% inches diameter 
has plenty food to start production of 
a show specimen spike. 
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 your 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 satisfac- 
torily solved—a great blessing to all 
concerned. 
We are through with NAPTHALENE 
FLAKES for gassing bulbs in storage 
. through with TARTAR EMETIC 
and its necessary “sweets” accompani- 
ment for plant spray ... through with 
CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE (bichloride 
of mercury) bulb soaking as a prerequi- 
site to planting, using it only where a 
particular batch of bulbs show some 
definite signs of some disease to be cor- 
rected or where bulbs about to be planted 
show live thrips infestation and an :‘over- 
night kill of both thrips and eggs must 
be obtained. Or to control scab. 
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 important 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 possible human hazard by 
inhalation. 
Where obtainable, if D.D.T. dusting 
powder contains rotenone (or pyrethum 
or tobacco dust), this is desirable to 
kill plant lice (D.D.T. does not) which 
carry virus infections from peas, beans, 
ete. 
If D.D.T. dust is 3% or more it is 
desirable to add equal weight of common 
sulphur dust, whether the dust is to be 
used on the bulbs or on the plants, to 
prevent fungus diseases. 
If you grow peas or beans, very 
desirable both for them and the glads 
that you dust them with this triple 
formula. 
If you use D. D. T. liquid spray, the 
wettable 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 emul- 
sion base. Use either the wettable 
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 
leaving to the highly trained gladiolus 
specialist the experimentation and cash 
investment necessary to try out all the 
new offerings of the many hybridizers. 
We have no knowledge of the exist- 
ence of any other gladiolus catalog in 
the world that even closely approaches 
so exclusive a list of new material 
subjected to unbiased, competent testing 
and found to be of high over-all rating 
with the inferior new material carefully 
sereened out. 
» Also, it is well to leave to the federal, 
state and university entomologists, path- 
ologists and to gladiolus specialists 
cooperating with them, the determina- 
tion of best usages for the control of 
insect pests and bulb and plant diseases. 
Iixperimentation by others with poisons, 
poisonous gases and with insecticides, 
the component parts of which are not 
understood by the user, and with un- 
approved methods of fertilization, usu- 
ally leads to trouble. 
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