and here you will get more for your money considering everything. Small bulbs 
will nearly all bloom but usually rather short and later in the season. However, 
they will grow to large bulbs in one season and next year you wil be ahead because 
you will have more bulbs for the same money. Don’t ask me to decide which 
size you should buy. 
OPPORTUNITIES 
Is your local florist able to buy plenty of up-to-date flowers locally or does 
he have to have them shipped in? Do you live on a well traveled road where 
you could sell flowers roadside? Do you have a small plot of ground that you 
could put in glads for an additional income? If you have some ground and plenty 
of water you should be able to make some extra money. It takes a little investment, 
a little land and a lot of initiative to start out. If you haven’t all three, forget the 
whole thing. 
Here are the possibilities on a plot of ground 50 x 100 feet. For cut flowers 
number 3 bulbs work out best. You get good flowers and the bulbs grow to a 
jumbo giving you an increase in value at both ends. 
Make 24 rows 2 feet apart and 90 feet long. Plant your bulbs about 6 to the 
foot for commercial growing. This will require approximately 13,000 bulbs. At 
an average selling price of 75 cents a dozen you: would have over $750 return 
on cut flowers and your bulbs should increase in value over $5 per 1,000 giving 
you over $60 in value. You have to consider your time, spray, water and land 
value out of this however. Also, you might not be able to sell all of the flowers 
if you get the wrong varieties or if you aren’t on your toes. Don’t start out with 
too expensive varieties. Don’t get too many varieties for florist use. They like 
to have an even dozen of a kind. Roadside is different — the more varieties and 
the odder the colors the better. 
For florist trade have about 35% white, 20% pink and salmon, 10% yellow, 
15% red, 10% cream, 10% lavender. This is just a rough estimate. Some florists 
are different than others. A few like dark colors and smokies, but to start out 
omit these. Don’t plant all at once as a florist doesn’t like to have you start and 
then quit in a few weeks. When your glads first come out take a half dozen spikes 
to your florist and show him what you have. Don’t wait until they are ready and 
go down because he might be all stocked up. Pick when they have just one or 
two florets open. 
CULTURE DIRECTIONS 
When thrips get on glads people blame the weather, the bulbs and even me. 
Thrip free bulbs don’t mean thrip free glads. Thrips seem to be everywhere. When 
the weather warms up they come out, multiply by the thousand and start in on 
the glads. ALWAYS WHEN THE PLANTS MAKE GOOD GROWTH AND THEN 
THE BUDS DRY UP — IT IS THRIPS. Glads can stand temperatures up to 105 
degrees if you give them lots of water. : 
Having thrips is just carelessness as a good spraying or dusting of 5% DDT 
every two weeks will take care of them. 
TIME TO PLANT 
Early spring is best but anytime after that up until about 90 days before you 
expect the first frost. Start planting when the buds start swelling on fruit trees. 
Make successive plantings every three weeks for continued blooms. In the south 
you can start planting early in February and continue until the first of August. 
PLANTING 
Make a dip using one teaspoon Lysol to a quart of water. Soak your bulbs 
for 3 hours and let drain and plant. New Improved Ceresan is better, but hard to 
use on a small scale. It’s better for commercial growers. 
We have found Natriphene a wonderful product for absolutely the best results. 
Dissolve 1 Natriphene tablet in 2% gallons of water — Soak your bulbs for 48 
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