file which includes the original        
illustrations4       ,see #cabcg-;h4htm 
or #cabcg-;h4zip3                       
7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu
b_/#cabcg_/pg#cabcg-;images4html7       
or                                      
7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#ca
bcg_/cabcg-;h4zip7      ,,the           
,,gladiolus  ,a ,practical ,treatise on 
the ,culture of the ,gladiolus1 with    
,notes on ,its ,history1 ,storage1      
,diseases1 etc4  by  ,,matthew          
,,crawford  ,with an appendix by ,dr4   
,w4 ,van ,fleet #aiaa  ,addenda by ,j4  
,c4 ,vaughan #aiba        ,illustration3
 ,,detroit    ,chicago and ,new ,york   
,vaughan's ,seed ,store #aiba           
,copyright1 #aiaa1 by ,vaughan's ,seed  
,store ,second ,edition1 with ,addenda1 
,nov4 #aiba     ,,contents     ,chapter 
,page    ,preface                       
#a    ,i4 ,history and ,development     
#c    ,,ii4 ,habit of ,growth           
#i    ,,iii4 ,soils and ,preparation    
#ab    ,,iv4 ,time to ,plant            

#ae    ,v4 ,cultivation                 
#ai    ,,vi4 ,digging and ,curing       
#ba    ,,vii4 ,cleaning and ,grading    
#be    ,,viii4 ,winter ,storage         
#cj    ,,ix4 ,growing from ,seed        
#cc    ,x4 ,growing from ,bulblets      
#cg    ,,xi4 ,peeling ,bulblets         
#dc    ,,xii4 ,growing for ,specific    
,purposes                               
#dg    ,,xiii4 ,crossing or ,hybridizing
                                        
#ed    ,,xiv4 ,enemies and ,diseases    
#eg    ,,xv4 ,what ,constitutes a ,good 
,variety                                
#fj    ,,xvi4 ,how to ,obtain a ,choice 
,collection                             
#fb    ,,xvii4 ,how to ,keep a          
,collection ,vigorous and ,well         
,balanced                               
#fd    ,,xviii4 ,commencing in the      
,business                               
#fg    ,appendix                        
#gc-ib    ,i4 ,garden ,history of the   
,gladiolus                              
#gc    ,,ii4 ,hybridizing ,gladiolus    

#hb    ,,iii4 ,special ,care of         
,seedlings                              
#he    ,,iv4 ,gladiolus ,species        
#hi    ,addenda                         
#ie-ajj     ,,illustrations             
,page    ,detroit                       
,frontispiece    ,schwaben              
#h    ,charles ,l4 ,hutchinson and      
,america                                
#bj    ,halley1 ,cracker ,jack and      
,gretchen ,zang                         
#cb    ,margaret                        
#df    ,europe1 ,sphinx and ,attraction 
#ef    ,mrs4 ,frank ,pendleton          
#ff    ,princeps                        
#ha     ,,the ,,gladiolus  ,illustration
     ,,preface   ,this little book is   
written with a view to being of service 
to those inexperienced admirers,a of the
 gladiolus who wish to become better    
acquainted with its nature1 and more    
familiar with the details of its        
cultivation4 ,the language used is plain
 and easily understood1 and the absence 
of technical terms1 which might seem a  

fault to the skilled grower1 will       
probably enhance the value of the work  
to the learner1 for whom it is prepared4
 ,while it is written from the          
view-point of the commercial grower1 the
 interests of the amateur are kept in   
mind throughout1 and the instructions   
are as carefully adapted to the         
management of a little garden as to that
 of an extensive field4  ,footnote ,a3  
,p4 ,s4 ,the ,addenda includes some good
 advice for the commercial grower4  ,a  
few words in regard to the pronunciation
 of gladiolus may be timely in the      
beginning of a treatise devoted         
exclusively to that subject4 ,fifty     
years ago the popular pronunciation was 
glad-i-o'-lus1 accent on the third      
syllable1 but gradually a change crept  
in1 as it was noticed that scholars said
 gla-di'-o-lus1 accent on the second    
syllable4 ,observing this1 people began 
to consult dictionaries1 and it was     
found that ,webster and others gave     
gla-di'-o-lus only1 and that all        

authorities placed this first1 though a 
few permitted glad-i-o'-lus1 much to the
 satisfaction of those who found it hard
 to change4 ,when gla-di'-o-lus is used1
 as it is almost universally1 at the    
present time1 the plural is             
gla-di'-o-li1 which the plural of       
glad-i-o'-lus may be glad-i-o'-luses1   
though this is very seldom heard4       
,neither gladiola nor gladiolia is      
admissible4 ,there are no such words4   
,it is also incorrect to say gladioli   
bulbs1 which is equivalent to roses     
bushes or peaches trees4 ,gladiolus     
bulbs is the proper expression4  ,b,the 
name1 gladiolus1 comes from the ,latin1 
gladius1 a sword1 and was given to this 
plant on account of the sword-like shape
 of its leaves4  ,footnote ,b3 ,note3   
,authority is not lacking to show that  
,glad-i-o'-lus1 strongest accent on     
first syllable1 is the best1 as it      
certainly is the most agreeable         
pronunciation4 ,this puts it in line    
with ,he-li-an'-thus1 and many other    

four syllabled words used in botany4    
,glad-i-o'-luses as the plural is       
increasingly used in literature but not 
in speech4     ,,the ,,gladiolus        
,,chapter ,i4  ,history and             
,development4   ,the gladiolus comes    
principally from ,south ,africa1 where  
about fifty species have been           
discovered4 ,it is also a native of     
middle ,africa1 central and southern    
,europe1 ,persia1 ,caucasus1 and the    
country around the eastern end of the   
,mediterranean4 ,about forty additional 
species have been found in these        
localities1 and one in ,hampshire1      
,england4 ,these have been hybridized   
and crossed until they are so mixed that
 it is impossible for the ordinary      
grower to say what blood may have       
entered into a given variety1--nor does 
it matter4 ,we are satisfied to know    
that this is one of the most beautiful  
of our summer-blooming flowers1 and that
 it is so easily grown as to be within  
the reach of almost anyone who cares to 

have it4   ,its ,development4  ,the     
history of the evolution of the         
gladiolus1 from the original wild       
species to the splendid revelations of  
the present day1 though extremely       
interesting1 is rather uncertain1 and   
lacking in details4 ,even authorities   
disagree1 and it is not worth while to  
touch upon disputed points1 though a few
 accepted facts may be of value to the  
learner4  ,the ,encyclopaedia           
,britannica says that one variety was   
cultivated as far back as #aeif1 and    
another from #afbi4 ,between #agej and  
#ahbe many new ones were added to those 
previously known4 ,there are several    
general classes now before the public1  
of which the oldest is the ,gandavensis4
 ,it is said that this was originated by
 ,van ,houtte1 and was introduced in    
#ahda4 ,belgium is credited with the    
honor of being its native country4      
,referring again to the ,encyclopaedia  
,britannica1 we find that the coming of 
the ,gandavensis made the gladiolus a   

general favorite in gardens1 and that   
since that time varieties have been     
greatly multiplied in number1 increased 
in size and quality1 as well as         
marvelously varied in color and marking1
 so that now they have become           
exceedingly popular4  ,the ,gandavensis 
has a substantial stem1 capable of      
taking up water freely1 and probably    
owing to this fact opens many flowers at
 once4 ,these are generally of good size
 and substance1 and of handsome form4   
,in most cases they are arranged upon   
the stem in two rows that face the same 
way1 which makes them very showy and    
attractive4  ,some years after the      
introduction of the ,gandavensis1       
,victor ,lemoine1 of ,nancy1 ,france1   
brought out a new hybrid to which he    
gave his own name1 ,lemoinei4 ,it has a 
slender1 graceful stem1 which seems     
unable to take up water rapidly1 and    
consequently only a few of its flowers  
open at once4 ,these are smaller than   
those of the ,gandavensis1 and more     

arched in form4 ,many of them1 perhaps  
the majority1 have rich velvety blotches
 on some or all of the petals1 darker in
 color than the petals themselves1 thus 
giving the flowers a very striking      
appearance4 ,the well known ,marie      
,lemoine was one of the earliest        
varieties of this new hybrid1 and its   
dark velvet spots on a ground of pale   
yellow slightly tinged with green1 have 
caused some to call it the pansy        
gladiolus4  ,lemoine's next achievement 
was the ,nanceianus1 probably from      
,nancy1 his home4 ,its flowers are quite
 different from those of ,gandavensis or
 ,lemoinei1 being larger than either1   
very wide1 and marked with peculiar     
mottlings1 or fine1 short1 parallel     
strokes of some contrasting color4      
,next came ,leichtlinii1 afterwards     
called ,childsii1 originated by ,max    
,leichtlin and purchased by ,v4 ,h4     
,hallock  ,son1 who worked ten years to 
improve it1 and then sold it to ,john   
,lewis ,childs1 who changed its name4   

,this transfer was made in #ahib4       
,childsii is from nearly the same cross 
as ,nanceianus and quite similar to it4 
,both plant and flower are large1 and   
the latter is very showy1 but the petals
 incline to lack substance1 and         
consequently can not endure hardship4   
,at first the ,childsii ran too much to 
reds1 but it has since been improved in 
that respect4  ,the next distinctive    
attraction was the ,new ,blue1 another  
of ,lemoine's productions4 ,there has   
been much effort expended in trying to  
originate a blue gladiolus1 and this1   
although not a pure and perfect blue1 is
 the nearest approach to it yet made1   
and may prove to be the foundation for  
complete success in the future4  ,in    
#aijh the ,primulinus1 a new species    
from ,south ,africa1 was introduced by  
,j4 ,m4 ,thorburn  ,company4 ,it is     
small and inconspicuous1 but yellow1 and
 is said to transmit its color to all   
its seedings4 ,it may be the means of   
supplying what has been long striven    

for1--a good yellow4  ,the gladiolus of 
my earliest recollection1 which was     
found in some gardens about the middle  
of the nineteenth century1 was dull red 
mingled with greenish yellow1 appearing 
red at a distance4 ,the flowers were    
small and pinched-looking1 with pointed 
petals1 and were scattered at regular   
intervals along one side of the leaning 
stem4 ,the next that ,i remember was a  
great improvement upon this4 ,it made an
 upright1 sturdy spike1 with two rows of
 large1 well-formed1 melon colored      
flowers1 set close together on the stem1
 but the rows faced in opposite         
directions4 ,after this1 new varieties  
came fast1 and rapid improvement was    
made4 ,among these earlier sorts was one
 called ,brenchleyensis1 conspicuous for
 its color1 a most vivid and intense    
red4 ,it had some faults1 and gradually 
lost popularity until it was scarcely   
heard of1 but now1 after an interval of 
two or three decades1 it is again making
 its way to the front1 and is listed in 

catalogues at good prices4   ,popularity
 of the ,gladiolus4  ,this flower is    
already very popular1 and is becoming   
more and more of a favorite every year4 
,it possesses a combination of          
characteristics that commend it to all  
flower lovers4 ,it is easily grown1 and 
may be had in bloom about four months in
 the year without the aid of glass4 ,the
 blossoms are beautiful in form1 and    
include a wonderful range of colors1    
with almost innumerable combinations4   
,its general habit of bearing two rows  
of flowers facing the same way makes it 
easy to arrange so as to show all to the
 best advantage4 ,it has a capacity for 
taking up water which enables it to go  
on blooming to the very tip of the spike
 after being cut1 lasting a week in the 
hottest weather1 and twice that time    
when cooler4 ,the ease with which the   
stem can be divested of its faded       
flowers1 leaving it as fresh as though  
just brought from the garden1 is also a 
great recommendation4 ,some years ago1  

,i expressed a quantity of the spikes   
from ,cuyahoga ,falls1 ,ohio1 to ,butte1
 ,montana4 ,they were in bud when       
started1 and when they arrived1 had     
bloomed half way up the stalks1 and the 
lower flowers had faded4 ,these were    
taken off1 the stems placed in water1   
and the buds went on opening to the     
last1 unaffected by the journey of two  
thousand miles4  ,another merit of the  
gladiolus1 which might not seem a merit 
at first thought1 is its lack of        
perfume4 ,an agreeable fragrance is     
desirable in flowers that are used in   
moderate quantities1 but in banks and   
masses1 as this is often arranged1 a    
sweet odor would be overpowering4   ,its
 ,uses4  ,for decorative purposes the   
gladiolus is fast becoming              
indispensable4 ,the demand has grown    
from tens to hundreds within the last   
few years1 and probably it will increase
 from hundreds to thousands in the near 
future1 for it is a flower for all      
people and all places4 ,it is suitable  

for the home1 and from midsummer until  
,november is a constant dependence4 ,for
 stores and offices its bright and      
lasting bloom makes it very desirable4  
,it is in great demand for ornamenting  
churches1 halls1 schoolrooms1 and1 in   
fact1 all places where people come      
together for almost any purpose4 ,it is 
popular for weddings1 and great         
quantities are often used on such       
occasions1 a single order sometimes     
calling for thousands of spikes4 ,last  
of all1 it is seen in the house of      
mourning1 and at the graves of the dead1
 where its sweet cheerfulness seems to  
speak a message of comfort to the       
living4  ,illustration3 ,,schwaben      
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,habits of ,growth4    
,the gladiolus is a bulbous plant that  
grows only in the warm season of the    
year4 ,it may be grown from bulbs1      
bulblets1 or seeds4 ,amateurs have to do
 mainly with bulbs1 as their chief      
object is to produce flowers4 ,the bulb 
contains the food for the nourishment of

 the young plant until it has leaves1   
when it commences to form a new bulb    
close above the old one1 which latter   
gradually shrivels and dies1 its work   
being done4 ,meanwhile1 the young plant1
 having roots and leaves of its own1    
continues to grow and build up the new  
bulb4  ,when far enough advanced1 the   
flower spike starts up through the      
middle of the foliage and makes its     
appearance above the upper leaf4 ,from  
the time the spike comes in sight1 the  
plant seems to devote the most of its   
energy to developing the flowers1 and   
the seed which follows4 ,when the latter
 is allowed to ripen1 the bulb is       
smaller than it otherwise would have    
been1 and not only this1 it is          
vertically thin1 having been partially  
starved by the diverting of the         
nourishment to ripen the seed4 ,on the  
other hand1 if the spike is removed when
 the first flower opens1 the bulb will  
grow larger and thicker4 ,other things  
being equal1 a bulb is valuable         

according to its vertical diameter4 ,the
 most perfect ones are obtained by      
planting small ones1 just below the     
blooming size4 ,not being able to send  
up flower spikes1 their vitality goes to
 the production of new bulbs1 and these 
are conical1 or nearly round1 which is  
the ideal shape4 ,many florists insist  
upon this form when buying bulbs for    
forcing4 ,they are known to the trade as
 virgin bulbs4 ,as to the breadth of    
bulbs1 the broader the better1 other    
points being the same4 ,one that is     
conical in shape1 and three-fourths of  
an inch in horizontal diameter1 will    
probably produce as fine a spike of     
flowers as is possible to the variety1  
but it will yield only one1 while bulbs 
of larger size may send up from two to  
six4  ,bulblets are produced during the 
summer1 on underground stems that come  
out from the base of the new bulbs4     
,each bulblet is enclosed in a hard     
shell1 which is generally brown in      
color1 though sometimes gray1 slate1 or 

black1 and very rarely white4  ,just    
here ,i will speak of the difference    
between bulblets and small bulbs1 for   
there are some confused ideas abroad on 
this subject4 ,bulblets grow from the   
bottoms of bulbs1 are usually attached  
by stems1 and have hard shells4 ,bulbs  
grow from other bulbs1 from bulblets1 or
 from seeds1 and have soft shells4 ,they
 may be very tiny1 no larger than apple 
seeds1 but still they are bulbs4        
,varieties differ widely in their       
ability to produce bulblets4 ,the ,may  
and ,augusta are exceedingly prolific1  
while the ,shakespeare is just the      
opposite4 ,a bulb too small to bloom    
will yield many times more bulblets than
 a large one of the same variety4       
,sometimes as many as two hundred       
bulblets have been found on a single    
bulb4  ,corm and cormel are the correct 
botanical terms respectively for solid  
bulbs1 like those of the gladiolus1 and 
the small underground increase1 but     
these names are rarely used in          

commercial horticulture4     ,,chapter  
,,iii4  ,soils and ,preparation4   ,the 
gladiolus will grow on almost any soil1 
and do well with only a moderate chance4
 ,while it has its preferences1 it      
readily adapts itself to circumstances1 
and makes the most of what it finds4    
,whether sand1 clay1 gravel1 muck or    
loam1 it will get a living out of them1 
though gravel is perhaps least          
desirable4 ,the gladiolus withstands    
drouth very well1 but likes plenty of   
moisture much better1 and low land well 
drained is excellent for it4 ,it ought  
not to be under water4 ,good farm land1 
suitable for corn or potatoes1 answers  
its purpose very well1 and it flourishes
 on green sward properly plowed and     
harrowed4 ,the richest place in the     
garden suits it admirably1 and it shows 
its appreciation of special favors by   
ready response in growth and bloom4     
,the ground should be plowed or spaded  
to a good depth1 about the same as for  
potatoes1 and harrowed or raked until it

 is thoroughly pulverized1 not only on  
the surface1 but down deep4             
,fertilizers4  ,any crop can be well fed
 with good stable manure properly       
applied1 but this is sometimes out of   
reach4 ,in such cases we must either    
resort to commercial fertilizers or     
depend upon the plant food in the soil1 
which is seldom sufficient for any crop1
 especially one whose yield of profit   
may be greatly increased or diminished  
by the giving or withholding of         
nourishment4 ,the gardener cannot afford
 to take any risks along this line4 ,his
 crops are too valuable4 ,the safe      
course is for him to assume that the    
land is poor to consider the ground as  
simply a place of anchorage for the     
roots of plants1 and a reservoir for    
plant food to be supplied2 and then1 to 
furnish the amount needed to produce the
 crop4 ,fortunately1 most soils do1 as a
 matter of fact1 contain a fair supply  
of fertility1 but very rarely as much as
 a crop can appropriate1 and it is best 

to be on the safe side4 ,the gladiolus  
is a sturdy grower1 able to assimilate a
 generous supply of nutriment1 and      
should be properly fed4  ,in regard to  
the use of stable manure as a fertilizer
 for this crop1 almost any amount of it 
may be put on in the fall before        
planting1 to be leached and subdued by  
the changes of winter1 but it is hardly 
safe to spread it on the ground in the  
spring and plow it under1 lest it come  
in contact with the bulbs and cause the 
growing crop to be scabby and unsalable4
 ,i have used for many years1 and with  
most satisfactory results1 a good potato
 phosphate4 ,any complete commercial    
fertilizer will answer the purpose4 ,i  
once tried a ton of ,peruvian guano1 as 
an experiment1 but it did no better than
 the potato phosphate1 which costs less4
  ,commercial fertilizer may be applied 
in various ways1--before planting or    
after1 or in the furrows4 ,from five    
hundred to one thousand pounds per acre1
 or even more1 may be used1 according to

 the previous condition of the land and 
the results desired4 ,when used before  
planting1 it is put on with a grain     
drill1 or1 if the area is small1 is     
raked in by hand4 ,it may be applied in 
the furrow in two ways--first1 strew it 
along in the bottom and mix it with the 
soil by dragging a chain or a hoe over  
it1 or by using the cultivator that made
 the drill4 ,then plant the bulbs1 and  
cover properly4 ,second1 after the drill
 is made and the bulbs are dropped1     
cover them with a little earth1 say half
 the depth of the furrow1 then put in   
the fertilizer by hand1 and finish      
covering4 ,this places it where the     
first good rain will wash its richness  
down to the roots4 ,when applied after  
planting1 it may be scattered by hand   
along the rows or over the bed4 ,this   
plan produces good results1 even on poor
 land1 and the same may be said of the  
others4     ,,chapter ,,iv4  ,time to   
,plant4   ,large blooming bulbs may be  
planted in ,april or ,may1 or they may  

be held until ,june1 or even ,july1 if  
they can be kept from growing too much  
in storage4 ,it is their natural        
instinct to send out roots and shoots in
 the spring1 and when they do they      
should be planted soon4 ,when one has a 
considerable quantity of flowering      
bulbs1 it is easy to secure a long      
succession of bloom by planting at      
several different times4 ,good sized    
bulbs will bloom in about ninety days   
after planting4 ,smaller ones require a 
longer time4 ,if all the blooming sizes 
of the same variety are planted at the  
same time1 they will bloom in regular   
succession1 the largest first and the   
smallest last4 ,small bulbs1--too small 
to bloom1--bulblets1 and seed1 should be
 planted early in order to have plenty  
of time to make their growth4 ,about the
 first of ,april is a suitable time in  
the latitude of ,northern ,ohio4 ,in a  
mild climate the bulbs may be left in   
the ground all winter1 and the same     
might be done in the north if they could

 be covered securely enough to keep out 
the frost4   ,planting4  ,after the land
 has been well prepared1 furrows are    
made three feet apart and about six     
inches deep1 for large bulbs4 ,the      
furrowing is done with the ,planet ,jr4 
cultivator1 arranged with a large tooth 
behind1 and two or four smaller ones in 
front1 turned edgewise4 ,they steady the
 cultivator and contribute towards the  
fining of the soil4 ,next1 the bulbs are
 placed in the furrows1 as far apart as 
their own diameter2 that is1 two-inch   
bulbs should be two inches apart1       
one-inch bulbs one inch1 and so on down 
through all the blooming sizes4 ,when   
bulbs are an inch or more in diameter1  
they are generally placed right side up1
 though this is not essential4 ,however1
 when scattered along the furrow they   
can be put in position very quickly4    
,after they are placed1 cover with the  
cultivator used in furrowing1 taking off
 the small teeth in front and putting on
 the wings4 ,by going once in each      

space1 throwing the soil both ways1 the 
bulbs are covered deeply enough to make 
quite prominent ridges over the rows1   
with furrows midway between4 ,very soon 
the weeds begin to show1 and then a good
 harrowing is given1 length-wise of the 
rows1 to kill the first crop4 ,next1    
just before the sprouts are ready to    
come in sight1 they are gone over with  
the weeder4 ,on small areas all this    
stirring is done with a steel rake4 ,by 
this method the surface is kept free    
from weeds1 and is also made fine and   
mellow for the young shoots to come     
through4 ,if the work cannot be done at 
the right time1 it is better to wait    
until the sprouts are up an inch or two1
 as they can then be stirred without    
fear of injury1 but when just coming up 
they are tender and easily bruised or   
broken4  ,when bulbs are planted in a   
small way1 it is not customary to place 
them in rows4 ,a better plan is to      
scatter them over the ground about as   
far apart as they are wanted1 say six or

 eight inches each way1 and put them in 
one at a time with a trowel or dibble1  
five or six inches below the surface4   
,they are planted at this depth1 in both
 garden and field1 to prevent their     
blowing over when in bloom4 ,those that 
are from one-half to three-fourths of an
 inch in diameter should be covered with
 about four inches of soil4  ,for       
planting small stock1 less than half an 
inch in diameter1 the ground should be  
prepared as previously directed4 ,the   
rows should be three feet apart if the  
cultivating is to be done with a horse2 
if by hand1 eighteen inches4 ,the       
furrows should be straight1 and three   
inches in depth4 ,the grower can now    
choose one of two methods of planting4  
,he can sow the bulbs in the furrows1   
about twelve to the foot1 or drop them  
in hills1 four to six in a place1 every 
twelve inches4 ,in either case they can 
be covered with a cultivator1 as before 
described1 ridged up1 and harrowed or   
raked afterwards1 thus saving the first 

and most expensive weeding4 ,when the   
bulbs have started sufficiently to make 
the rows visible1 the cultivator can be 
used1 and from that time forward the    
most of the work can be done with a     
horse1 turning a little earth up to the 
rows each time4  ,the hill method of    
planting takes more ground1 but it has  
two distinct advantages over the drill  
method4 ,first1 the hoe can be used in  
the row between the hills1 thus         
lightening the labor and expense of     
weeding2 and1 second1 in taking up the  
bulbs in the fall1 each hill can be     
lifted out with a fork1 and every       
bulblet saved4 ,in growing stock that is
 especially valuable this is of great   
account4  ,very few bulbs less than     
one-half inch in diameter will bloom1 so
 all they need is a chance to grow1--a  
loose surface1 freedom from weeds1 and  
sufficient plant food1 with moisture    
enough to make it available4 ,bulbs thus
 produced will be of the most desirable 
shape1 round or conical4 ,if1 however1  

any considerable number come into bloom1
 the spikes should be cut off as soon as
 they get above the foliage4 ,this      
prevents the plants from exhausting     
themselves by producing flowers and     
seed4 ,other things being equal1 bulbs  
from which the spikes are removed as    
early as possible will be about twice as
 heavy as those that produce seed       
unchecked4  ,the planting and management
 of bulblets will be considered in      
another chapter4     ,,chapter ,v4      
,cultivation4   ,the gladiolus needs the
 same stirring of the soil that is given
 to other crops4 ,the reason why the    
soil must be stirred is a question upon 
which there are various opinions4 ,some 
hold that it is to kill the weeds2 some 
to conserve moisture2 others1 to let the
 air to the roots2 and1 still others1 to
 render the plant food in the ground    
available4 ,probably all are right1 and 
the summing up seems to be1 to make the 
crop grow1 so the safe way is to stir   
often4 ,this cannot be overdone4 ,a crop

 may be cultivated every day if desired1
 provided that good judgment is         
exercised as to the condition of the    
soil4 ,it should not be stirred when too
 wet4 ,the gladiolus has not a very long
 season for growth1 and if best results 
are to be obtained it must be kept      
growing continuously4 ,the next best    
thing to frequent stirring of the       
surface is a mulch to keep it loose and 
moist1 but this is not as good4         
,support4  ,the critical period in the  
life of the gladiolus is the blooming   
season1 and some support at that time is
 almost indispensable4 ,it grows so tall
 and offers so much resistance to the   
wind that the stalk is liable to be     
strained or broken1 to the detriment of 
the bulb1 and every effort should be    
made to keep it upright and prevent its 
being injured1 even a little4 ,when we  
consider that each leaf is connected    
with the bulb1 and is doing its part    
towards bringing it to maturity1 we     
readily perceive that whatever hurts the

 foliage also hurts the bulb1 and       
realize the importance of preventing1 as
 far as possible1 any weakening of the  
connection between the two4  ,deep      
planting is the first safeguard1 and    
this is rendered still more effectual by
 ridging up the rows4 ,cutting the      
spikes as soon as the first flowers open
 is a great advantage1 lessening the    
weight of the tops and diminishing its  
resistance to the wind1 besides         
relieving the plant of the burden of    
nourishing the blooms4 ,if the flowers  
are not wanted1 the spikes can be cut as
 soon as they are high enough to escape 
the foliage1 and this is still better4  
,when the gladiolus is grown as a field 
crop1 there are so many tops together   
that they support each other to some    
extent4 ,when grown in small areas1 it  
is a good plan to stretch wires along   
the rows about a foot from the ground1  
and tie the stalks to them4 ,when the   
plants are scattered irregularly over   
the bed1 they may be supported by tying 

each one to a short1 inconspicuous stake
 sharpened and driven into the ground so
 that the top is fifteen to eighteen    
inches high4 ,the same stakes may be    
used year after year1 and it improves   
the appearance of the bed to have them  
painted green4  ,illustration3 ,,chas4  
,l4 ,,hutchinson  ,illustration3        
,,america     ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,digging 
and ,curing4   ,when one has many bulbs 
to take up it is best to commence early1
 about the last of ,august or the first 
of ,september4 ,this gives a long season
 for drying1 which is quite necessary1  
as it is difficult to cure a great many 
in a short time1 especially in          
unfavorable weather4  ,the smallest     
stock should be taken up first1 for     
several reasons3 ,first1 the small bulbs
 grown from seed or from bulblets do not
 all ripen at the same time1 and if     
digging is deferred until after some of 
them have matured1 these drop from their
 stems in handling1 and keep one picking
 them up1 which is a great hindrance4   

,if taken up in time1 they can be pulled
 off from the green stalks in handfuls4 
,second1 when the little bulbs mature   
they change color from white to brown1  
and if any drop it is not so easy to    
find them in the brown soil4 ,they may  
be taken up when no larger than apple   
seeds1 cured1 and kept till spring with 
perfect success4 ,third1 the small bulbs
 are easily dried and1 if taken up      
early1 they may be cured and packed away
 for the winter1 entirely out of the way
 of the larger stock4 ,it is quite an   
advantage to have part of the stock     
disposed of early4 ,fourth1 it is slow1 
puttering work to take up small bulbs   
running from one hundred to three       
hundred to the foot of row1 and it      
should be done before cold weather4 ,my 
rule is to take up seedlings first1 then
 the stock grown from the bulblets1 then
 the next size larger1 and so on1       
leaving the largest to the last4 ,this  
stock is heavy1 and men can keep warm   
handling it1 even in quite cool weather1

 such as we are likely to have late in  
the season4  ,for convenience in taking 
up small stock1 we use a low seat made  
like a small sled with wide runners     
which do not sink into the ground4 ,a   
burlap sack is folded several           
thicknesses and tacked on the top for a 
cushion4 ,this seat1 a spading fork1 a  
garden trowel1 and a half-bushel basket 
lined with cloth to keep the bulblets   
from passing through1 are the appliances
 needed for the work4 ,the row is first 
loosened1 or slightly pried up with the 
fork4 ,then the man occupying the seat1 
with the row in front of him1 thrusts   
his trowel under a few inches of it1 and
 with the other hand grasps the tops and
 lifts the bunch up1 giving it a slight 
shake4 ,he then holds it over the       
basket1 and pulls the bulbs off from the
 tops1 dropping them into the basket4   
,when it is nearly filled1 the contents 
are sifted through a number five sieve  
7five meshes to the inch71 which allows 
the earth to pass out4 ,a second sifting

 through a number three sieve separates 
the bulblets from the bulbs4 ,the latter
 are then spread out an inch or two deep
 in crates1 and dried in the shade1     
after which the depth may be doubled for
 storage until cleaning time4 ,the      
bulblets are poured into a box or       
barrel4  ,in digging larger bulbs1 they 
are simply loosened up with the fork1   
lifted out by the tops1 which are       
clipped off close to the bulbs1 and are 
dropped into a coarse sieve1 number two1
 placed over a bushel basket4 ,through  
this the earth and most of the bulblets 
are sifted into the basket4 ,the bulbs  
are then spread in shallow crates to    
dry4 ,the crates should be placed where 
the ventilation is good1 and no rain can
 reach them4 ,the bulblets are separated
 from the earth with a fine sieve1 and  
put into a box or barrel4  ,by way of   
explanation ,i will say just here that  
the bulblets grown on small stock are   
easily separated from the bulbs1 as the 
original bulbs were small when planted  

and shrink away to almost nothing1 thus 
leaving the bulblets free to fall4 ,with
 large stock the case is different4 ,the
 original bulbs were large when planted1
 and although they wither and die as the
 new bulbs grow and mature1 they still  
retain a considerable portion of their  
size4 ,the new bulbs are formed close   
above the old ones1 and the bulblets    
appear around the line of contact1      
sometimes between the two1 so that they 
do not all become detached at the time  
of digging4 ,those that still adhere are
 removed in the process of cleaning4    
,it is advisable to dry bulbs of all    
sizes as soon as practical after        
digging4 ,they look much brighter and   
more attractive when thus treated than  
when left lying in contact with the damp
 soil1 for a considerable time1 as this 
gives them a dull1 discolored           
appearance4 ,if grown for market1 those 
that shine like satin are much more     
salable1 and even for planting it is    
much more pleasing to have them bright  

than tarnished4 ,sometimes1 when short  
of crates1 or in a great hurry1 we have 
piled up small bulbs with their         
accompanying soil in the field and left 
them to be cared for at a more          
convenient time4 ,they kept all right   
and could have been kept until spring   
with sufficient covering1 but they lost 
their luster and became dingy and       
unattractive4  ,bulblets should not be  
dried4 ,the reason for this will be     
given elsewhere4     ,,chapter ,,vii4   
,cleaning and ,grading4   ,when bulbs   
are taken up1 it is necessary that they 
should be dried to some extent before   
the work of cleaning begins1--the large 
ones partially at least1 and the small  
ones wholly1 for reasons which will be  
explained hereafter4  ,when large bulbs 
are dug1 the old ones that were planted 
adhere so firmly that a good deal of    
force is required to separate them4 ,for
 this reason it is not economy to clean 
them at once1 so we store them in       
shallow crates1 to the depth of two or  

three inches1 and let them dry4 ,they   
can then be filled in to the tops of the
 crates1 which are four inches deep1 and
 left until a convenient time for       
cleaning4  ,in two weeks after they are 
taken up1 the older bulbs can be removed
 with a slight effort1 but we reserve   
this work for stormy days4 ,this is the 
way it is done3 ,a number two sieve is  
placed upon a tight bushel basket1 and  
filled with the bulbs to be cleaned4    
,the old bulbs are taken off by hand and
 cast aside1 carrying the roots with    
them1 and the bulblets that still remain
 fall through the sieve into the basket 
below4 ,the cleaned bulbs are dropped   
into another basket and then stored in  
crates to await the time for grading4   
,the bulblets are put away in a cool1   
damp place4 ,bulbs three-fourths of an  
inch or more in diameter are cleaned one
 at a time1 as described1 but smaller   
ones are treated differently4 ,there is 
much waste matter connected with them1  
roots1 bits of tops1 and soil1 and the  

work of cleaning them is done out of    
doors on windy days in order that the   
trash and dust may be blown away4 ,this 
explains why small stock should be      
thoroughly dried before it is cleaned4  
,the bulbs are placed on a table or     
platform where the wind can have free   
play1 and pulled and twisted by         
handfuls1 until the most of them are    
separated from the rubbish4 ,those that 
still remain are picked out1 and the    
trash is pushed off from the table4 ,the
 bulbs are then put into a fine sieve   
and the remaining dust is sifted out4   
,this process usually brings to light   
the last remnants of dry roots1 leaves1 
and husks1 and these are disposed of by 
pouring the bulbs from one bushel basket
 to another in the wind4 ,at one time ,i
 had this finishing work done on more   
than half a million small bulbs with an 
old-fashioned fanning mill1 and it was  
done to perfection4   ,grading4  ,after 
the bulbs are cured and cleaned1 the    
next step is grading1 or separating them

 into classes according to size4 ,this  
is absolutely necessary if the bulbs are
 to be sold1 and almost as much so if   
they are to be planted4 ,as to the sizes
 of the different grades1 every grower  
seems to be a law unto himself4 ,an     
effort has been made by the ,society of 
,american ,florists to establish a      
uniform standard of division1 and this  
will doubtless be accomplished in time4 
,at present the most common arrangement 
of numbers and sizes seems to be about  
as follows3       ,first size 7,no4 #a7 
#a-a_/b inches in diameter and up4      
,second size 7,no4 #b7 #a-a_/b inches in
 diameter4       ,third size 7,no4 #c7  
#c_/d-a inch in diameter4       ,fourth 
size 7,no4 #d7 #a_/b-c_/d inch in       
diameter4       ,fifth size 7,no4 #e7   
all below #a_/b inch4  ,numbers one1    
two1 and three are considered regular   
blooming sizes1 and are bought and sold 
by seedsmen4 ,number four bulbs will    
nearly all bloom1 but they are seldom   
offered for sale1 except to the trade4  

,number fives are not supposed to bloom 
at all1 but a few of them will do so4   
,there is a great difference in         
varieties in this respect1 some blooming
 much smaller than others4  ,bulbs may  
be approximately graded by screening    
them through sieves with meshes of      
proper sizes1 from an inch and a half   
down to half an inch1 and this is the   
most speedy way of doing the work4 ,the 
necessary correcting can be done by hand
 when counting them out for sale or     
preparing them for planting4   ,crates4 
,some allusions to these have been made 
in the foregoing pages1 and it may be   
well to preface the subject of keeping  
the bulbs over winter by describing the 
receptacles in which they are stored4   
,i have used crates of two sizes4 ,the  
larger ones are three feet by four1 and 
four inches deep1 with bottoms of lath  
running lengthwise and placed a quarter 
of an inch apart4 ,strips of #ax#b-;inch
 stuff are nailed across the corners1 on
 both top and bottom1 exactly opposite  

each other1 so that they will come      
together and keep the crates apart for  
ventilation when piled one above        
another4 ,the upper strips also serve as
 handles by which to lift the crates4   
,they should be far enough from the     
corners so that bulbs can run out       
between when emptying the crates1 and   
yet not so far as to make it difficult  
to take bulbs out from under them with a
 shovel4 ,the ends of these corner      
pieces should be sawed beveling1 so as  
not to project and be in the way4 ,there
 is also a #bx#b-;inch strip nailed     
across the middle of the crate on the   
under side1 to support the lath4  ,the  
smaller crates are half the size of the 
others1 two feet by three1 and four     
inches deep4 ,the bottoms are tight1 and
 three-eighths of an inch thick4 ,the   
corner pieces are two inches wide and   
one inch thick4 ,no strips are needed   
across the middle underneath4  ,the     
smaller crates are preferable for       
several reasons4 ,first1 they can be    

handled by one man while the larger     
ones1 when filled1 require two4 ,second1
 the tight bottoms prevent any mixing of
 varieties1 which may happen in using   
the larger crates by the bulblets       
dropping through from one to another4   
,third1 the small crates can be easily  
and entirely emptied1 while the large   
ones retain bulblets or very small bulbs
 in the spaces between the lath1 and    
when varieties are to be kept separate  
these must be carefully picked out4 ,in 
storing mixed bulbs1 or a large quantity
 of one variety1 the last two objections
 do not hold1 but crates containing     
kinds that should be kept pure cannot   
safely be placed one above another when 
the bottoms are slatted4 ,it may be     
asked why the large crates are not made 
with tight bottoms4 ,they have a        
capacity of two bushels each1 or more1  
and when filled with damp bulbs fresh   
from the ground1 they must have bottom  
ventilation in order to dry their       
contents4 ,the small ones1 holding only 

half as much1 do not need the draft from
 below4     ,,chapter ,,viii4  ,winter  
,storage4   ,an excellent way to keep   
blooming bulbs through the winter is to 
pack them in crates1 and pile these in a
 cellar without artificial heat1 where  
the mercury ranges from thirty-five to  
forty degrees in cold weather4  ,small  
bulbs may be kept in the same way1 but  
they should not be more than two or     
three inches deep in the crates4 ,they  
settle into a more solid mass than large
 bulbs1 and if too deep they are liable 
to start into growth4 ,this should be   
carefully guarded against4  ,small      
quantities of bulbs may be stored in    
half-bushel baskets1 from two to four   
inches deep1 according to size1 and hung
 up in the cellar4  ,bulblets may be    
packed in boxes or barrels without      
regard to depth4 ,they do not need to be
 cured in the fall1 like bulbs1 as a    
little drying hardens the shells in     
which they are enclosed to such an      
extent that many of the tiny shoots are 

unable to break through when the growing
 season comes4 ,they should be packed   
away when taken off from the bulbs at   
digging or cleaning time1 and a cool1   
damp place for keeping them is best4    
,some of them will sprout in storage1   
which1 of course1 is not to be desired1 
but it is better to lose the few that   
will grow too soon by dampness than the 
many that will be kept from growing at  
all by drying4 ,the ideal place for     
storing bulblets is a root cellar1 or   
underground room not connected with any 
building1 which is securely closed after
 the stock is put in1 and not opened    
till spring4 ,here it is kept fresh and 
moist and perfectly safe from fire and  
frost4 ,another excellent way to        
preserve bulblets is to pack them in    
boxes and bury them in the ground1 as   
our forefathers did potatoes and apples4
 ,they must be covered sufficiently to  
guard against any possible danger from  
freezing1 and with this precaution they 
come out in fine condition at planting  

time4  ,when a few bulblets of some     
choice variety are to be kept by        
themselves1 it is a good plan to wrap   
them in paraffin paper1 and enclose them
 in a paper bag1 which may be marked to 
show its contents4   ,packing ,bulbs for
 ,shipment4  ,when bulbs are well cured1
 the chief danger in shipping is from   
frost1 and this is much greater in      
transportation by freight than by       
express4 ,they are longer on the way1   
and more exposed to cold4 ,however and  
whenever shipment is made1 and whatever 
packages are used1 whether boxes1       
barrels or baskets1 they should be      
thoroughly lined with many thicknesses  
of paper to guard against possible harm4
 ,paper is an excellent non-conductor of
 heat and cold1 and packages well       
protected with it may be considered     
secure for fall or spring shipments1    
when a few degrees of frost are to be   
guarded against1 but not extreme cold4  
,when bulbs are to go by freight in     
winter1 every precaution should be taken

 to make them absolutely safe4 ,the     
paper linings of the packages should be 
increased in thickness1 and in addition 
to this some good packing material1 as  
sawdust thoroughly dried1 planer        
shavings1 buckwheat chaff1 or ground    
cork1 should be mixed all through among 
the bulbs4 ,this prevents the frost from
 entering4 ,as an additional safeguard1 
the bulbs may be put into strong sacks1 
with some one of the materials before   
mentioned among them1 the sacks packed  
into the box or barrel1 and all crevices
 among them filled with straw1 excelsior
 or paper4 ,this mode of packing is     
especially suitable when several        
varieties are comprised in one order4   
,in shipping high-priced bulbs1 it is   
sometimes advisable to pack them        
carefully in a box1 and enclose this box
 in another a few inches larger every   
way1 filling the space between on all   
sides with dry sawdust4 ,it is much the 
better way to make costly shipments in  
mild weather1 if possible4  ,it seems   

hardly necessary to speak of sending    
bulbs by mail1 but a few words may not  
be amiss4 ,almost the only danger in    
such cases is that of freezing on the   
ride with the rural carrier1 and this   
can be guarded against in a great       
measure by using plenty of paper in     
wrapping1 and buckwheat hulls for       
filling4 ,it is better to pay postage on
 a little extra weight than to risk     
injury to the valuable goods enclosed4  
,illustration3 ,,halley  ,illustration3 
,,cracker ,,jack  ,illustration3        
,,gretchen ,,zang     ,,chapter ,,ix4   
,growing from ,seed4   ,there is great  
satisfaction in growing the finest      
gladioli that have ever been produced in
 all the world4 ,the consciousness that 
one has the best obtainable gives       
pleasure1 but raising seedlings of one's
 own1 knowing that they are different   
from any others1 that no two are exactly
 alike1 and that among them may be one  
or more of the very finest1 and         
ultimately finding this possibility     

realized1 is one of the greatest        
delights in horticulture4 ,one ounce of 
good seed will produce about three      
thousand bulbs1 and among them will be  
found a large number of fine varieties4 
,if the seed is from choice stock1 with 
no common varieties near1 most of the   
seedlings will be worth saving4 ,so ,i  
advise every grower to raise seedlings4 
,they will yield both pleasure and      
profit4 ,some years ago ,i bought all   
the seed that was offered by the pound  
in ,america and ,europe1 about thirty   
pounds1 and no one but myself ever knew 
the satisfaction that came from that    
investment4 ,at another time ,i was     
growing a bed of seedlings and the      
grasshoppers cut them off at the ground 
early in the summer4 ,i supposed that   
they were ruined and went to plant      
something else on the bed a week or two 
later1 when1 to my surprise1 ,i found   
small bulbs1 about the size of apple    
seeds4 ,i saved them with great care1   
sixteen thousand in number1 and planted 

them the next spring4 ,they made a fine 
growth and nearly all bloomed the year  
following4 ,the pleasure they gave1 not 
only to myself1 but to my friends1 paid 
many fold for the time spent on them1   
and more than made up for the           
disappointment ,i had felt when ,i      
thought the grasshoppers had destroyed  
them4  ,the gladiolus opens its first   
flower in the morning1 and the work of  
going over a bed containing hundreds    
that have just bloomed for the first    
time1 and marking the finest with tags  
upon which are inscribed a few          
characters that mean much to the owner1 
and almost nothing to anyone else1 will 
give one an undercurrent of joy for the 
rest of the day4 ,another special       
pleasure that comes to the grower of    
choice seedlings is that of naming one  
for a friend1 and this pleasure has been
 mine a number of times4 ,the most      
notable example of this is the ,may1 and
 ,i fully expect that some of those     
which have scarcely been heard of as yet

 will become equally as popular as that 
well-known variety4  ,in growing        
seedlings1 it is best to use land that  
is nearly or quite level1 so that it    
cannot wash4 ,the soil should be        
thoroughly pulverized1 and enriched by  
the use of some complete commercial     
fertilizer scattered over the surface at
 the rate of six or seven pounds to the 
square rod1 and well stirred in4 ,then  
make drills twelve inches apart1 from   
one to two inches wide1 and half an inch
 deep4 ,these drills should be laid out 
cross-wise of the bed1 and may be made  
by gently pressing a narrow strip of    
board into the mellow earth4 ,sow the   
seed thick enough to cover the bottom of
 the drill1 and sprinkle over it fine   
earth to the depth of three-fourths of  
an inch4 ,this should be pressed down   
with the foot or a roller1 so that it   
will be only half an inch thick over the
 seeds4  ,some provision must now be    
made for keeping the surface of the bed 
moist until the seed comes up1 which    

requires two or three weeks under       
favorable conditions1 and may take much 
longer4 ,if the surface dries after the 
seeds sprout1 they are likely to perish4
 ,the best way to prevent this is to    
furnish shade4 ,for a small bed1 a piece
 of burlap spread over it1 and kept in  
position by a stone at each corner1 is  
excellent4 ,i have generally used a     
light covering of straw1 held in place  
with strips from the planing mill4      
,another method of keeping the straw in 
place is by stretching binder twine     
directly over the row4 ,when the young  
plants appear1 a straight edge is placed
 just outside of the row1 and the straw 
is cut through with a sharp knife1 first
 on one side and then on the other4 ,the
 part over the row is then removed1 and 
the rest left for a mulch4 ,there are1  
however1 two objections to the use of   
straw as a covering3 moles sometimes    
work under it1 heaving up the ground to 
the detriment of the crop1 and it nearly
 always contains objectionable seeds4   

,one of the most extensive growers in my
 acquaintance shades his seed beds with 
the shallow crates in which he stores   
bulbs through the winter4  ,after the   
seedlings come up they should be kept   
perfectly free from weeds1 and the      
surface should be stirred frequently4   
,in an ordinary season the bulbs will   
run from one-fourth to one-half inch in 
diameter1 and with the best possible    
opportunity they will grow somewhat     
larger4  ,seedlings should be taken up  
as soon as they show the first sign of  
ripening1 i4 e41 when their tops begin  
to turn yellow4 ,the reasons why this   
work should be done early are given     
under the head of ,digging and ,curing1 
which also describes in detail the mode 
of doing it4 ,most of the earth falls   
off in the process of taking up the     
bulbs and pulling them from the stems1  
and the rest is sifted out4 ,the bulbs  
are then put into flats1 an inch or two 
deep1 and allowed to dry4 ,sometimes    
they are dried with the tops on1 and    

kept in that condition till planting    
time1 but most growers prefer to take   
them off when green4     ,,chapter ,x4  
,growing from ,bulblets4   ,success with
 the gladiolus depends more upon the use
 and management of bulblets than upon   
any other one thing4 ,let us suppose the
 case of a person who grows bulbs in his
 garden for flowers1 and saves only the 
bulbs1 allowing the bulblets to go to   
waste as of no value1--and this is      
exactly what many people do4 ,what is   
the result8 ,the bulbs that are saved   
have bloomed1 nearly all of them at     
least1 and consequently they are        
somewhat flattened in vertical diameter1
 which is more or less of a falling off 
from the ideal round or conical shape4  
,these are planted and bloomed the next 
season1 and only the bulbs are saved1 as
 before4 ,this process is repeated year 
after year1 the bulbs becoming gradually
 thinner and less vigorous1 the spikes  
diminishing in height and the flowers in
 size1 until1 by and by1 the grower     

comes to the conclusion that his bulbs  
have run out4  ,now follows the         
experience of one who saves the         
bulblets1 or a portion of them4 ,he     
plants them1 and they make bulbs1 mostly
 too small to bloom4 ,the next year     
these are planted1 and in turn make     
larger bulbs1 of blooming size1 perfect 
in form1 and capable of yielding spikes 
of flowers that will be an honor to the 
varieties from which they were grown4   
,the first example shows why bulbs      
deteriorate when only bulbs are saved1  
and the second1 how to keep them up to a
 high standard of vigor by renewing them
 from time to time with bulblets4  ,as  
success with bulbs depends largely upon 
the use and management of bulblets1 so  
success with bulblets depends1 to a     
great extent1 upon the care given them  
while out of the ground4 ,this has been 
dwelt upon in a former chapter1 and may 
be still further emphasized to good     
advantage4 ,bulblets may easily be kept 
too dry1 and herein lies the principal  

danger4 ,they should not be stored where
 artificial heat can reach them nor     
where they are exposed to drafts of air4
 ,the effect of drying1 as previously   
explained1 is to harden the coverings1  
and render it difficult for the sprouts 
to make their way out4 ,it is best never
 to let them get dry from the time they 
are taken up till they are planted4     
,there is but little risk of keeping    
them too damp1 and yet this is possible1
 as1 for instance1 when the receptacles 
in which they are stored are allowed to 
stand on a wet cellar bottom4 ,in such a
 case a large part of them will grow    
before they can be planted1 and so be   
lost4 ,on account of the necessary      
dampness to which they are exposed      
through the winter1 they should be      
planted early1 four or five weeks before
 corn planting time1 if weather and     
condition of soil permit4 ,the bulblets 
of some varieties sprout early and at a 
low temperature1 and an active effort   
should be made to get them into the     

ground before this comes to pass4 ,the  
soil may be too cold to start the       
majority into growth1 but the shells    
will still be softening and getting     
ready to grow as soon as there is       
sufficient warmth4  ,the growing of     
bulbs from bulblets is such an important
 part of the business that it seems best
 to describe the process in detail1 even
 at the risk of some repetition4 ,the   
ground used for this purpose should be  
level1 or as nearly so as possible1 to  
guard against washing1 and the soil     
should be made very fine4 ,the rows     
should be made straight1 of uniform     
depth1 about two inches1 and rather     
broad1 so as to give a good width of    
bottom surface4 ,if horse labor is to be
 employed in the cultivating1 the rows  
will need to be from thirty to          
thirty-six inches apart2 if a wheel hoe 
is to be used1 eighteen inches will be  
ample1 and when land is precious the    
space may be diminished to fifteen      
inches1 or even twelve1 though the      

latter is too narrow for convenience4   
,the bulblets should be screened through
 sieves of different meshes1 so as to   
have each size by itself1 in order that 
the growth may be uniform4  ,sow them   
very thick in the row1 from one hundred 
to three hundred to the foot1 and have  
the bulbs average half an inch in       
diameter4 ,they seem to do best when    
very thick in the row1 perhaps because  
there is such a mass of stem that they  
can lift up the covering of earth and   
come through with ease4 ,whenever ,i    
have sown them thin1 with a view to     
obtaining larger bulbs1 ,i have been    
disappointed4 ,they seem to exhaust     
their energy in pushing their way out of
 the shells and up through the soil1 and
 their subsequent growth is not strong  
enough to be satisfactory4 ,as a rule1  
it is the object of the grower simply to
 change the bulblets into bulbs1 without
 special regard to size1 but even if the
 latter were the chief consideration1   
the end would probably be better        

attained by close sowing4 ,what they    
lose by crowding each other seems to be 
more than made up by their mutual help  
in overcoming the obstacles which they  
encounter in starting4  ,after the      
bulblets are sown1 cover them slightly  
with the foot1 treading the earth       
directly over the rows4 ,next1 sow a    
complete fertilizer1 at the rate of a   
thousand pounds to the acre1 along the  
rows in the tracks made by the foot and 
then draw the soil from both sides over 
the fertilizer1 making quite a ridge    
above each row4 ,in small areas this    
work may be done with the hoe1 but in   
large ones it is better to use the      
cultivator with the wings attached1 as  
in covering bulbs4 ,as soon as the weeds
 start on the ridges1 they should be    
lightly stirred with a steel rake4 ,a   
fine harrow or weeder may be used on    
large plantations1 if preferred4 ,this  
stirring destroys the weeds over the    
rows before the bulblets are fairly     
sprouted4 ,a little later1 when the     

shoots are nearly ready to come through 
the ground1 go over the rows again with 
the steel rake1 and level them down4    
,this kills the second growth of weeds1 
makes the surface clean for the young   
plants1 and does away with the first    
weeding1 which is a costly item4 ,it is 
important that this second stirring be  
done at the right time4 ,if too early1  
weeds will come up in the rows with the 
bulblets2 if too late1 some of the      
young1 tender shoots may be injured4    
,if there is reason to think the        
bulblets too dry at planting time1 they 
may be put into sacks and soaked in     
water a day or two4 ,in fact1 however   
well they may have been kept through the
 winter1 it is not a bad plan to soak   
them before planting4 ,this gives the   
shells a more thorough moistening than  
they could get in storage or in the     
ground1 and this cuts short the time    
required to soften them1 and accelerates
 the coming up by just so much4 ,some   
growers spread them on the cellar floor1

 wet them1 and cover with burlap4 ,they 
are stirred every day1 and kept moist   
until they begin to sprout1 when they   
are planted4  ,a bed of bulblets should 
receive the most thorough and careful   
cultivation from the time the little    
shoots appear until the crop is ready to
 be harvested4 ,the surface should be   
stirred often to keep down the weeds and
 encourage a steady and vigorous growth4
 ,inasmuch as the product is a valuable 
one1 it pays to give it every advantage4
 ,the work of harvesting is described at
 length under the head of ,digging and  
,curing4  ,there is one curious fact    
connected with bulblets1 which is worth 
mentioning4 ,although they need the most
 judicious care when out of the ground1 
if best results are to be attained1     
their vitality and tenacity of life are 
such that they may be left around1      
exposed to all kinds of weather1 and    
treated with perfect neglect1 and yet1  
when they come in contact with the earth
 some of them will grow4 ,i recall an   

instance of a barrel of bulblets that   
stood in a shed through two winters and 
one summer1 and when the second spring  
came they were poured out on the ground1
 and probably twenty per cent of them   
sprouted4    7,see further ,notes ,pages
 #ie-ajj7     ,,chapter ,,xi4  ,peeling 
,bulblets4   ,it is sometimes desirable 
to increase a stock of bulbs faster than
 it can be done in the ordinary course  
of nature1 even with the best of care   
and skill in growing4 ,this is often the
 case with new1 high-priced varieties1  
and occasionally with an old and popular
 one that naturally increases very      
slowly1 as the ,shakespeare4 ,it has    
been discovered that this end can be    
achieved by peeling the bulblets before 
planting4 ,even if the bulblets have    
been kept in perfect condition1 the     
shells are somewhat of an obstruction to
 their growth1 and it is easy to see    
that the removal of these would be a    
great advantage by giving the kernels   
freedom to start and flourish           

unhindered4 ,the hard covering is       
nature's safe protection for the        
beautiful little bulblet within1 and it 
comes so near to being waterproof and   
air-tight that the tiny sprout is slow  
in making its way out4 ,many of them    
remain shut in1 and so are lost to the  
grower4 ,careful peeling overcomes this 
difficulty1 and they all grow1 like     
bulbs4 ,not only this1 but they grow    
much larger for the peeling1 and also   
yield a fair product of bulblets1 thus  
increasing their rate of multiplication 
in various ways4  ,when ,i first heard  
of the advantages of peeling bulblets ,i
 decided to try it1 and engaged a number
 of girls to do the work at their homes 
in the winter1 paying ten cents an hour4
 ,i had a choice lot and the work       
amounted to over thirty dollars4 ,i     
found that there was a difference in    
girls4 ,some did the work carefully and 
others bruised or wounded the tender    
kernels4 ,the bulblets were put away in 
the cellar1 and in a short time they    

became a moldy mass4 ,they were a       
complete loss1 for not one of them was  
planted1 and the ruin of my choice      
bulblets hurt more than the waste of the
 money4 ,after that ,i had very little  
confidence in peeling bulblets1 until   
,mr4 ,e4 ,v4 ,hallock of ,long ,island1 
,new ,york1 one of the most experienced 
and skillful growers in the country1    
gave me an important item of            
information1 which explained my failure 
and revived my interest in the subject4 
,this was the secret3 ,the bulblets     
should be peeled the same day they are  
planted4 ,mr4 ,hallock also gave me some
 valuable hints on cultivation4  ,by    
experimenting on the work of peeling1 ,i
 have found what seems to be a good way 
of doing it4 ,hold the bulblet firmly   
between the thumb and fingers of the    
left hand--unless you are               
left-handed--with the top upward4 ,then 
with the thumb nail and first finger of 
the right hand take tight hold of the   
point of the shell1 and pull to the     

right1 as if husking an ear of corn4    
,this will usually strip off a piece of 
the covering1 leaving a part of the     
kernel bare4 ,now take a sharp-pointed1 
thin-bladed knife and insert the point  
under the edge of the broken shell1     
being very careful not to cut or bruise 
the kernel1 and lift up the husk in     
pieces1 until it is all removed4  ,for  
planting1 make the soil rich and fine1  
as much like potting soil as possible1  
and have the ground ready when it is    
time to plant corn4 ,lay out a bed four 
feet wide1 and rake it smooth4 ,make    
drills across it about an inch deep1    
more rather than less1 and far enough   
apart to permit working between with a  
narrow hoe1 say six inches4 ,place the  
newly peeled bulblets in the drills1    
about an inch apart1 and cover at once  
with sifted sand1 about two inches deep1
 and then press it down level with the  
surface4 ,sand is preferable to most    
kinds of soil1 because it never bakes1  
and not only this1 but it shows where   

the rows are1 so that if it becomes     
necessary to hoe the surface before the 
young plants appear it can be done      
without danger of injury to the         
bulblets4 ,the bed should have frequent 
stirring and perfectly clean culture4   
,bulblets thus treated will produce     
bulbs from three-fourths of an inch to  
an inch or more in diameter4 ,they will 
also yield a goodly number of bulblets  
the first year1 and the second year the 
increase will be still greater4         
,soaking the bulblets1 as mentioned     
elsewhere1 is next best to peeling1 and 
is available for large quantities1 while
 the latter is profitable only in       
special cases4  ,i will add1 by way of  
suggestion1 that ,i have lately tried   
peeling bulblets in advance of planting1
 and mixing them with potting soil to   
keep4 ,my work along this line has not  
been extensive enough to warrant        
pronouncing it a success1 but the few   
bulblets that ,i have experimented with 
have kept perfectly4  ,illustration3    

,black ,bulblets 7,hard ,shell7         
,illustration3 ,,margaret     ,,chapter 
,,xii4  ,growing for ,specific          
,purposes4   ,gladiolus growers have    
different objects in view in carrying on
 their work1 and it is managed according
 to the results desired4 ,he who raises 
bulbs for sale uses every effort to     
increase his stock and to cause the     
bulbs to make the greatest possible     
growth during the season4 ,he prepares  
the ground thoroughly1 plants deep to   
support the tops1 gives plenty of       
nourishment and the best of culture1    
cuts the spikes as soon as they are high
 enough1 and as a result he harvests a  
crop of large1 well formed bulbs that   
are pleasing to buyers and satisfactory 
in every way4  ,he who grows for        
flowers1 takes the same pains in        
preparing1 enriching1 and tilling the   
soil1 and supporting the tops1 but when 
the spikes appear1 instead of cutting   
them at once1 he allows them to go on   
growing until the flowers begin to open4

 ,then he cuts them judiciously2 if for 
sale1 with long stems and plenty of     
foliage2 if for home use1 with less of  
both4 ,this is his harvest1 and the     
bulbs1 which are taken up later1 may be 
considered a by-product4 ,when the      
flowers are cut with much foliage the   
bulbs are dwarfed1 but this does not    
matter when the flower market pays more 
for the spikes than the bulbs would     
bring if grown to perfection4 ,the      
object in growing is naturally decided  
by the prospective gains4 ,if a crop of 
bulbs will yield greater profit than a  
crop of flowers1 the flowers are        
sacrificed and the bulbs are given every
 advantage2 if the flowers will bring   
better returns the bulbs take second    
place1 and the attention is centered    
upon developing the blooms4  ,he who    
grows for seed gives the same           
preparation and care as the others4     
,then1 instead of cutting the spikes at 
the earliest opportunity1 as in growing 
for bulbs1 or when they begin to bloom1 

as in growing for flowers1 they are     
allowed to come out1 display their      
beauty for awhile and fade4 ,after this 
the small green pods appear1 fill out1  
and ripen1 and then the producer of seed
 reaps his harvest4  ,there is much to  
be said upon the subject of growing and 
saving seed1 and the details of this    
fascinating work will be considered in  
other chapters4   ,keeping ,cut         
,flowers4  ,while gladiolus blooms are  
exceedingly beautiful when fresh and    
well cared for1 they are very           
unattractive when neglected1 and it     
requires so little attention to keep    
them at their best that it seems a pity 
they should ever be allowed to suffer   
for the want of it4 ,the best time to   
cut the spikes is when the first flowers
 unfold4 ,put the stems into water1 and 
the next day there will be more blossoms
 open1 and then more1 and so on1 until  
sometimes there is a large number out at
 once4 ,varieties differ very much in   
this respect4 ,some will display six or 

eight blooms1 or even more4 ,the largest
 number ,i ever saw on one spike at one 
time was fourteen1 and that was a very  
rare case4 ,on the other hand1 some     
kinds no sooner open three or four      
blooms than the lower ones begin to     
fade4 ,this is equally true whether they
 bloom on the plants or after they are  
cut4 ,it seems that some stems are      
unable to take up moisture enough to    
supply more than a few flowers at once4 
,ordinarily1 a vase or jardiniere filled
 with freshly cut spikes will look nice 
for two or three days4 ,by that time    
they will have bloomed up far enough so 
that the first flowers begin to wither4 
,after this1 they should receive        
attention every day4 ,the faded flowers 
should be taken off1 the stems shortened
 accordingly1 and the water changed4    
,with this treatment the bouquet keeps  
fresh and beautiful until the last bud  
opens4  ,it shortens the life of cut    
flowers of any kind to stand in the sun1
 or to be exposed to a current of air1  

and the gladiolus is no exception4      
,marketing ,flowers4  ,in cutting       
gladiolus spikes for shipment it is best
 to do the work in the morning1 as far  
as possible4 ,in the daytime1 especially
 when the sun shines hot1 or the wind   
blows1 or both1 the plant gives off     
moisture rapidly1 and flowers cut under 
such conditions are liable to wilt1     
unless their stems are placed in water  
immediately4 ,during the night1         
evaporation is diminished or suspended1 
while the roots continue to take up     
moisture4 ,the dew also has an effect1  
and in the morning the plants are full  
of sap4 ,this is one reason why it is   
best to cut the spikes early1 and       
another is that the new blooms expand at
 that time1 and so are perfectly fresh4 
,if one has large quantities to cut1 it 
may be necessary to continue the work   
all day1 or the greater part of it1 and 
in such a case1 or1 in fact1 whenever it
 is done1 it is a good plan to stand the
 spikes in water for a time1 if         

convenient1 and give them an opportunity
 to fill their stems4 ,flowers thus     
refreshed will last longer than those   
that do not have a chance to drink4     
,there is a difference in markets as to 
the length of stems demanded4 ,some     
require them to be very long1 with much 
foliage1 and in such cases the prices   
should be high enough to pay for        
sacrificing the bulbs1 which are        
rendered almost worthless by such       
cutting4 ,when stems of moderate length 
are acceptable1 it is a good rule to cut
 down to the third leaf below the spike1
 taking only the two small ones nearest 
the flowers4 ,this method gives the     
bulbs an opportunity to grow large and  
strong4  ,for shipment1 the spikes are  
tied in bunches of twenty-six to        
twenty-eight1 so that each bunch will   
make two liberal dozens4 ,they are then 
placed in an upright position in a      
crate1 box1 or other receptacle4 ,there 
are various styles of packages1 and each
 shipper chooses to suit himself4 ,one  

season ,i shipped thousands of spikes in
 tall candy pails1 with an inch or two  
of water in the bottom4 ,they started at
 night and arrived at their destination 
in the morning1 as fresh as daisies1 the
 commission man said4 ,if the spikes are
 slightly wilted in transit it does     
little harm1 as they revive very soon   
after being placed in water1 though it  
is probable that any wilting shortens   
their terms of service more or less4    
,some growers cut the spikes before any 
flowers open1 tie them in small bunches1
 wrap in paper1 and pack in crates1 in  
layers4 ,this method is good for very   
long distances4  ,there is one other    
mode of shipping which ,i adopt when ,i 
wish to send spikes that have several   
blooms open1 without injury to the      
flowers4 ,i take a half bushel market   
basket1 line it with waxed paper1       
sprinkle damp moss in the bottom1 and   
then string the basket--that is1 sew    
strong cords across it with a sail      
needle1 three in each end at the top1   

about three inches apart1 and three     
others below these1 an inch or two above
 the bottom of the basket4 ,the flowers 
are then put in slantwise1 beginning at 
the ends of the basket1 and working     
towards the middle1 until the space is  
all occupied4 ,the lower cords hold the 
ends of the stems in place1 while the   
upper ones support the weight of the    
flowers1 and keep them from crushing    
each other4 ,a basket thus prepared will
 carry from fifty to one hundred spikes1
 according to the angle at which they   
are placed4 ,the nearer upright their   
position the more the basket will hold1 
but an angle of forty-five degrees is as
 much as they will bear without swinging
 sideways and becoming disarranged4  ,it
 is sometimes desirable to send a spike 
by mail1 and this can be done to        
perfection by enclosing it in a         
pasteboard tube1 such as publishers use 
for mailing pictures4 ,it should be     
drawn into the tube stem first1 and out 
the same way4   ,growing and ,saving    

,seed4  ,one of the most interesting    
branches of gladiolus culture is the    
growing of seedlings1 and a very        
important part of this is producing the 
seed4 ,of course1 seed can be bought1   
but it is more satisfactory to the      
grower to raise it himself1 as far as   
practicable1 and know what it is1       
besides eliminating an item of expense4 
,spherical or conical bulbs are more    
vigorous1 and therefore better for this 
purpose1 than flat ones of the same     
sort4 ,there is a difference in the     
productiveness of varieties in regard to
 seed1 as well as bulblets1 some        
yielding little or none1 while others   
bear freely1 but in the latter case it  
is not best to permit the bulbs to ripen
 the greatest possible amount4 ,when    
they begin to bloom they should be      
beheaded1 leaving only the lower flowers
 and buds1 say four1 or five1 or six1   
and these will develop large1 strong    
pods1 filled with seed of the best      
quality in point of vigor4 ,this method 

is also advantageous to the bulbs1      
which1 though only a secondary          
consideration1 are not by any means     
worthless4 ,for the benefit of both seed
 and bulbs1 the matter of cutting off   
the buds that are not wanted should be  
attended to promptly as soon as the     
first flowers unclose4  ,when the seed  
begins to ripen1 it should be watched1  
and secured at the proper time4 ,at a   
certain stage the pods burst open1 and  
if left long after this1 the seeds1     
which are very light1 are apt to be     
blown away4 ,the careful grower wishes  
to save every seed1 for he has a feeling
 that if one is lost1 that one may be   
the choicest of all4     ,,chapter      
,,xiii4  ,crossing or ,hybridizing4     
,these expressions seem to be popularly 
used in a rather free way1 as applied to
 the gladiolus1 to denote the bringing  
together of different varieties1 for the
 purpose of obtaining seed1 which shall 
produce new and diverse kinds1 combining
 in some degree the qualities of the    

parents1 and presumably of superior     
excellence4 ,accepting the foregoing    
terms in the sense alluded to1 as       
meaning simply a mixing of stocks1 or of
 varieties1 there are two ways of       
securing the desired results1 the       
natural and the artificial4 ,in the     
former1 insects and the wind do the     
work2 in the latter1 it is done by hand4
 ,it may be worth while to speak of     
these methods somewhat in detail1 with  
the prefatory statement that a variety  
is not supposed to reproduce itself from
 seed1 and as a rule it does not4       
,although there are instances in which  
seedlings bear a close resemblance to a 
parent1 or to each other1 theoretically 
no two are alike1 and in reality there  
is a wide range of variation among those
 grown from the same bulb4 ,in this     
variation lies the charm of the work and
 the secret of success4  ,suppose the   
grower wishes to cross two varieties in 
the natural way4 ,he plants the bulbs   
near together and apart from others1 far

 enough distant so that their pollen    
cannot reach the blooms4 ,between the   
two there is an interchange1 each being 
fertilized by the other1 and the results
 will comprise as many variations as    
there are seeds produced4 ,several kinds
 may be planted together in the same    
manner and the consequent combination   
will be still more numerous and varied4 
,if the amateur wishes to save seed from
 his bed of mixed bulbs1 he watches the 
blooms as they come out and cuts and    
carries away any that are not desirable 
to propagate from1 so that they may not 
affect the seed of the others4 ,by this 
method all the seed saved is of a high  
grade of excellence1 and the new        
developments from it are exceedingly    
interesting4  ,when the grower purposes 
to cross two varieties artificially1 he 
goes about it early in the morning1 when
 the blooms first open4 ,he selects the 
flower which is to be the mother parent1
 cuts away the stamens with sharp       
pointed scissors1 and then covers it    

with cheese capping1 to keep out strange
 pollen4 ,from ten o'clock in the       
forenoon to about four in the afternoon1
 the pistil secretes a honey-like       
liquid1 which causes the end or stigma  
to be moist4 ,it is then said to be     
receptive1 and the grower carries the   
stamens from the other parent1 and      
gently touches the stigma with the      
anthers1 causing the pollen to adhere4  
,hand-hybridizing can be carried on in a
 garden1 or any small area1 while       
special crossing done in the natural way
 requires a great deal of room4 ,the    
artificial method also has the advantage
 of being perfectly exact1 while in the 
other there is a possibility that pollen
 carried by bees may be introduced1 even
 at a considerable distance4  ,whichever
 plan is adopted1 the work is very      
fascinating1 and if the grower succeeds 
in attaining the realization of his     
ideals along the lines he is pursuing1  
or even a near approach to those ideals1
 the pleasure he experiences is ample   

recompense for all his efforts4         
,illustration3 ,,europe  ,illustration3 
,,attraction  ,illustration3 ,,sphinx   
,,chapter ,,xiv4  ,enemies and          
,diseases4   ,the gladiolus has almost  
no enemies1 and the same may be said of 
diseases4 ,the bulb has a very          
unpleasant taste1 and is somewhat       
poisonous4 ,it is not eaten by mice or  
grubs4 ,the black aster beetle is fond  
of the flowers1 and is quite a pest when
 very abundant4 ,these insects have a   
preference among colors1 and attack the 
red flowers first1 especially a scarlet 
sort named ,bertha4 ,they will single   
out the spikes of this variety in a     
field of mixed colors1 and devour the   
very buds as soon as the red comes in   
sight4 ,they are especially troublesome 
when the weather is hot and dry1 as they
 can then fly readily4 ,when it is cool 
and damp1 if jarred from the spikes they
 fall to the ground1 and are slow in    
regaining their places4 ,the grower of  
flowers1 either amateur or commercial1  

finds in these insects an enemy hard to 
contend with1 but the grower of bulbs   
pays no attention to them1 as they do   
him no harm4  ,in regard to diseases1   
bulbs sometimes become scabby1 but this 
seems rather an accident than a disease4
 ,it is apparently due to conditions1   
and is not perpetuated by heredity4     
,perfectly sound bulbs may produce      
scabby ones1 and vice versa4 ,if healthy
 bulbs are planted in a place that is   
too wet1 or that is subject to frequent 
overflow1 or if they come in contact    
with barnyard manure in the ground1 or  
if the foliage is seriously injured in  
the growing season1 the product is      
liable to be scabby4 ,some years ago ,i 
had a field of gladioli1 one end of     
which proved to be a runway for dogs1   
and the plants that came in their way   
were broken1 or partly broken4 ,as a    
consequence1 many of the bulbs in that  
part of the field were scabby1 but these
 planted in a different place1 produced 
smooth ones the next season4 ,if bulbs  

are taken up and cured immediately after
 the tops have been injured1 by wind or 
otherwise1 they will be sound and in    
good condition for the next year1 even  
though not half grown2 but to be        
deprived of their foliage1 or a large   
portion of it1 while the roots remain   
undisturbed1 appears to destroy the     
balance1 and cause bad results4  ,in    
some localities the gladiolus is        
affected by rust1 which turns the tips  
of the leaves brown in the growing      
season4 ,if this is a disease1 the      
remedy does not seem to have been       
discovered1 but in numerous instances   
careful observation will show that it is
 due to local causes4 ,the foliage is   
sensitive to atmospheric conditions1 and
 cannot be successfully grown where it  
is subject to poisonous gases4 ,smoke   
from a pottery carried over the bed by  
prevailing winds is almost sure to be   
fatal4 ,salt is thrown into the kilns to
 glaze the ware1 and the chlorine set   
free is deadly to many plants4 ,even    

smoke from factories is more or less    
injurious1 and many cases of rust can be
 traced to some such source4  ,taken all
 in all1 the gladiolus is one of the    
most reliable of crops4 7,see ,note47   
,note3--,there are three well defined   
diseases affecting gladiolus      bulbs 
during growth and in storage1 soft rot1 
hard rot1 and scab4      ,there is no   
cure for the two former1 but they may be
 controlled by      discarding all      
affected bulbs and planting in fresh    
soil free from      animal manures4     
,scab may be greatly reduced by soaking 
all diseased      or suspected bulbs1   
after removing the outer coatings1 for  
twenty      minutes in a solution of    
bichloride of mercury1 fifteen grains to
      each gallon of water1 or for same 
time in solution of formalin1 one       
pint to thirty gallons of water4        
,,chapter ,,xv4  ,what ,constitutes a   
,good ,variety4   ,the different types  
of the gladiolus vary so widely that    
they cannot be measured by one fixed    

standard1 but there are some general    
requirements of excellence that apply to
 all4 ,vigorous healthy growth is       
indispensable4 ,it is not worth while to
 cultivate a variety that is            
constitutionally feeble4 ,another       
essential is a fair-sized clean bulb1   
and it is desirable1 though not         
imperative1 that it should produce      
bulblets freely4 ,the leaves should be  
green to the tips throughout the season4
 ,the spike should be tall and straight1
 with a good distance between the first 
flower and the foliage4 ,in some        
varieties the spike develops so rapidly1
 and is so tender and succulent1 that it
 is unable to support its own weight4   
,hence1 it makes a crooked stem which is
 a blemish1 however perfect it may be   
otherwise4 ,ordinarily1 it is better    
that the spike should not have branches1
 though some of the best kinds do1 as   
,may1 ,augusta1 and others4 ,when a     
variety is used for forcing1 and        
individual flowers are cut1 branches are

 an advantage1 as they lengthen the     
season1 but when the whole spike is cut 
they are useless1 and worse1 for they   
exhaust the bulb more or less1 and time 
is consumed in taking them off4 ,the    
stem should be able to take up water    
freely1 so that it may open a goodly    
number of flowers at once4 ,this is a   
characteristic common to the            
,gandavensis varieties1 while the       
opposite is true of the ,lemoines4 ,the 
typical spike should have two rows of   
flowers facing the same way1 and near   
enough together to conceal the stem1 or 
the most of it1 but not so close as to  
look crowded4 ,the blossom should be    
finely arched1 and open enough to bring 
out that frank1 engaging expression     
which is peculiar to this flower1 and   
one of its special charms4 ,the petals  
should be of ample width1 to give the   
bloom a rich1 generous appearance4      
,substance in the petals is of very     
great importance as enabling them to    
endure exposure4 ,if too thin1 they will

 wilt in a warm or windy day4  ,there is
 one more requirement1 without which all
 other perfections go for naught1--fine 
coloring4 ,it may be light or dark1     
delicate or rich1 solid or a combination
 of few or many hues1 but it must be    
clear1 spirited and attractive1 not dull
 nor muddy1 nor faded4 ,the gladiolus   
comprises such a marvelous range of     
colors1 from white up through all the   
shades of pink1 melon1 and scarlet1 to  
the richest and most glowing reds2 some 
fine tints of yellow2 and innumerable   
blendings1 markings and variegations1   
that there is no need of accepting or   
perpetuating an unlovely color or one   
that requires an apology4     ,,chapter 
,,xvi4  ,how to ,obtain a ,choice       
,collection4   ,there are1 as before    
stated1 some qualities which are        
requisite to a good gladiolus1 but this 
demand does not draw close or inflexible
 lines4 ,there are hundreds of varieties
 in existence which possess the         
necessary traits in a considerable      

degree1 and more are being produced     
every year by the growing of seedlings4 
,this breadth of variation gives room   
for the exercise of individual tastes   
equally as diversified1 and it is       
interesting to observe the differences  
displayed4 ,one person's ideal may be   
quite ordinary in the estimation of     
another4 ,once1 when ,i exhibited ninety
 varieties at a fair1 ,i was surprised  
to see a lady select as her first choice
 the one which was ninetieth in my      
opinion4  ,there are several ways of    
obtaining a fine collection4 ,if one can
 afford to gratify his wishes without   
regard to expense1 he can buy named     
varieties year after year1 select those 
that he most admires1 and reject the    
others4 ,with less outlay he can buy    
mixed bulbs of a high grade1 or         
unbloomed seedlings1 and retain the     
finest1 as before4 ,this is an excellent
 way1 and in no other can a choice      
collection be obtained for so little    
money in so short a time4 ,another      

method1 which involves still less       
expense but requires more time1 is to   
grow bulbs from seed1 and it is wise to 
procure the seed from many different    
sources1 in order to attain the most    
extensive range of colors and           
characteristics4 ,seedlings well grown  
the first year will show a few flowers  
the second1 and the next season all will
 bloom4 ,the grower can then choose     
those that please him best1 and this    
work is unspeakably captivating4        
,,chapter ,,xvii4  ,how to ,keep a      
,collection ,vigorous and ,well         
,balanced4   ,the gladiolus1 like other 
flowering plants1 shows the effects of  
continued neglect or ill usage in       
diminished vigor and inferior bloom4    
,this is not saying that a variety will 
go back to some ancestral sort1 or that 
it will lose its individuality1 but it  
will become puny and unsatisfactory4    
,this deterioration is principally due  
to mismanagement1 and can be            
counteracted by a change of methods4    

,suppose a fine1 conical bulb is        
planted4 ,if it meets with no misfortune
 it will produce a perfect spike of     
flowers1 and perhaps a dozen or twenty  
pods of seed4 ,when taken up in the     
fall1 the bulb is almost certain to be  
small and flat1 on account of having    
exhausted its vitality in blooming and  
seed-bearing1 and if it yields any      
bulblets they will probably be so       
diminutive as to be thought not worth   
saving4 ,no amount of skill could get   
much out of that bulb the second year4  
,there are two ways to bring it up to   
its former vigor4 ,first3 plant the bulb
 the next spring under the most         
favorable circumstances1 give it plenty 
of plant food and the best of care1     
provide support for the foliage1 cut the
 spike as soon as possible1 and when the
 bulb is taken up it will be large and  
solid1 and ready to do energetic work   
the following year4 ,the second1 and    
better way1 of restoring a variety that 
has become exhausted1 is to save the    

bulblets1 however tiny they may be1 pack
 them in damp sand1 and store them in a 
cool place over winter4 ,in the spring1 
peel them carefully1 and plant according
 to the directions given in the chapter 
on ,peeling ,bulblets4 ,give good       
culture1 and the outcome will be a crop 
of blooming bulbs1 and most likely a    
fair yield of bulblets4  ,there is      
another difficulty that besets some     
lovers of this beautiful flower who take
 pains to procure fine collections1 and 
give them the best of care1 according to
 their knowledge4 ,in a few years many  
of their choice varieties seem to have  
dwindled away to almost nothing1 or to  
have disappeared entirely1 while they   
have a burdensome surplus of some       
others4 ,they wonder why this is so1 and
 some become convinced that the         
gladiolus will in time revert to some   
original species4 ,nearly all such cases
 may be accounted for by considering    
that some varieties multiply very much  
faster than others1 both by bulblets and

 the formation of new bulbs4 ,if one    
bulb produces a hundred bulblets1       
another ten1 and another one--or perhaps
 none1--it is easy to foresee what will 
happen in a few years4  ,another thing  
to be taken into account is that the    
grower sometimes divides his treasures  
with his friends1 and in so doing he is 
liable to give away the one bulb that   
does not multiply1 thus losing that     
variety from his stock4 ,he may dispose 
of a number in this way and1 meanwhile1 
those that increase rapidly are fast    
taking possession of his collection4    
,there are ways of guarding against this
 situation4 ,first1 when varieties are  
found to have many bulblets1 save only  
enough to keep the stock in balance1 and
 throw away the rest4 ,by being watchful
 and persevering in this course1 much of
 the difficulty in question can be      
avoided4 ,second1 if some varieties get 
the start1 and become too numerous1 mark
 them as they come into bloom1 with     
cheap tags1 or by some other device1 and

 take them up separately in the fall4   
,several varieties can be marked out at 
the same time in this way4              
,illustration3 ,,mrs4 ,f4 ,,pendleton   
,,chapter ,,xviii4  ,commencing in the  
,business4   ,if one desires to grow the
 gladiolus commercially1 there are      
several ways of making a beginning1 and 
it is well to have a clearly defined    
plan4 ,the grower can enter upon the    
work with very little outlay by         
commencing with seed4 ,only choice seed 
should be used4 ,the first year's       
product will average about the size of  
peas4 ,with extra pains1 many of these  
could be brought to small blooming size1
 but it is better to keep them below    
that limit4 ,the next year they will all
 grow to first and second sizes and the 
bulbs will be perfect in form and full  
of energy4 ,of these there will be no   
two alike1 and such bulbs are generally 
in demand4 ,some will be of superior    
merit1 and many good4 ,each purchaser   
will find at least a few that he will   

prize4 ,by sowing seed every year1 the  
grower will always have fresh stock     
coming on1 and if careful to use only   
seed of high grade1 he will establish a 
reputation as a producer of fine        
seedlings4 ,he can1 in time1 make       
arrangements for growing seed himself1  
and thus save the expense of buying1    
besides enjoying the satisfaction of    
knowing its excellence4  ,another way of
 starting is by purchasing small stock4 
,this has the advantage of making       
salable bulbs the first year1 also      
quantities of bulblets1 but there is    
another side to the question1 which is  
less encouraging4 ,if the stock is      
simply common mixed1 which is about the 
only grade offered for sale1 the grower 
is likely to find that a good part of it
 is such as he can take no pride in1 and
 he will be under the necessity of      
beginning soon to weed out the          
undesirable varieties4 ,the same        
difficulty will re-appear in the crop   
grown from the bulblets4 ,this method   

involves more expense than would appear 
at first thought1 and is likely to be   
rather unsatisfactory as to quality in  
the end4 ,if small stock of high        
excellence could be bought1 it would be 
the perfection of a start for a         
beginner1 but it is very seldom         
obtainable4 ,every grower knows that    
bulbs the size of peas are far more     
prolific of bulblets than those of the  
same variety two inches in diameter4    
,accordingly1 he sells the large ones1  
which bring good prices1 but make little
 increase1 and retains the small ones1  
which would yield only trifling returns 
if sold1 but are of great value as      
multipliers of stock4  ,still another   
and very good way of beginning in the   
business is to buy blooming bulbs of    
fine named sorts1 cultivate them        
separately1 and sell them by name4 ,he  
who adopts this plan does not need many 
varieties4 ,it is better to purchase    
few1 and a larger number of each4 ,if he
 selects those that are in good demand1 

he is pretty sure to find ready sale for
 all that he can raise4 ,he is not      
likely to have too many of the ,may or  
,augusta1 nor of those newer and more   
expensive favorites1 ,america and       
,princeps4 ,this last method1 and the   
one first described may be combined to  
good advantage4  ,if one wishes to      
commence growing flowers for market1 he 
may start with seed1 provided he can    
afford the time1 or he may buy blooming 
bulbs1 either mixed or named4 ,in the   
latter case he should look out for a    
liberal proportion of light colors1 as  
they are usually more salable than      
darker ones1 though of late1 good reds  
are rapidly gaining in popularity4 ,some
 growers raise mostly fine white and    
light varieties1 and their flowers are  
in demand even when the market is full  
of common stock4  ,finally1 whatever the
 grower's objects may be in his work1   
and whatever methods he may adopt in    
carrying it on1 he will find plenty of  
room for the exercise of his own        

judgment and tact1 after he has read and
 pondered all that he can find in print 
in regard to gladiolus culture4         
,,appendix  ,by  ,,dr4 ,w4 ,,van ,,fleet
     ,,chapter ,i4  ,garden ,history of 
the ,gladiolus4   ,the gladiolus is     
horticulturally the most important      
member of the ,iridac or great ,iris    
family and has long been the most       
popular of all summer-flowering bulbous 
plants1 ranking in general usefulness   
even such prime favorites as the dahlia1
 the canna and the lily4 ,almost one    
hundred and fifty species have been from
 time to time described by botanists1   
but only a fraction of the number has   
thus far proved of value in breeding and
 development work4 ,fourteen or more    
species are natives of ,southern ,europe
 and ,western ,asia1 but these have     
always been of minor importance as      
garden plants4  ,the headquarters of the
 genus is ,south ,africa1 centering in  
,cape ,colony and ,natal1 though there  
have been recent finds of value on the  

mountains of tropical ,africa and in    
,madagascar4 ,the ,european and ,asiatic
 species run to purple and lilac in     
coloring1 though white varieties occur  
in cultivation4 ,flowers and plants are 
rather small1 rendering them most useful
 for pot or frame culture and for       
naturalizing in protected borders where 
the deeply planted corns can be kept    
from the effects of frost4 ,the most    
attractive of these northern kinds are  
,g4 crispiflorus1 ,g4 atroviolaceus1 ,g4
 ,byzantinus and ,g4 communis4 ,the     
latter has been offered in this country 
as the hardy gladiolus1 but it will not 
endure severe freezing4 ,these species  
hybridize together when opportunity     
presents1 but do not readily interbreed 
with the ,african kinds and have rarely 
developed garden forms superior to the  
respective wild types4 ,the blooming    
time is early spring4  ,another series  
of early-blooming1 small-flowered       
species is represented by ,g4 blandus1  
flesh colored1 ,g4 ,watsonius1 scarlet1 

,g4 alatus1 yellow and red1 and ,g4     
tristis1 pale yellow1 sweet scented4    
,all are native to the ,cape of ,good   
,hope and can endure little cold4 ,they 
are admirably suited for window and     
greenhouse culture and are interesting  
subjects for interbreeding1 though no   
startling results should be expected4   
,the winter-blooming varieties grown by 
florists1 such as the ,bride1           
,delicatissima1 and ,peach ,blossom1    
belong to the hybrid section known as   
,gladiolus ,colvillii1 which is1 without
 doubt1 a hybrid between ,g4 cardinalis 
and ,g4 tristis4 ,the corms of these    
early-blooming species are less         
resistant than those of the             
summer-blooming kinds and can rarely be 
kept over winter in good condition4 ,the
 species in this class are many1 several
 are fragrant1 and all are worth growing
 by the specialist for their individual 
charm1 but few are likely to attain     
commercial importance in this country   
for a considerable time4   ,summer      

,blooming ,species4  ,our popular garden
 and commercial varieties are1 with     
scarcely an exception1 developments of  
strong-growing and relatively           
late-blooming species found wild in     
,south ,africa4 ,the chief of these is  
,g4 psittacinus1 native of ,natal1 but  
cultivated in ,europe since #ahcj4 ,it  
is a striking and robust species with   
hooded1 narrow1 red-and-yellow flowers1 
borne in a scattering manner on a tall  
fleshy scape or spike4 ,eleven years    
later a seedling appeared in the famous 
,van ,houtte ,nurseries1 ,ghent1        
,belgium1 thought to be a hybrid between
 psittacinus and ,g4 cardinalis1 the    
latter a tall scarlet flowered species  
or variety of uncertain origin1 known to
 have been cultivated as early as #aghe4
 ,the ,van ,houtte seedling1 named      
,gandavensis in honor of the city of its
 origin1 was so superior to psittacinus 
as to cause the latter to at once go out
 of cultivation4  ,gandavensis made a   
great sensation in its time and is still

 the best representative of the old-time
 gaudy red-and-yellow garden gladiolus1 
or corn flag4 ,it was eagerly welcomed  
by breeders of the day1 among others the
 accomplished ,french hybridizer1 ,mons4
 ,souchet1 of ,fontainebleu1 who really 
laid the foundation of the modern       
,gandavensis strain1 the basis of all   
that is best in the summer-blooming     
section4 ,the predominating types of the
 finest ,gandavensis varieties1 however1
 retain few of the characteristics of   
psittacinus4 ,the erect1 fleshy stem1   
capable of absorbing sufficient water1  
when the spike is cut1 to develop all   
blooms1 and the strong upright growth   
have been preserved as indispensable    
features1 but the flowers have been     
marvelously improved in respect to form1
 color1 size1 arrangement and finish1 as
 the result of interbreeding with every 
procurable species or variety of        
sufficiently distinct character1 and    
constant seeding selection4 ,the most   
popular varieties of the day1 such as   

,may1 ,augusta1 and ,shakespeare1 have  
little resemblance to psittacinus and   
practically none to cardinalis1 but     
exhibit strongly the main               
characteristics of ,g4 oppositiflorus1  
an old white-and-rose1 many-flowered    
species1 often thought to have been the 
real parent of ,gandavensis1 instead of 
cardinalis4 ,the writer's experience is 
that present-day authentic hybrids of   
psittacinus and cardinalis do not       
resemble ,gandavensis1 while the issue  
of psittacinus x oppositiflorus closely 
reproduces ,gandavensis as it is found  
in old gardens4 ,varied and beautiful as
 the ,gandavensis hybrids or ,french    
seedlings of the last generation        
were--and some have never been          
excelled--intense and pleasing shades of
 red were strangely lacking1 when the   
predominance of psittacinus blood in the
 strain is considered4  ,it was not     
until #ahgh that ,victor ,lemoine1      
,nancy1 ,france1 produced1 by crossing  
the finest ,gandavensis varieties with  

,g4 purpureo-auratus1 an important race 
now widely known as ,lemoinei1 that     
possessed the rich and intense shades of
 red1 purple1 and yellow so ardently    
desired by fanciers4 ,some of the       
richest coloring in the floral kingdom  
is found among the ,lemoinei varieties1 
now wonderfully developed by consistent 
breeding4 ,the hooded form of           
purpureo-auratus blooms1 however1 is    
often retained1 and the stems usually   
have the wiry texture of the species    
rendering the development of the        
flowers1 after cutting1 less perfect    
than the ,gandavensis4  ,the next great 
improvement in garden gladioli was      
brought about by ,max ,leichtlin1 ,baden
 ,baden1 ,germany1 who extensively      
hybridized the best ,gandavensis        
varieties with ,g4 ,saundersii1 then a  
newly introduced species characterized  
by large widely opened scarlet flowers  
speckled with white on the lower        
divisions4 ,the resulting seedlings1    
without doubt the finest strain of      

modern times1 were bought by ,v4 ,h4    
,hallock and ,son1 ,queens1 ,n4 ,y41    
then the most extensive ,american bulb  
growers1 and for many years the stock   
was worked up by them in the most       
painstaking manner4 ,before             
dissemination it was sold to ,j4 ,l4    
,childs1 ,floral ,park1 ,n4 ,y41 who    
introduced it to general cultivation    
under the name of ,childsii4 ,the true  
,leichtlin ,saundersii hybrids are      
characterized by gigantic growth and    
very large richly colored well-opened   
blooms with beautifully spotted and     
variegated throats4 ,shades of red      
predominated at first1 but light colors 
have since been developed in a very     
satisfactory manner4 ,the only just     
criticism of this strain is that some   
kinds lack substance of petal and are   
not as lasting as ,gandavensis varieties
 under similar trying conditions4       
,lemoine soon afterwards produced a fine
 large flowered and brilliantly colored 
race by crossing ,lemoinei hybrids with 

,saundersii4 ,this race was named       
,nanceianus and comprises many truly    
beautiful varieties1 few1 however1      
possessing the vigor of the ,leichtlin  
hybrids4  ,the next break of importance1
 also the work of ,lemoine1 came with   
the use of ,g4 papilio1 pale lilac1     
blotched and overlaid with dull red4 ,in
 many of its hybrids the primitive      
colors have separated1 resulting in an  
attractive series of rich purple and    
heliotrope blues1 quite new to the      
genus4 ,true bright blues1 free from red
 and purple tones1 have not yet been    
obtained1 but the blue kinds--issue of  
,papilio and the ,lemoine varieties--are
 unique and desirable acquisitions4     
,gladiolus cruentus1 blood red and      
white1 pollenized with a selected       
,childsii variety resulted in the       
magnificent scarlet hybrid ,princeps1   
acknowledged the first of its color yet 
produced4 ,the latest species of        
importance to be widely used is ,g4     
,primulinus1 recently found in the      

,zambesi ,valley1 ,south ,africa4 ,it is
 a vigorous species with narrow blooms1 
pure bright yellow in color4 ,the       
hybrids largely partake of this         
coloring1 and it appears only a matter  
of time when good self-yellow varieties1
 comparable in size and finish to the   
best red and pink kinds will be bred4   
,minor ,species4  ,a number of hybrids  
of ,g4 dracocephalus1 ,g4 ,cooperi and  
,g4 ,quartinanus have been offered of   
late years4 ,these species are closely  
allied to ,psittacinus1 but yellow1     
green and purplish shades1 oddly marked 
and striped1 appear in the offspring4   
,some are curious and attractive1 but   
possess little value from the standpoint
 of the commercial grower4 ,g4          
,quartinanus is a very late bloomer and 
may produce varieties extremely useful  
for mild climates where the seasons are 
sufficiently long to form bulb          
development4 ,g4 ,eckloni is a rare     
species with small whitish blooms1      
minutely dotted with black purple4 ,the 

hybrids have mostly purple or red ground
 colors flecked with darker shades4     
,they are exceedingly attractive1 but do
 not increase with sufficient rapidity  
to possess great value4 ,g4 vitatus1 an 
early blooming1 dwarf species1 has      
yielded some charming porcelain and     
salmon colored garden varieties1 of     
rather small size1 however4 ,g4         
,leichtlini1 scarlet and yellow1 allied 
to ,saundersii1 when crossed with       
cruentus1 is a striking brilliant       
crimson hybrid of much vigor1 but when  
blended with other species entirely     
loses its individuality4 ,the list may  
be extended1 but enough has been said to
 indicate the great possibilities       
inherent to the use of wild species as a
 means of adding attractive new features
 to highly developed garden strains4    
,summary4  ,the gladiolus1 in its       
,european species at least1 has been in 
garden cultivation for quite #djj years4
  ,the ,african forms first found their 
way to ,europe about #agde and new ones 

have since been constantly added4 ,the  
genus now numbers almost #aej species4  
,the first marked improvement1 from the 
garden standpoint1 came with the        
introduction from ,holland1 about #aghe1
 of ,g4 cardinalis1 one of the reputed  
parents of ,g4 ,gandavensis4 ,the true  
origin of ,cardinalis has never been    
ascertained4  ,in #ahdj ,g4 ,gandavensis
 was raised in ,belgium from seed of ,g4
 psittacinus1 an ,african species       
supposed to be pollinated with          
,cardinalis1 but more1 likely with ,g4  
oppositiflorus1 which the progeny of    
,gandavensis more closely resembles4    
,from #ahde until #ahhj ,gandavensis    
seedlings or ,french ,hybrids held full 
sway in gardens4 ,more than #djj        
varieties have been named1 comprising   
some of the most highly prized of all   
garden kinds4  ,lemoine introduced in   
#ahgh his justly celebrated hybrids     
between ,gandavensis and ,g4            
purpureo-auratus1 known as ,lemoinei4   
,the ,nanceianus strain1 crosses between

 ,lemoinei and ,g4 ,saundersii1 was     
introduced in #ahhi4  ,childsii1        
originated by ,max ,leichtlin1 ,germany1
 was first disseminated in #ahic4 ,it   
consists of hybrids of ,g4 ,saundersii  
pollinated with the finest ,gandavensis 
varieties4  ,lemoine's ,new ,blue was   
first exhibited at the ,chicago         
,exposition #ahic and placed on sale the
 following year4  ,gladiolus ,princeps1 
,childsii x ,g4 cruentus1 the finest    
scarlet variety ever raised1 was        
introduced in #aijc4  ,gladiolus        
primulinus and hybrids were first       
publicly offered in #aiji4              
,illustration3 ,,princeps     ,,chapter 
,,ii4  ,hybridizing ,gladiolus4   ,the  
gladiolus1 owing to the large size of   
the blooms and its open character1 is   
one of the easiest plants to pollinate  
artificially4 ,healthy vigorous plants  
should be selected for seed bearers1 and
 the bloom spike supported with a firm  
stake4 ,the blooms should be visited in 
early morning as they open1 and the     

anthers removed before they have shed   
pollen1 with the fingers1 or better with
 slender forceps1 taking care not to    
injure the style or the three-parted    
stigma1 which will be ready to receive  
pollen about midday in bright weather or
 late in the afternoon1 or even next day
 if cloudy or dull4  ,the blooms should1
 immediately after the anthers have been
 removed1 be covered with thin          
cheesecloth1 or bobinet1 firmly tied or 
pinned in such a manner as effectually  
to keep out bees and visiting insects4  
,ordinary mosquito netting will not     
serve after it has been wet with dew or 
rain1 as the mesh becomes so loose that 
energetic little pollen carrying bees   
force their way through1 often entirely 
spoiling results4 ,the pollen-bearing   
blooms should be carefully selected to  
open the same day and should be as well 
protected with muslin or fine netting as
 possible to prevent robbery of pollen4 
,about noon1 when the anthers are       
covered with dry-dust-like pollen they  

can be pinched out with forceps and     
carried to the seed-bearing spikes in a 
covered dish to protect from wind4 ,the 
anthers may be taken separately in the  
fingers1 or with forceps1 and lightly   
brushed over the stigmas1 which should  
be erect and open if they have reached  
the receptive stage4 ,one anther will   
usually suffice for a seed bloom if     
pollen is abundant1 but in some of the  
lighter-colored varieties it is scantily
 produced and several may be needed4    
,occasionally the anther valves do not  
open freely enough to permit the escape 
of pollen1 which may then be taken out  
with a narrow-bladed penknife1 or better
 with a little instrument made of a     
flattened pin fixed in a wooden handle4 
,the pollinated blooms should           
immediately be covered with the netting1
 which should remain until they fade4   
,if conveniences are at hand the work   
may be rapidly accomplished--several    
hundred pollinations being made in a    
single day by an active worker4 ,pollen 

can also be used from cut blooms1 the   
spikes being kept in water in a light   
room1 free from flies or bees1 but it   
gradually loses power when the upper    
blooms open under such artificial       
conditions4 ,if the work is carefully   
done the resulting seeds will produce   
hybrids or cross breeds as the case may 
be1 and it is always possible that the  
ideal sought for may appear among the   
number4 ,pollen may be kept a week or   
more by drying in the shade and wrapping
 in paraffin paper1 but is far less     
reliable than if applied fresh from the 
anthers4  ,the blooms of large garden   
varieties are rarely self-pollinated1   
even if left uncovered1 but the chances 
of fertilization with inferior kinds1   
generally the most abundant pollen      
producers1 are so great that it is well 
to protect all seed-bearing blooms from 
insect interference4 ,if the work is to 
be done on a large scale sleeves of     
netting or muslin large enough to       
enclose the entire spike will be found  

serviceable4 ,the ends may be drawn     
together by cords looped through the    
fabric1 effectually barring out the     
meddling bees4 ,if a greenhouse         
structure or even a well lighted room is
 available1 the plants may be grown in  
large boxes or pots and taken inside    
when blooming4 ,this is especially      
desirable in the case of rare species   
and varieties1 as there is no           
interference from stormy weather4 ,every
 bloom can be pollinated and practically
 every grain of pollen utilized under   
these secure conditions4     ,,chapter  
,,iii4  ,special ,care of ,seedlings4   
,rare or scarce gladiolus seeds1        
particularly those resulting from       
difficult crosses1 should not be risked 
under ordinary garden or field          
conditions of growth4 ,we naturally wish
 to bring to maturity every possible    
plant that the ideal we are breeding for
 may not be lost1 if it should by chance
 be included in the number4 ,if grown in
 pots or boxes the first season1 with   

due care every good seed is likely to   
produce a vigorous bulb that may be     
planted out next year4 ,i have found    
six-inch standard flower pots1 after    
many trials1 to be the most convenient  
receptacles for small quantities of     
seeds1 though almost equally good       
results may be had from well drained    
wooden boxes five inches deep4 ,the     
boxes may be a foot or more wide and #ah
 to #bj inches long1 and should be new  
and clean4  ,on no account grow         
gladiolus seeds or bulblets successive  
years in the same pots or boxes without 
sterilization1 lest disease be fostered4
 ,sterilization may be effected in the  
case of pots1 by roasting an hour or    
more in an oven at a temperature above  
the boiling point of water1 or by well  
soaking in bichloride of mercury or     
formaldehyde solution1 described in a   
preceding chapter4,c ,boxes may also be 
roasted in the oven or soaked in        
sterilizing solutions1 but it is best to
 use new ones if procurable4 ,boxes     

should have at least one-half-inch      
drainage hole to each sixteen square    
inches of bottom surface1 as gladiolus  
seedlings greatly dislike waterlogged   
soil4 ,an inch of pebbles1 broken shells
 or sterilized potsherds should be      
placed in bottom and pot or box filled  
to within one-half inch of top with     
light compost made of two parts rich    
loamy soil and one part sand1 well mixed
 together4 ,some very old fine manure   
may be used1 but it should be confined  
to the bottom third of the receptacle   
and not come into contact with the seeds
 or resulting bulbs4 ,the seeds         
previously rubbed free from chaff1      
should be thickly sown on the           
surface--one hundred seeds is not too   
many for a six-inch pot--and covered    
with one-half inch of clean sand4 ,water
 with a gentle spray until entire mass  
of soil is saturated1 cover top with old
 burlap or bagging and place pots or    
boxes in a secure place where the       
temperature will not vary greatly from  

sixty degrees4 ,but little more water   
will be needed until the plants begin to
 come up1 which should be in about      
twenty days4 ,a sunny situation in      
greenhouse or garden is needed to grow  
the seedlings to best advantage1 but if 
in the latter1 protection should always 
be given from beating rains as the tiny 
seedlings are very easily broken down   
during the early stages of their        
development4 ,water should be given with
 sufficient regularity to keep the soil 
constantly moist without becoming sodden
 and all weeds removed as they appear4  
,the bulbs will mature in twelve to     
fifteen weeks from germination4 ,water  
should gradually be lessened as growth  
ceases and foliage begins to yellow     
until the soil quite dries out1 when it 
may be passed through a sieve and even  
the smallest bulblet secured4  ,footnote
 ,c3 ,page #ei4  ,the little seedling   
bulbs1 ranging in size from a wheat     
grain to a hazelnut1 keep best in dry   
sand and should be sown next season like

 peas in drills in the garden4 ,some of 
the strongest are likely to bloom the   
second year and all should produce      
flowers the third4 ,if seeds are sown   
under glass soon after ripening1 in     
early ,october1 according to foregoing  
directions1 the bulbs may usually be    
ripened off in ,march1 cured in sand in 
a dry warm place and planted out in     
,may1 thus securing a few blooms the    
following ,autumn1 one year after       
gathering the seed4 ,most of the bulbs  
thus treated should attain blooming size
 by the end of the first season4 ,if    
only a few seeds of a rare variety are  
obtainable1 very porous compost in      
five-inch pots or shallower boxes1 the  
seeds sown near the edges1 will give    
best results4 ,the seedling gladiolus   
the first year is so slender and with   
such a small root system that           
considerable attention is needed to     
avoid excess moisture unless closely    
planted4  ,a useful modification of the 
above method is to replace the bottom of

 a box of convenient size with wire     
netting of one-half-inch mesh or less1  
sink it to within an inch of the top in 
the soil in a convenient sunny place in 
garden1 fill with prepared compost1 sow 
seeds and proceed in the described      
manner except that less attention will  
be required in watering than if entirely
 exposed to the air4 ,box and soil can  
be lifted out when the bulbs mature1 the
 soil dried and sifted to secure every  
minute bulb4 ,if a considerable quantity
 of seed is to be sown a board frame    
eight inches deep1 with bottom lined    
with one-half-inch mesh netting1 and    
sunk in the ground1 will give complete  
security from moles and similar vermin4 
,if ordinary poultry netting is         
stretched over the top1 additional      
security against surface marauders is   
given4 ,hand hybridized seeds are too   
precious to risk in ordinary unprotected
 soil4 ,five thousand seedling bulbs may
 be grown in a frame #df feet1 if seeds 
are thickly enough sown4     ,,chapter  

,,iv4  ,gladiolus ,species4   ,the      
following list includes the most        
important ,gladiolus species1 as        
recognized by modern botanists4 ,many   
species formerly included in the genus  
,gladiolus are now correctly assigned to
 ,acidanthera1 ,antholyza1 ,babiana1    
,freesia1 ,montbretia1 ,tritona and     
,watsonia4 ,most true ,gladiolus species
 will hybridize together1 under         
favorable opportunity1 but all attempts 
to breed the above genera with          
,gladiolus1 thus far1 appear to have    
failed4 ,the most important garden      
hybrids of ,gladiolus1 useful in        
breeding work1 have been described in   
preceding chapters4 ,an attempt is here 
made to note the height of each species1
 the season of bloom in the northern    
hemisphere1 the native locality where   
known1 and the approximate date of      
introduction to cultivation3            
,gladiolus adlami1 dull yellow with     
minute red spots1 ,transvaal1 #ahhi4    
alatus1 #c_/d ft41 scarlet1 yellow1     

,june1 #agie4      alatus algoensis1    
#c_/d ft41 orange1 ,july1 #ahbd4        
albidus1 #a ft41 white1 ,june1 #aggd4   
angustus1 #b ft41 yellow1 ,june1 #agef4 
atroviolaceus1 dark blue1 purple1 white1
 ,palestine1 #ahhi4      blandus1       
#a-a_/b ft41 flesh1 ,june1 #aggd4       
brachyandrus1 #b ft41 scarlet1 whitish1 
,zambesi ,land1 ,july1 #ahgi4           
brevifolius1 #a-a_/b ft41 pink1 ,june1  
#ahjb4     byzantinus1 #b ft41 red1     
,july1 ,turkey1 #afbi4     campanulatus1
 #a-a_/b ft41 light purple1 ,may1 #agid4
     carneus1 #b ft41 flesh1 ,june1     
#agif4     caucasicus1 ,caucasus1 #ahdb4
     cochleatus1 #a-a_/b ft41 white1    
red1 ,march1 #ahbi4     ,colvillei1     
#a-a_/b  ft41 bright red marked with    
pale purple4 ,hybrid4     ,colvillei1   
alba1 white4     communis1 #b ft41 red1 
,south ,europe1 #aeif1 ,july4           
communis albus1 #b ft41 white1 ,june1   
,south ,europe4     concolor1 #a ft41   
yellow1 ,june1 #agij4     ,cooperi1 #c  
ft41 red1 yellow1 ,september1 ,natal1   

#ahfb4     crispiflorus1 various1 ,july1
 #ahdb4     cruentus1 blood red1 white1 
,september1 ,natal1 #ahfh4              
cuspidatus1 #a-a_/b ft41 white1 brown1  
,may1 #agie4     debilis1 #a-a_/b ft1   
white1 ,may4     decoratus1 #c ft41     
scarlet1 yellow1 ,east ,africa1 #ahij4  
dracocephalus1 #b-a_/d ft41 greenish    
yellow with purple lines1       ,natal1 
#ahga4     ,eckloni1 #a to #a-a_/b ft41 
pinkish white1 densely red spotted1     
,autumn1       ,south ,africa1 #ahfb4   
edulis1 #a-a_/b ft41 white1 ,june1      
#ahaf4     ,elloni1 white tipped with   
purple1 #ahij4     festivus1 pale rose1 
,july1 #ahdd4     flexuosus1 #a ft41    
orange1 ,june1 #ahbe4     floribundus1  
#a ft41 citron1 ,july1 #aghh4           
,gandavensis1 rich crimson1 yellow1     
summer1 hybrid4     gracilis1 #b ft41   
blue1 white1 ,april1 #ahjj4             
hastatus1 #a ft41 flesh1 ,may1 #ahdf4   
hirsutus1 #a-a_/b ft41 pink1 ,june1     
#agie4     hyalinus1 #a ft41 yellow1    
red1 ,june1 #ahbe4     imbricatus1 #a   

ft41 red1 ,june1 ,russia1 #ahbj4        
involutus1 #a-a_/b ft41 pink1 ,june1    
#ageg4     ,kirkii1 #c ft41 rose1       
,grahamstown1 #ahij4     ,kotschyanus1  
light violet1 ,afghanistan and ,persia4 
,leichtlini1 scarlet1 yellow1           
,transvaal1 #ahhi4     ,mackinderii1 #b 
ft41 red or yellow1 #aije4     ,milleri1
 #a-a_/b ft41 violet1 ,may1 #agea4      
,mortonius1 #a-a_/b ft41 white1 #ahcg4  
namaquensis1 #c_/d ft41 orange1 ,june1  
#ahjj4     natalensis1 #d ft41 scarlet1 
yellow1 ,august1 ,natal ,river1 #ahcj4  
ochroleucus1 ,transvaal4                
oppositiflorus1 ,april1 ,madagascar1    
#ahdc4     papilio1 #b ft41 purple1     
yellow1 ,south ,africa1 #ahff4          
permeabilis1 #c_/d ft41 orange1 ,june1  
#ahbe4     primulinus1 ,primrose-yellow1
 ,east ,africa1 #ahij4     psittacinus1 
#c ft41 scarlet1 yellow1 ,s4 ,e4        
,africa4     pudibundus1 #c ft41 rose1  
hybrid 7,g4 blandus  ,g4 ,cardinalis74  
punctatus1 greenish-yellow1             
brownish-purple1 #ahhi4                 

purpureo-auratus1 yellow1 purple1       
,natal1 #ahgb4     ,quartinianus1 #d    
ft41 yellow and red4     recurvus1 #b   
ft41 striped1 ,may1 #ageh4              
,saundersii1 scarlet1 white1 ,august1   
,south ,africa1 #ahga4     segetum1 #b  
ft41 purple1 ,july1 ,south ,europe1     
#aeif4     sericeo-villosus1 #c ft41    
yellow1 ,s4 ,africa1 #ahfd4             
,salmoneus1 #b ft41 bright salmon4      
tenellus1 #c_/d ft41 yellow1 ,june1     
#ahbe4     tenuis1 #a ft41 red1 ,june1  
,tauria1 #ahbc4     trichonemifolius1   
#a-a_/b ft41 yellow1 ,june1 #ahjj4      
trimaculatus1 #a ft41 red1 white1 ,june1
 #agid4     tristis1 #a ft41 brown1 red1
 #agde4     turicensis1 ,garden hybrid3 
,g4 ,gandavensis  ,g4 ,saundersii4      
undulatus1 #a ft41 pink1 ,may1 #agfj4   
versicolor1 #a-a_/b ft41 brown1 ,june1  
#agid4     vinulus1 creamy white1       
feathered with crimson1 #ahhh4          
viperatus1 #a_/b ft41 green1 white1     
,may1 #aghg4     watsonioides1 #a-a_/b  
ft41 scarlet1 ,mt4 ,kilimanjaro1 #ahhg4 

,,addenda   ,odd ,notes ,from ,many     
,sources4   ,planting gladioli after    
potato or tomato crops is said to incur 
risk of scabby stock4  ,parcel post has 
proven very satisfactory for shipping   
blooms1 packed in this manner4  ,the    
pure yellow ,primulinus ,sunbeam when   
displayed with purple ,baron ,hulot is  
very effective4  ,peeled bulblets       
require a warmer soil than the unpeeled 
ones1 and for this reason1 ,may #ae to  
#bj is about the proper time for sowing4
  ,to grow giant flower spikes1 plant in
 rows #ba to #cj inches apart and #g to 
#i inches apart in the rows2 fertilize  
well4  ,long distance crates for mailing
 cut blooms may be made of slats        
#c_/d-;inch apart1 with end pieces #f to
 #g inches square1 braced in the middle4
  ,all spikes should be cut when lowest 
or first flower begins to unroll2 spikes
 should be set in water for an hour or  
more before packing4  ,constant         
cultivation creating a dust mulch is    
very necessary with these as with other 

crops in case of drought4 ,many overlook
 this4  ,mrs4 ,b4 ,h4 ,tracy says that  
,liebesfeur or ,war1 ,mrs4 ,frances     
,king1 ,pink ,perfection and            
,independence make a wonderful color    
combination4  ,it is conceded that      
second or even third size bulbs of ,mrs4
 ,francis ,king will throw a better     
flower spike than bulbs of a similar    
small size of most other kinds4  ,when  
your flowers are coming on freely and   
weather turns warmer1 don't forget that 
cuttings must be made more frequently1  
and ,sunday work unavoidable4  ,some    
,gladiolus bulbs can stand freezing1    
though frozen solid4 ,if left in tight  
boxes or barrels and allowed to thaw out
 very slowly without handling or        
exposure to air they will not be        
seriously injured4  ,when the roots of  
the gladiolus have attained their full  
growth1 the surface of the soil should  
be stirred but lightly1 because of the  
danger of cutting the roots4 ,prior to  
that time1 gladiolus bulbs will stand   

deeper cultivation4  ,write your state  
experiment station for analysis of      
commercial fertilizer best adapted to   
the ,gladiolus4 ,if you contemplate     
shipping cut blooms1 consult your       
commission man as to the most           
satisfactory method of packing4  ,young 
bulbs from seven eights to one inch in  
diameter should1 if given space when    
plants of about two and a half inches   
apart and well cultivated1 produce a    
crop approximately half or more first   
grade bulbs and the remainder seconds4  
,one grower never plants gladioli the   
second time in succession on the same   
land4 ,dr4 ,van ,fleet1 the originator  
of ,princeps1 who distributed it through
 ,vaughan's ,seed ,store1 says that the 
variety should never be planted on      
recently manured land1 but in a         
naturally deep1 rich1 alluvial soil4    
,when bulbs are worth only two cents or 
less and cut blooms selling at three    
cents net or over1 stalks may be cut    
close to the ground1 giving foliage much

 desired by the retail florist4 ,this   
advice1 of course1 applies to other     
values whenever the flowers are selling 
well above the cost of the bulbs4       
,gladiolus make roots freely outside in 
quite cool weather1 therefore1 may be   
planted as early in the spring as ground
 can be opened1 sometimes certain soils 
may be heavily mulched with straw in    
fall and thus kept unfrozen for very    
early planting in ,march4  ,when cut    
blooms are selling for less than the    
value of the bulbs1 great care should be
 used in cutting to leave four good     
leaves uncut as these are necessary to  
complete the growth and mature a healthy
 bulb4 ,two leaves or even three are not
 enough to finish and develop a first   
class bulb4  ,for all points south of   
the ,ohio ,river and in the extreme     
south second grade bulbs1 that is of    
diameter #a-a_/d to #a-a_/b inches have 
bloomed well out of doors4 ,mrs4        
,frances ,king bulbs of only #a inch to 
#a-a_/d have produced well2 ,america and

 ,chicago ,white for best results need  
larger grading than ,king4              
,watchfulness in winter storage is      
necessary4 ,if bulbs are racked or      
shelved too deep and become moist1 they 
must be thinned and turned or both2 if  
they become too dry1 as they will if    
your cellar or storehouse lacks         
moisture1 you may put more layers in the
 racks1 or spread newspaper over them or
 spray the floor of your storeroom as   
often as may be necessary to maintain   
proper moisture which can be told by    
feeling of the bulbs4  ,those1 and they 
are many1 both ,amateur and ,commercial 
growers who exhibit blooms at ,flower   
shows should remember that if spikes are
 cut when the lowest blooms begin to    
open and transported to the exhibition  
halls early and there1 standing in vases
 allowed to open their blooms1 will be  
much more perfect and free from that    
bruised condition shown by blooms which 
have not been cut until the flowers on  
the spikes were nearly open4  ,one      

reliable grower keeps his black         
hard-shelled bulblets in gunny sacks    
containing about one bushel mixed with  
about #bj per cent of fine dry earth4   
,he has been quite successful in keeping
 the bulblets in this manner1 and when  
so kept the shells do not harden to such
 an extent as to prevent sprouting of   
the kernel1 as sometimes is the case    
when they dry out too much4 ,this same  
grower believes in soaking the black    
hard-shelled bulblets for #cf hours in  
water just before planting1 but no      
longer4  ,gladiolus bulbs stored in bins
 should be turned every few days1       
especially after ,february1 as this     
tends to prevent sprouting4 ,they should
 not be kept in too warm and dry a      
place4 ,it is best to keep them quite   
cool1 the thermometer running as low as 
forty degrees ,fahrenheit at times1 and 
in an atmosphere of the ordinary cellar1
 which usually has some moisture4 ,if   
they become troubled with green fly1    
sprinkle them with tobacco dust once a  

week4  ,gladiolus bulbs stored in racks 
have been kept in good condition by     
close covering of double or triple      
thickness of newspapers1 the bulbs being
 levelled off and the newspapers laid   
closely over the racks and kept close to
 the bulbs by loose strips of wood laid 
over them4 ,others have kept gladiolus  
bulbs in very good shape in old paper   
flour sacks1 which contain half a bushel
 or three pecks of the bulbs 7the bulbs 
being1 of course1 thoroughly dried out  
when tied in the bags74 ,the natural    
moisture of the bulbs seems1 by some    
kind of paper protection as mentioned   
above1 to be conserved1 while full and  
continued exposure to dry air seems to  
provoke scab as well as hardening of the
 outer skin of the bulbs4  ,it requires 
a good sized bulb of ,america to throw a
 first class spike and second size bulbs
 produce1 when forced1 a considerably   
smaller spike than the first size bulbs4
 ,the ,america requires a longer growing
 season than most other gladioli and    

continues its growth well up to severe  
frosts4 ,growers who wish to harvest the
 largest possible number of first size  
bulbs allow these to grow as late as    
possible1 and then leave the plants on  
their sides for #cf or #dh hours1 during
 which time the sap from the stalks     
seems to go into the bulbs1 making them 
more firm and putting them into better  
keeping condition for the winter4 ,this 
latter suggestion probably applies to   
all gladioli and not alone to ,america1 
as it is practiced by a good many of the
 best growers4  ,growers differ a good  
deal as to the depth of the planting and
 width of rows4 ,one very successful    
,ohio grower plants his bulblets and    
small bulbs fully six inches deep and in
 rows only two feet apart1 pressing the 
dirt down very firmly over the bulbs4   
,such deep planting1 he claims1 secures 
cooler soil for the working roots and   
insures a better crop in case of dry    
weather4 ,the same grower in planting   
hard shelled bulblets sows one pint to  

about three feet of row1 making them    
very thick in the row1 as he believes   
that the hard shelled bulblets1 in      
germinating so close together1 cause the
 hard shells of most of them to rot4    
,there is convenience also in digging   
the crop which may be lifted in a mass4 
,they also grow up so closely together  
in the row that they seem to choke out  
the weeds1 thus saving hand labor4