ee ee a ae ae 
Dec. 1, 1903 
hooded type of flower and the harsh con- 
trasts of color are giving way to varieties 
with stronger spikes, large well-opened 
flowers, and colors of beautiful harmony 
and softness, extending from white to the 
deepest maroon, and including several 
forms also of violet-blue shades. In the 
production of these no consistency of 
hybridising appears to be being adhered 
to; in fact, I believe that in a few years’ 
time there will be no clearly defined types 
representative of the various sections of 
Gladioli classed under the names of 
Lemoinei, Saundersi, and gandavensis. 
The only important differences will be 
habit and time of flowering. 
However, at present the Lemoinei 
hybrids are distinct enough in many cases 
by flowering earlier (July), in having more 
slender peduncles, and flowers from 1 inch 
to 3 inches across, with the basal segment 
or segments usually blotched or spotted 
with a color different to that of the 
ground color. Their culture is identical 
with that of the next two sections. I 
have not found them appreciably hardier 
or any advantage in autumn planting. 
Some of the varieties are positively ugly 
by reason of the harsh contrasts of color. 
The hooded flower is also to my mind 
highly objectionable. The following varie- 
ties are, however, very pretty :—Venus of 
Milo, white, purple spot; Princess Altieri, 
white, crimson blotch; Gil Blas, salmon, 
large blood-red blotches; Devil de Carnot, 
crimson; liacordaire, fiery red; M. 
Lereque, crimson, pencilled yellow; El- 
dorado, yellow, dark blotch. 
The varieties of garden Gladioli in- 
cluded under the names of ; 
SAUNDERSI, NANCEIANUS, AND CHILDSI 
are, or were, originally hybrids between 
G. Saundersi (species) and varieties of 
Lemoinei and gandavensis. This cross 
resulted in a type of plant having very 
large open flowers, too large often for the 
peduncle, which partook of the character 
‘of G. Saundersi in being rather weak. 
Personally I do not think the majority of 
varieties of this section are any improve- 
ment in themselves on those of gandaven- 
sis forms, the flowers being very often 
loose and flimsy in petal and just as ugly 
‘in form as the hooded type of Lemoinei. 
The colors also, in quite a number of varie- 
‘ties listed in catalogues, are not pleasing, 
and, what is an important character from 
a decorative point of view, there is not 
usually an orderly sequence of develop- 
ment of the flowers up the spike. Two or 
three gigantic flowers at the base will open 
and wither before those above develop, 
‘and these are very much smaller, out of 
ali proportion in fact. Nevertheless, the 
introduction of this section will, and al- 
ready is, leading to grand results. Care- 
ful ‘and judicious crossing between the 
sturdy varieties of gandavensis, with their 
thick-set spikes, and good colored varieties 
of Saundersi is resulting in Gladioli of 
splendid type, with the faults on both 
sides of the parents nicely corrected. 
~ A few good varieties are Abbe Rou- 
‘¢burt, deep crimson; A. R. Smith, car- 
“fiine and yellow; Ferdinand Kegeljahn, 
"HE AUSTRALIs GA KDENER, 
orange and salmon; Pacha, orange. And 
under the Uhildsi group are Kitty Ley- 
land, very large rich pink; Mrs. Bird, 
rose; Ben Hur, a very large flowered but 
dwarf variety, with a much dotted and 
pencilled pink flower. A number of the 
Childsi varieties are, in my opinion, very 
much overrated. 
Coming now to the best known, the 
most cultivated, and still the most useful, 
of 
G. gandavensis, we may as well refer 
to its origin, or what is said to have been 
its origin, viz., a cross between G. car- 
dinalis and G. psittacinus, though I be- 
lieve there is no doubt that G. oppositi- 
folius is accountable for the origin of the 
light ground varieties, the whites and 
purples. Anyway, the best types of G. 
gandavensis are magnificent garden 
flowers. Every color except clear blue 
has been attained, and the most fastidious 
sentimentalist may be satisfied with the 
perfection ot form and bearing*of their 
massive spikes, whether as seen in the 
open garden or when cut for the decora- 
tion of the house. Their cultural re- 
quirements are not exacting. There are 
certain conditions under which they will 
not thrive, put these are few; they cannot 
endure shade of any kind, and prolonged 
drought induces abortion of their spikes 
and premature ripening, hence they rarely 
succeed in dry, shallow soils. Organic 
manures should be kept away from their 
corms.- On the other hand, if an open 
site is obtainable, I believe Gladioli, can 
be successfully grown in any’ soil, pro- 
vided it is (1) deeply worked 2 feet at the 
least, (2) made firm before planting, (3) 
and an abundant supply of phosphatic 
fertiliser be afforded. The two first: con- 
siderations are best effected by autumn 
trenching, or at least bastard trenching. 
The soil then settles down naturally dur- 
ing the winter. As to the third, basic 
slag, along with a good dressing of stable 
manure dug into the second spit, is, per- 
haps, best for stiff loams, clays, and 
genuine peaty soils. On lighter  goils 
steamed bone flour is preferable. In both 
cases let the application be liberal the first 
time, say | lb. for every 3 square yards. 
For really sandy soils superphosphate oi 
lime 3 Ip, along with sulphate of 
potash 1 Jb. for every 3 square yards 
raked into the top spit about a 
month before planting gives markedly 
good results. A regular dressing of 
slaked lime over the _ beds 
the winter at the rate of a bushel to the 
rod the first time, and half this quantity 
each succeeding winter is nearly always of 
great value. Gladioli especially seems to 
appreciate it, moreover, it is worth noting 
that superphosphate has been found ‘by 
_experiment to fail in the absence of a suffi- 
ciency of basic lime compounds in the soil. 
_ Twice during the growing season I give 
my. beds a sprinkle of nitrate of soda, 1 lb. 
_to each 10 square yards, the first time in 
May and again in the first week in July, 
the results this rainy. season have. been 
‘most marked; some untreated beds being 
as well as the finest sections, the varieties 
during. 
3d} 
far behind the nitrated bedsin vigor. If 
the above procedure as to chemical fer- 
tilisers seems complicated, then try a com- 
bined manure (after trenching and manur- 
ing in the ordinary way) such as Clay’s. 
Use as a top-dressing 28 lb. to the rod 
after planting, and again in June, raking 
it well in between the rows——W. C. Butt. 
Down here in the south-east of England 
I like to begin planting as soon after the 
middle of February as the soil will allow, 
commencing with the Lemoinei, and com- 
plete planting by the first week in May. 
The corms are put in 5 inches deep in 
beds 4 feet wide, with 2 feet between the 
beds, the number of rows in each bed 
depending on the size of the corms, but 
for convenience in staking, weeding, and 
getting among the plants when in bloom: 
12 inches apart each way between the 
large corms should be allowed. 
I wish I could speak with experience as 
to the date for planting in the north, but 
I do believe in as early planting as pos- 
sible. A great deal depends on the | 
drainage of the sub-soil, but Gladioli will 
stand a lot of cold if the soil is not wet 
and stodgy, provided well ripened corms, 
which have been kept very cool all the 
winter, are put in. North country 
growers should, however, always stick to 
early-flowering varieties in each section. 
Staking with 4 feet or 5 feet: bamboos 
when the tops appear, keeping the top 
inch of soil loose and clean, releasing the 
spikes from the sheaths when the bracts 
of the flowers get caught just as they 
emerge, and keeping a look out for cater- 
pillars in the opening buds, are the chief 
cultural details during the season. 
In late October and November lifting 
should be done regardiess of the degree of 
maturity of the foliage, though naturally 
one would lift the yellow-leaved plants be- 
fore those still in active growth. <A mild 
rainy November will often start the corms 
rerooting, though the tops may still be 
quite green. A dry day should be chosen, 
the plants lifted entire, the labels tied on, 
and the whole batch spread out in single 
layers in a dry shed to mature. Protec- 
tion must be given against actual frost. 
The tops when dead should be cut off close 
to the new corm, and the old defunct 
corm below, with its withered roots, 
separated by a sharp pull, when, if the 
new corm is mature, a clean dry scar is 
left,°a natural line of separation between 
the two corms having been naturally 
effected by the formation of a few layers 
_of brittle cork cells during the drying pro- 
cess. é 
The offsets or spawn, if to be preserved 
‘for increasing the stock, should be put 
into a small paper bag and labelled. ~ Off- 
sets attached firmly to the corm when lift- 
ing are best left on till-cleaning up takes 
place. The number and size of these off- 
sets vary much; oftem the most beautiful 
varieties yield none, while rubbishy plants 
may yield dazens. While out of the 
ground the corms should be kept as dry 
and cool as possible. “When dry they will 
bear safely several: degrees ‘of frost,“but — 
in a damp store-house immature ones get 
