thinks it is a disease and that they came on the bulbs he 
bought. They may have, but thrips will go some distance to 
find glads, so it is best to dust or spray your plants every 
week to ten days from the time they are a few inches tall; 
also to dust the bulbs at digging time and again after clean- 
ing. If you do this, you are not likely to have thrips. 5% 
DDT is the accepted dust and 50% DDT wettable powder is 
the best spray. However, in some cases thrips become im- 
mune to DDT, then you use Chlordane which will surely knock 
them out. When your buds dry up and do not open proper- 
ly, you may know the trouble is thrips. If you do not spray 
or dust, you will sooner or later have thrips, but you can 
easily avoid them. 
In addition to spraying for thrips, you should do something 
about other insects who carry disease. DDT is the standard 
material to kill thrips, but it will not affect some other insects, 
so use rotenone or other insecticides that will kill all harmful 
insects. 
CUTTING BLOOMS— Though glads are used to a limited 
extent for landscape effect, their chief value is for cut-flowers. 
They do not look well in the garden unless the old flowers are 
kept picked. Cutting is best done in the morning, in with one 
to three blooms open. Cut down between the leaves so as 
to leave as many (at least 4 or 5) leaves on the plant as 
possible to develop new bulbs. Stems cut on a slant will take 
up water better. 
DISEASED PLANTS — Any plants that turn brown and look 
diseased or have mottled blooms should be pulled out and 
discarded. By mottling we do not mean flecking that occurs 
in some varieties, especially pinks and lavenders, under bad 
weather conditions, but roundish spots that are the effect of 
virus that is carried by certain insects. In a few varieties 
the color sometimes peels out in bad weather. Nothing can 
be done about this. 
However, a few varieties naturally have light yellowish 
foliage, which does not harm the bulbs. These few varieties 
usually show this yellowing or lack of chlorophyl more in the 
bulblet stock than from bulbs. 
AFTER BLOOMING — Now you can stop spraying and wa- 
tering, though if the soil should get extremely dry, a good 
soaking should help the new bulbs to develop well and to 
produce more bulblets. 
DIGGING — Bulbs are ready to dig in four to six weeks 
after blooming, but if they bloom late, you can dig anytime 
before hard freezing. Remember that when they are in the 
ground, they are developing bulbs and bulblets. 
Sometimes late blooms get Botrytis, a disease that causes 
water spots on them and often rots the bulbs. This is caused 
by cold rains or dews, cool temperature and humidity. If 
this occurs, the bulbs should be dug fairly early and cured as 
quickly as possible, preferably using heat to dry them. 
In digging, loosen the soil with a fork, pull up the plants 
by the top and cut off the tops with a knife or pruning shears 
tight to the bulb. Put bulbs in a shallow box or tray and dust 
with DDT. 
CURING AND CLEANING — You can leave the bulbs in the 
sun for a day or two and then put them in an airy place to 
cure. If the soil is wet or the blooms have had Botrytis, as 
mentioned above, you should use heat to cure them, but give 
them plenty of air. The object in curing bulbs is to get the 
surplus moisture out of the bulbs and husks just as quickly as 
(Continued on Back of This Page) 
FACTS ABOUT THE 
NAGC 
North American Gladiolus Council 
The North American Gladiolus Council was 
founded in 1945 to meet the need for a nation- 
wide gladiolus organization that could function 
in the role of setting up standards for the va- 
rious state and local societies. The governing 
body of the Council is composed of delegates 
chosen by the participating societies. These 
delegates have been responsible for formulat- 
ing uniform policies and practices for the 
gladiolus in such fields as, classification of vari- 
eties by color and size, judging standards, 
registration of new varieties, disease and insect 
control, trial garden operation, and various 
other projects. The data on all of the above 
items and many more of current interest are 
covered in the pages of the NAGC Bulletin. 
SOME OF THE CULTURAL ARTICLES 
IN RECENT ISSUES 
ThevABGrofi lize ree es a June 1952, page 10 
Exhibition Gladiolus____-- Sept. 1952, page 59 
Report of The Symposium 
Committee ea=seen ses Dec. 1952, page 10 
Curing and Storage of 
Gladiolus Bulbs___--_-_- Dec. 1952, page 98 
NORTH AMERICAN 
BULL 
TADIOLYS Counc 
ETT 
Fe 
f 
$2 A YEAR 
pays for all privileges 
including NAGC 
membership 
a iia aml 
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