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Title: The Gladiolus - A Practical Treatise on the Culture of the Gladiolus
Author: Crawford, Matthew
Language: English
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THE GLADIOLUS
A Practical Treatise on the Culture
of the Gladiolus, with Notes
on Its History, Storage,
Diseases, etc.
by
MATTHEW CRAWFORD
With an appendix by Dr. W. Van Fleet
1911
Addenda by J. C. Vaughan
1921
[Illustration: DETROIT]
Chicago and New York
Vaughan's Seed Store
1921
Copyright, 1911, by Vaughan's Seed Store
Second Edition, with Addenda,
Nov. 1921
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
Preface 1
I. History and Development 3
II. Habit of Growth 9
III. Soils and Preparation 12
IV. Time to Plant 15
V. Cultivation 19
VI. Digging and Curing 21
VII. Cleaning and Grading 25
VIII. Winter Storage 30
IX. Growing from Seed 33
X. Growing from Bulblets 37
XI. Peeling Bulblets 43
XII. Growing for Specific Purposes 47
XIII. Crossing or Hybridizing 54
XIV. Enemies and Diseases 57
XV. What Constitutes a Good Variety 60
XVI. How to Obtain a Choice Collection 62
XVII. How to Keep a Collection Vigorous and Well
Balanced 64
XVIII. Commencing in the Business 67
Appendix 73-92
I. Garden History of the Gladiolus 73
II. Hybridizing Gladiolus 82
III. Special Care of Seedlings 85
IV. Gladiolus Species 89
Addenda 95-100
ILLUSTRATIONS
Page
Detroit Frontispiece
Schwaben 8
Charles L. Hutchinson and America 20
Halley, Cracker Jack and Gretchen Zang 32
Margaret 46
Europe, Sphinx and Attraction 56
Mrs. Frank Pendleton 66
Princeps 81
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 nature, and more familiar with the details of its
cultivation. The language used is plain and easily understood, and the
absence of technical terms, which might seem a fault to the skilled
grower, will probably enhance the value of the work to the learner, for
whom it is prepared. While it is written from the view-point of the
commercial grower, the interests of the amateur are kept in mind
throughout, and the instructions are as carefully adapted to the
management of a little garden as to that of an extensive field.
[Footnote A: P. S. The Addenda includes some good advice for the
commercial grower.]
A few words in regard to the pronunciation of "gladiolus" may be timely
in the beginning of a treatise devoted exclusively to that subject.
Fifty years ago the popular pronunciation was "glad-i-o'-lus," accent on
the third syllable, but gradually a change crept in, as it was noticed
that scholars said "gla-di'-o-lus," accent on the second syllable.
Observing this, people began to consult dictionaries, and it was found
that Webster and others gave "gla-di'-o-lus" only, and that all
authorities placed this first, though a few permitted "glad-i-o'-lus,"
much to the satisfaction of those who found it hard to change. When
"gla-di'-o-lus" is used, as it is almost universally, at the present
time, the plural is "gla-di'-o-li," which the plural of "glad-i-o'-lus"
may be "glad-i-o'-luses," though this is very seldom heard. Neither
"gladiola" nor "gladiolia" is admissible. There are no such words. It is
also incorrect to say "gladioli bulbs," which is equivalent to "roses
bushes" or "peaches trees." "Gladiolus bulbs" is the proper expression.
[B]The name, gladiolus, comes from the Latin, gladius, a sword, and was
given to this plant on account of the sword-like shape of its leaves.
[Footnote B: Note: Authority is not lacking to show that Glad"-i-o'-lus,
strongest accent on first syllable, is the best, as it certainly is the
most agreeable pronunciation. This puts it in line with He"-li-an'-thus,
and many other four syllabled words used in botany. Glad"-i-o'-luses as
the plural is increasingly used in literature but not in speech.]
THE GLADIOLUS
CHAPTER I.
History and Development.
The gladiolus comes principally from South Africa, where about fifty
species have been discovered. It is also a native of middle Africa,
central and southern Europe, Persia, Caucasus, and the country around
the eastern end of the Mediterranean. About forty additional species
have been found in these localities, and one in Hampshire, England.
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 variety,--nor does it matter. We are satisfied to know that
this is one of the most beautiful of our summer-blooming flowers, and
that it is so easily grown as to be within the reach of almost anyone
who cares to have it.
Its Development.
The history of the evolution of the gladiolus, from the original wild
species to the splendid revelations of the present day, though
extremely interesting, is rather uncertain, and lacking in details.
Even authorities disagree, and it is not worth while to touch upon
disputed points, though a few accepted facts may be of value to the
learner.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica says that one variety was cultivated as far
back as 1596, and another from 1629. Between 1750 and 1825 many new ones
were added to those previously known. There are several general classes
now before the public, of which the oldest is the Gandavensis. It is
said that this was originated by Van Houtte, and was introduced in 1841.
Belgium is credited with the honor of being its native country.
Referring again to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, we find that the coming
of the Gandavensis made the gladiolus a general favorite in gardens, and
that "since that time varieties have been greatly multiplied in number,
increased in size and quality, as well as marvelously varied in color
and marking, so that now they have become exceedingly popular."
The Gandavensis has a substantial stem, capable of taking up water
freely, and probably owing to this fact opens many flowers at once.
These are generally of good size and substance, and of handsome form. In
most cases they are arranged upon the stem in two rows that face the
same way, which makes them very showy and attractive.
Some years after the introduction of the Gandavensis, Victor Lemoine, of
Nancy, France, brought out a new hybrid to which he gave his own name,
Lemoinei. It has a slender, graceful stem, which seems unable to take up
water rapidly, and consequently only a few of its flowers open at once.
These are smaller than those of the Gandavensis, and more arched in
form. Many of them, perhaps the majority, have rich velvety blotches on
some or all of the petals, darker in color than the petals themselves,
thus giving the flowers a very striking appearance. The well known Marie
Lemoine was one of the earliest varieties of this new hybrid, and its
dark velvet spots on a ground of pale yellow slightly tinged with green,
have caused some to call it the "pansy gladiolus."
Lemoine's next achievement was the Nanceianus, probably from Nancy, his
home. Its flowers are quite different from those of Gandavensis or
Lemoinei, being larger than either, very wide, and marked with peculiar
mottlings, or fine, short, parallel strokes of some contrasting color.
Next came Leichtlinii, afterwards called Childsii, originated by Max
Leichtlin and purchased by V. H. Hallock & Son, who worked ten years to
improve it, and then sold it to John Lewis Childs, who changed its name.
This transfer was made in 1892. Childsii is from nearly the same cross
as Nanceianus and quite similar to it. Both plant and flower are large,
and the latter is very showy, but the petals incline to lack substance,
and consequently can not endure hardship. At first the Childsii ran too
much to reds, but it has since been improved in that respect.
The next distinctive attraction was the "New Blue," another of Lemoine's
productions. There has been much effort expended in trying to originate
a blue gladiolus, and this, although not a pure and perfect blue, is the
nearest approach to it yet made, and may prove to be the foundation for
complete success in the future.
In 1908 the Primulinus, a new species from South Africa, was introduced
by J. M. Thorburn & Company. It is small and inconspicuous, but yellow,
and is said to transmit its color to all its seedings. It may be the
means of supplying what has been long striven for,--a good yellow.
The gladiolus of my earliest recollection, which was found in some
gardens about the middle of the nineteenth century, was dull red mingled
with greenish yellow, appearing red at a distance. The flowers were
small and pinched-looking, with pointed petals, and were scattered at
regular intervals along one side of the leaning stem. The next that I
remember was a great improvement upon this. It made an upright, sturdy
spike, with two rows of large, well-formed, melon colored flowers, set
close together on the stem, but the rows faced in opposite directions.
After this, new varieties came fast, and rapid improvement was made.
Among these earlier sorts was one called Brenchleyensis, conspicuous for
its color, a most vivid and intense red. It had some faults, and
gradually lost popularity until it was scarcely heard of, but now, after
an interval of two or three decades, it is again making its way to the
front, and is listed in catalogues at good prices.
Popularity of the Gladiolus.
This flower is already very popular, and is becoming more and more of a
favorite every year. It possesses a combination of characteristics that
commend it to all flower lovers. It is easily grown, and may be had in
bloom about four months in the year without the aid of glass. The
blossoms are beautiful in form, and include a wonderful range of colors,
with almost innumerable combinations. 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 advantage. It has a capacity for taking up water
which enables it to go on blooming to the very tip of the spike after
being cut, lasting a week in the hottest weather, and twice that time
when cooler. The ease with which the stem can be divested of its faded
flowers, leaving it as fresh as though just brought from the garden, is
also a great recommendation. Some years ago, I expressed a quantity of
the spikes from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, to Butte, Montana. They were in
bud when started, and when they arrived, had bloomed half way up the
stalks, and the lower flowers had faded. These were taken off, the stems
placed in water, and the buds went on opening to the last, unaffected by
the journey of two thousand miles.
Another merit of the gladiolus, which might not seem a merit at first
thought, is its lack of perfume. An agreeable fragrance is desirable in
flowers that are used in moderate quantities, but in banks and masses,
as this is often arranged, a sweet odor would be overpowering.
Its Uses.
For decorative purposes the gladiolus is fast becoming indispensable.
The demand has grown from tens to hundreds within the last few years,
and probably it will increase from hundreds to thousands in the near
future, for it is a flower for all people and all places. It is suitable
for the home, and from midsummer until November is a constant
dependence. For stores and offices its bright and lasting bloom makes it
very desirable. It is in great demand for ornamenting churches, halls,
schoolrooms, and, in fact, all places where people come together for
almost any purpose. It is popular for weddings, and great quantities are
often used on such occasions, a single order sometimes calling for
thousands of spikes. Last of all, it is seen in the house of mourning,
and at the graves of the dead, where its sweet cheerfulness seems to
speak a message of comfort to the living.
[Illustration: SCHWABEN]
CHAPTER II.
Habits of Growth.
The gladiolus is a bulbous plant that grows only in the warm season of
the year. It may be grown from bulbs, bulblets, or seeds. Amateurs have
to do mainly with bulbs, as their chief object is to produce flowers.
The bulb contains the food for the nourishment of the young plant until
it has leaves, when it commences to form a new bulb close above the old
one, which latter gradually shrivels and dies, its work being done.
Meanwhile, the young plant, having roots and leaves of its own,
continues to grow and build up the new bulb.
When far enough advanced, the flower spike starts up through the middle
of the foliage and makes its appearance above the upper leaf. From the
time the spike comes in sight, the plant seems to devote the most of its
energy to developing the flowers, and the seed which follows. When the
latter is allowed to ripen, the bulb is smaller than it otherwise would
have been, and not only this, it is vertically thin, having been
partially starved by the diverting of the nourishment to ripen the seed.
On the other hand, if the spike is removed when the first flower opens,
the bulb will grow larger and thicker. Other things being equal, a bulb
is valuable according to its vertical diameter. The most perfect ones
are obtained by planting small ones, just below the blooming size. Not
being able to send up flower spikes, their vitality goes to the
production of new bulbs, and these are conical, or nearly round, which
is the ideal shape. Many florists insist upon this form when buying
bulbs for forcing. They are known to the trade as virgin bulbs. As to
the breadth of bulbs, the broader the better, other points being the
same. One that is conical in shape, and three-fourths of an inch in
horizontal diameter, will probably produce as fine a spike of flowers as
is possible to the variety, but it will yield only one, while bulbs of
larger size may send up from two to six.
Bulblets are produced during the summer, on underground stems that come
out from the base of the new bulbs. Each bulblet is enclosed in a hard
shell, which is generally brown in color, though sometimes gray, slate,
or black, and very rarely white.
Just here I will speak of the difference between bulblets and small
bulbs, for there are some confused ideas abroad on this subject.
Bulblets grow from the bottoms of bulbs, are usually attached by stems,
and have hard shells. Bulbs grow from other bulbs, from bulblets, or
from seeds, and have soft shells. They may be very tiny, no larger than
apple seeds, but still they are bulbs.
Varieties differ widely in their ability to produce bulblets. The May
and Augusta are exceedingly prolific, while the Shakespeare is just the
opposite. A bulb too small to bloom will yield many times more bulblets
than a large one of the same variety. Sometimes as many as two hundred
bulblets have been found on a single bulb.
Corm and cormel are the correct botanical terms respectively for solid
bulbs, like those of the gladiolus, and the small underground increase,
but these names are rarely used in commercial horticulture.
CHAPTER III.
Soils and Preparation.
The gladiolus will grow on almost any soil, and do well with only a
moderate chance. While it has its preferences, it readily adapts itself
to circumstances, and makes the most of what it finds. Whether sand,
clay, gravel, muck or loam, it will get a living out of them, though
gravel is perhaps least desirable. The gladiolus withstands drouth very
well, but likes plenty of moisture much better, and low land well
drained is excellent for it. It ought not to be under water. Good farm
land, suitable for corn or potatoes, answers its purpose very well, and
it flourishes on green sward properly plowed and harrowed. The richest
place in the garden suits it admirably, and it shows its appreciation of
special favors by ready response in growth and bloom.
The ground should be plowed or spaded to a good depth, about the same as
for potatoes, and harrowed or raked until it is thoroughly pulverized,
not only on the surface, but down deep.
Fertilizers.
Any crop can be well fed with good stable manure properly applied, but
this is sometimes out of reach. In such cases we must either resort to
commercial fertilizers or depend upon the plant food in the soil, which
is seldom sufficient for any crop, especially one whose yield of profit
may be greatly increased or diminished by the giving or withholding of
nourishment. The gardener cannot afford to take any risks along this
line. His crops are too valuable. 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 plants, and a reservoir for plant food to be
supplied; and then, to furnish the amount needed to produce the crop.
Fortunately, most soils do, as a matter of fact, contain a fair supply
of fertility, but very rarely as much as a crop can appropriate, and it
is best to be on the safe side. The gladiolus is a sturdy grower, able
to assimilate a generous supply of nutriment, and should be properly
fed.
In regard to the use of stable manure as a fertilizer for this crop,
almost any amount of it may be put on in the fall before planting, to be
leached and subdued by the changes of winter, but it is hardly safe to
spread it on the ground in the spring and plow it under, lest it come in
contact with the bulbs and cause the growing crop to be scabby and
unsalable. I have used for many years, and with most satisfactory
results, a good potato phosphate. Any complete commercial fertilizer
will answer the purpose. I once tried a ton of Peruvian guano, as an
experiment, but it did no better than the potato phosphate, which costs
less.
Commercial fertilizer may be applied in various ways,--before planting
or after, or in the furrows. From five hundred to one thousand pounds
per acre, or even more, may be used, according to the previous condition
of the land and the results desired. When used before planting, it is
put on with a grain drill, or, if the area is small, is raked in by
hand. It may be applied in the furrow in two ways--first, strew it along
in the bottom and mix it with the soil by dragging a chain or a hoe over
it, or by using the cultivator that made the drill. Then plant the
bulbs, and cover properly. Second, after the drill is made and the bulbs
are dropped, cover them with a little earth, say half the depth of the
furrow, then put in the fertilizer by hand, and finish covering. This
places it where the first good rain will wash its richness down to the
roots. When applied after planting, it may be scattered by hand along
the rows or over the bed. This plan produces good results, even on poor
land, and the same may be said of the others.
CHAPTER IV.
Time to Plant.
Large blooming bulbs may be planted in April or May, or they may be held
until June, or even July, if they can be kept from growing too much in
storage. It is their natural instinct to send out roots and shoots in
the spring, and when they do they should be planted soon. When one has a
considerable quantity of flowering bulbs, it is easy to secure a long
succession of bloom by planting at several different times. Good sized
bulbs will bloom in about ninety days after planting. Smaller ones
require a longer time. If all the blooming sizes of the same variety are
planted at the same time, they will bloom in regular succession, the
largest first and the smallest last. Small bulbs,--too small to
bloom,--bulblets, and seed, should be planted early in order to have
plenty of time to make their growth. About the first of April is a
suitable time in the latitude of Northern Ohio. In a mild climate the
bulbs may be left in the ground all winter, and the same might be done
in the north if they could be covered securely enough to keep out the
frost.
Planting.
After the land has been well prepared, furrows are made three feet apart
and about six inches deep, for large bulbs. The furrowing is done with
the Planet Jr. cultivator, arranged with a large tooth behind, and two
or four smaller ones in front, turned edgewise. They steady the
cultivator and contribute towards the fining of the soil. Next, the
bulbs are placed in the furrows, as far apart as their own diameter;
that is, two-inch bulbs should be two inches apart, one-inch bulbs one
inch, and so on down through all the blooming sizes. When bulbs are an
inch or more in diameter, they are generally placed right side up,
though this is not essential. However, when scattered along the furrow
they can be put in position very quickly.
After they are placed, cover with the cultivator used in furrowing,
taking off the small teeth in front and putting on the wings. By going
once in each space, throwing the soil both ways, the bulbs are covered
deeply enough to make quite prominent ridges over the rows, with furrows
midway between. Very soon the weeds begin to show, and then a good
harrowing is given, length-wise of the rows, to kill the first crop.
Next, just before the sprouts are ready to come in sight, they are gone
over with the weeder. On small areas all this stirring is done with a
steel rake. By this method the surface is kept free from weeds, and is
also made fine and mellow for the young shoots to come through. If the
work cannot be done at the right time, it is better to wait until the
sprouts are up an inch or two, as they can then be stirred without fear
of injury, but when just coming up they are tender and easily bruised or
broken.
When bulbs are planted in a small way, it is not customary to place them
in rows. A better plan is to scatter them over the ground about as far
apart as they are wanted, say six or eight inches each way, and put them
in one at a time with a trowel or dibble, five or six inches below the
surface. They are planted at this depth, in both garden and field, to
prevent their blowing over when in bloom. Those that are from one-half
to three-fourths of an inch in diameter should be covered with about
four inches of soil.
For planting small stock, less than half an inch in diameter, the ground
should be prepared as previously directed. The rows should be three feet
apart if the cultivating is to be done with a horse; if by hand,
eighteen inches. The furrows should be straight, and three inches in
depth. The grower can now choose one of two methods of planting. He can
sow the bulbs in the furrows, about twelve to the foot, or drop them in
hills, four to six in a place, every twelve inches. In either case they
can be covered with a cultivator, as before described, ridged up, and
harrowed or raked afterwards, thus saving the first and most expensive
weeding. When the bulbs have started sufficiently to make the rows
visible, the cultivator can be used, and from that time forward the most
of the work can be done with a horse, turning a little earth up to the
rows each time.
The hill method of planting takes more ground, but it has two distinct
advantages over the drill method. First, the hoe can be used in the row
between the hills, thus lightening the labor and expense of weeding;
and, second, in taking up the bulbs in the fall, each hill can be lifted
out with a fork, and every bulblet saved. In growing stock that is
especially valuable this is of great account.
Very few bulbs less than one-half inch in diameter will bloom, so all
they need is a chance to grow,--a loose surface, freedom from weeds, and
sufficient plant food, with moisture enough to make it available. Bulbs
thus produced will be of the most desirable shape, round or conical. If,
however, any considerable number come into bloom, the spikes should be
cut off as soon as they get above the foliage. This prevents the plants
from exhausting themselves by producing flowers and seed. Other things
being equal, bulbs from which the spikes are removed as early as
possible will be about twice as heavy as those that produce seed
unchecked.
The planting and management of bulblets will be considered in another
chapter.
CHAPTER V.
Cultivation.
The gladiolus needs the same stirring of the soil that is given to other
crops. The reason why the soil must be stirred is a question upon which
there are various opinions. Some hold that it is to kill the weeds; some
to conserve moisture; others, to let the air to the roots; and, still
others, to render the plant food in the ground available. Probably all
are right, and the summing up seems to be, "to make the crop grow," so
the safe way is to stir often. This cannot be overdone. A crop may be
cultivated every day if desired, provided that good judgment is
exercised as to the condition of the soil. It should not be stirred when
too wet. The gladiolus has not a very long season for growth, and if
best results are to be obtained it must be kept growing continuously.
The next best thing to frequent stirring of the surface is a mulch to
keep it loose and moist, but this is not as good.
Support.
The critical period in the life of the gladiolus is the blooming season,
and some support at that time is almost indispensable. It grows so tall
and offers so much resistance to the wind that the stalk is liable to be
strained or broken, to the detriment of the bulb, and every effort
should be made to keep it upright and prevent its being injured, even a
little. When we consider that each leaf is connected with the bulb, and
is doing its part towards bringing it to maturity, we readily perceive
that whatever hurts the foliage also hurts the bulb, and realize the
importance of preventing, as far as possible, any weakening of the
connection between the two.
Deep planting is the first safeguard, and this is rendered still more
effectual by ridging up the rows. Cutting the spikes as soon as the
first flowers open is a great advantage, lessening the weight of the
tops and diminishing its resistance to the wind, besides relieving the
plant of the burden of nourishing the blooms. If the flowers are not
wanted, the spikes can be cut as soon as they are high enough to escape
the foliage, and this is still better. When the gladiolus is grown as a
field crop, there are so many tops together that they support each other
to some extent. When grown in small areas, it is a good plan to stretch
wires along the rows about a foot from the ground, and tie the stalks to
them. When the plants are scattered irregularly over the bed, they may
be supported by tying each one to a short, inconspicuous stake sharpened
and driven into the ground so that the top is fifteen to eighteen inches
high. The same stakes may be used year after year, and it improves the
appearance of the bed to have them painted green.
[Illustration: CHAS. L. HUTCHINSON]
[Illustration: AMERICA]
CHAPTER VI.
Digging and Curing.
When one has many bulbs to take up it is best to commence early, about
the last of August or the first of September. This gives a long season
for drying, which is quite necessary, as it is difficult to cure a great
many in a short time, especially in unfavorable weather.
The smallest stock should be taken up first, for several reasons: First,
the small bulbs grown from seed or from bulblets do not all ripen at the
same time, and if digging is deferred until after some of them have
matured, these drop from their stems in handling, and keep one picking
them up, which is a great hindrance. If taken up in time, they can be
pulled off from the green stalks in handfuls. Second, when the little
bulbs mature they change color from white to brown, and if any drop it
is not so easy to find them in the brown soil. They may be taken up when
no larger than apple seeds, cured, and kept till spring with perfect
success. Third, the small bulbs are easily dried and, if taken up early,
they may be cured and packed away for the winter, entirely out of the
way of the larger stock. It is quite an advantage to have part of the
stock disposed of early. Fourth, it is slow, puttering work to take up
small bulbs running from one hundred to three hundred to the foot of
row, and it should be done before cold weather. My rule is to take up
seedlings first, then the stock grown from the bulblets, then the next
size larger, and so on, leaving the largest to the last. This stock is
heavy, and men can keep warm handling it, even in quite cool weather,
such as we are likely to have late in the season.
For convenience in taking up small stock, we use a low seat made like a
small sled with wide runners which do not sink into the ground. A burlap
sack is folded several thicknesses and tacked on the top for a cushion.
This seat, a spading fork, a garden trowel, and a half-bushel basket
lined with cloth to keep the bulblets from passing through, are the
appliances needed for the work. The row is first loosened, or slightly
pried up with the fork. Then the man occupying the seat, with the row in
front of him, thrusts his trowel under a few inches of it, and with the
other hand grasps the tops and lifts the bunch up, giving it a slight
shake. He then holds it over the basket, and pulls the bulbs off from
the tops, dropping them into the basket. When it is nearly filled, the
contents are sifted through a number five sieve (five meshes to the
inch), which allows the earth to pass out. A second sifting through a
number three sieve separates the bulblets from the bulbs. The latter are
then spread out an inch or two deep in crates, and dried in the shade,
after which the depth may be doubled for storage until cleaning time.
The bulblets are poured into a box or barrel.
In digging larger bulbs, they are simply loosened up with the fork,
lifted out by the tops, which are clipped off close to the bulbs, and
are dropped into a coarse sieve, number two, placed over a bushel
basket. Through this the earth and most of the bulblets are sifted into
the basket. The bulbs are then spread in shallow crates to dry. The
crates should be placed where the ventilation is good, and no rain can
reach them. The bulblets are separated from the earth with a fine sieve,
and put into a box or barrel.
By way of explanation I will say just here that the bulblets grown on
small stock are easily separated from the bulbs, as the original bulbs
were small when planted and shrink away to almost nothing, thus leaving
the bulblets free to fall. With large stock the case is different. The
original bulbs were large when planted, and although they wither and die
as the new bulbs grow and mature, they still retain a considerable
portion of their size. The new bulbs are formed close above the old
ones, and the bulblets appear around the line of contact, sometimes
between the two, so that they do not all become detached at the time of
digging. Those that still adhere are removed in the process of cleaning.
It is advisable to dry bulbs of all sizes as soon as practical after
digging. They look much brighter and more attractive when thus treated
than when left lying in contact with the damp soil, for a considerable
time, as this gives them a dull, discolored appearance. If grown for
market, those that shine like satin are much more salable, and even for
planting it is much more pleasing to have them bright than tarnished.
Sometimes, when short of crates, or in a great hurry, we have piled up
small bulbs with their accompanying soil in the field and left them to
be cared for at a more convenient time. They kept all right and could
have been kept until spring with sufficient covering, but they lost
their luster and became dingy and unattractive.
Bulblets should not be dried. The reason for this will be given
elsewhere.
CHAPTER VII.
Cleaning and Grading.
When bulbs are taken up, it is necessary that they should be dried to
some extent before the work of cleaning begins,--the large ones
partially at least, and the small ones wholly, for reasons which will be
explained hereafter.
When large bulbs are dug, the old ones that were planted adhere so
firmly that a good deal of force is required to separate them. For this
reason it is not economy to clean them at once, so we store them in
shallow crates, to the depth of two or three inches, and let them dry.
They can then be filled in to the tops of the crates, which are four
inches deep, and left until a convenient time for cleaning.
In two weeks after they are taken up, the older bulbs can be removed
with a slight effort, but we reserve this work for stormy days. This is
the way it is done: A number two sieve is placed upon a tight bushel
basket, and filled with the bulbs to be cleaned. The old bulbs are taken
off by hand and cast aside, carrying the roots with them, and the
bulblets that still remain fall through the sieve into the basket below.
The cleaned bulbs are dropped into another basket and then stored in
crates to await the time for grading. The bulblets are put away in a
cool, damp place. Bulbs three-fourths of an inch or more in diameter are
cleaned one at a time, as described, but smaller ones are treated
differently. There is much waste matter connected with them, roots, bits
of tops, and soil, and the work of cleaning them is done out of doors on
windy days in order that the trash and dust may be blown away. This
explains why small stock should be thoroughly dried before it is
cleaned. The bulbs are placed on a table or platform where the wind can
have free play, and pulled and twisted by handfuls, until the most of
them are separated from the rubbish. Those that still remain are picked
out, and the trash is pushed off from the table. The bulbs are then put
into a fine sieve and the remaining dust is sifted out. This process
usually brings to light the last remnants of dry roots, leaves, and
husks, and these are disposed of by pouring the bulbs from one bushel
basket to another in the wind. At one time I had this finishing work
done on more than half a million small bulbs with an old-fashioned
fanning mill, and it was done to perfection.
Grading.
After the bulbs are cured and cleaned, the next step is grading, or
separating them into classes according to size. This is absolutely
necessary if the bulbs are to be sold, and almost as much so if they
are to be planted. As to the sizes of the different grades, every grower
seems to be a law unto himself. An effort has been made by the Society
of American Florists to establish a uniform standard of division, and
this will doubtless be accomplished in time. At present the most common
arrangement of numbers and sizes seems to be about as follows:
First size (No. 1) 1-1/2 inches in diameter and up.
Second size (No. 2) 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
Third size (No. 3) 3/4-1 inch in diameter.
Fourth size (No. 4) 1/2-3/4 inch in diameter.
Fifth size (No. 5) all below 1/2 inch.
Numbers one, two, and three are considered regular blooming sizes, and
are bought and sold by seedsmen. Number four bulbs will nearly all
bloom, but they are seldom offered for sale, except to the trade. Number
fives are not supposed to bloom at all, but a few of them will do so.
There is a great difference in varieties in this respect, some blooming
much smaller than others.
Bulbs may be approximately graded by screening them through sieves with
meshes of proper sizes, from an inch and a half down to half an inch,
and this is the most speedy way of doing the work. The necessary
correcting can be done by hand when counting them out for sale or
preparing them for planting.
Crates.
Some allusions to these have been made in the foregoing pages, and it
may be well to preface the subject of keeping the bulbs over winter by
describing the receptacles in which they are stored.
I have used crates of two sizes. The larger ones are three feet by four,
and four inches deep, with bottoms of lath running lengthwise and placed
a quarter of an inch apart. Strips of 1x2-inch stuff are nailed across
the corners, on both top and bottom, exactly opposite each other, so
that they will come together and keep the crates apart for ventilation
when piled one above another. The upper strips also serve as handles by
which to lift the crates. They should be far enough from the corners so
that bulbs can run out between when emptying the crates, and yet not so
far as to make it difficult to take bulbs out from under them with a
shovel. The ends of these corner pieces should be sawed beveling, so as
not to project and be in the way. There is also a 2x2-inch strip nailed
across the middle of the crate on the under side, to support the lath.
The smaller crates are half the size of the others, two feet by three,
and four inches deep. The bottoms are tight, and three-eighths of an
inch thick. The corner pieces are two inches wide and one inch thick. No
strips are needed across the middle underneath.
The smaller crates are preferable for several reasons. First, they can
be handled by one man while the larger ones, when filled, require two.
Second, the tight bottoms prevent any mixing of varieties, which may
happen in using the larger crates by the bulblets dropping through from
one to another. Third, the small crates can be easily and entirely
emptied, while the large ones retain bulblets or very small bulbs in the
spaces between the lath, and when varieties are to be kept separate
these must be carefully picked out. In storing mixed bulbs, or a large
quantity of one variety, the last two objections do not hold, but crates
containing kinds that should be kept pure cannot safely be placed one
above another when the bottoms are slatted. It may be asked why the
large crates are not made with tight bottoms. They have a capacity of
two bushels each, or more, and when filled with damp bulbs fresh from
the ground, they must have bottom ventilation in order to dry their
contents. The small ones, holding only half as much, do not need the
draft from below.
CHAPTER VIII.
Winter Storage.
An excellent way to keep blooming bulbs through the winter is to pack
them in crates, and pile these in a cellar without artificial heat,
where the mercury ranges from thirty-five to forty degrees in cold
weather.
Small bulbs may be kept in the same way, but they should not be more
than two or three inches deep in the crates. They settle into a more
solid mass than large bulbs, and if too deep they are liable to start
into growth. This should be carefully guarded against.
Small quantities of bulbs may be stored in half-bushel baskets, from two
to four inches deep, according to size, and hung up in the cellar.
Bulblets may be packed in boxes or barrels without regard to depth. They
do not need to be cured in the fall, like bulbs, 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 comes. They should be packed away when taken off from the bulbs
at digging or cleaning time, and a cool, damp place for keeping them is
best. Some of them will sprout in storage, which, of course, is not to
be desired, 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 drying.
The ideal place for storing bulblets is a root cellar, or underground
room not connected with any building, which is securely closed after the
stock is put in, and not opened till spring. Here it is kept fresh and
moist and perfectly safe from fire and frost. Another excellent way to
preserve bulblets is to pack them in boxes and bury them in the ground,
as our forefathers did potatoes and apples. They must be covered
sufficiently to guard against any possible danger from freezing, and
with this precaution they come out in fine condition at planting time.
When a few bulblets of some choice variety are to be kept by themselves,
it is a good plan to wrap them in paraffin paper, and enclose them in a
paper bag, which may be marked to show its contents.
Packing Bulbs for Shipment.
When bulbs are well cured, the chief danger in shipping is from frost,
and this is much greater in transportation by freight than by express.
They are longer on the way, and more exposed to cold. However and
whenever shipment is made, and whatever packages are used, whether
boxes, barrels or baskets, they should be thoroughly lined with many
thicknesses of paper to guard against possible harm. Paper is an
excellent non-conductor of heat and cold, and packages well protected
with it may be considered secure for fall or spring shipments, when a
few degrees of frost are to be guarded against, but not extreme cold.
When bulbs are to go by freight in winter, every precaution should be
taken to make them absolutely safe. The paper linings of the packages
should be increased in thickness, and in addition to this some good
packing material, as sawdust thoroughly dried, planer shavings,
buckwheat chaff, or ground cork, should be mixed all through among the
bulbs. This prevents the frost from entering. As an additional
safeguard, the bulbs may be put into strong sacks, with some one of the
materials before mentioned among them, the sacks packed into the box or
barrel, and all crevices among them filled with straw, excelsior or
paper. This mode of packing is especially suitable when several
varieties are comprised in one order.
In shipping high-priced bulbs, it is sometimes advisable to pack them
carefully in a box, and enclose this box in another a few inches larger
every way, filling the space between on all sides with dry sawdust. It
is much the better way to make costly shipments in mild weather, if
possible.
It seems hardly necessary to speak of sending bulbs by mail, but a few
words may not be amiss. Almost the only danger in such cases is that of
freezing on the ride with the rural carrier, and this can be guarded
against in a great measure by using plenty of paper in wrapping, and
buckwheat hulls for filling. It is better to pay postage on a little
extra weight than to risk injury to the valuable goods enclosed.
[Illustration: HALLEY]
[Illustration: CRACKER JACK]
[Illustration: GRETCHEN ZANG]
CHAPTER IX.
Growing from Seed.
There is great satisfaction in growing the finest gladioli that have
ever been produced in all the world. The consciousness that one has the
best obtainable gives pleasure, but raising seedlings of one's own,
knowing that they are different from any others, that no two are exactly
alike, and that among them may be one or more of the very finest, and
ultimately finding this possibility realized, is one of the greatest
delights in horticulture. One ounce of good seed will produce about
three thousand bulbs, and among them will be found a large number of
fine varieties. If the seed is from choice stock, with no common
varieties near, most of the seedlings will be worth saving. So I advise
every grower to raise seedlings. They will yield both pleasure and
profit. Some years ago I bought all the seed that was offered by the
pound in America and Europe, about thirty pounds, and no one but myself
ever knew the satisfaction that came from that investment. At another
time I was growing a bed of seedlings and the grasshoppers cut them off
at the ground early in the summer. I supposed that they were ruined and
went to plant something else on the bed a week or two later, when, to my
surprise, I found small bulbs, about the size of apple seeds. I saved
them with great care, sixteen thousand in number, and planted them the
next spring. They made a fine growth and nearly all bloomed the year
following. The pleasure they gave, not only to myself, but to my
friends, paid many fold for the time spent on them, and more than made
up for the disappointment I had felt when I thought the grasshoppers had
destroyed them.
The gladiolus opens its first flower in the morning, and the work of
going over a bed containing hundreds that have just bloomed for the
first time, and marking the finest with tags upon which are inscribed a
few characters that mean much to the owner, and almost nothing to anyone
else, will give one an undercurrent of joy for the rest of the day.
Another special pleasure that comes to the grower of choice seedlings is
that of naming one for a friend, and this pleasure has been mine a
number of times. The most notable example of this is the May, 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 variety.
In growing seedlings, it is best to use land that is nearly or quite
level, so that it cannot wash. The soil should be thoroughly pulverized,
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 rod, and well stirred in. Then make drills twelve inches apart,
from one to two inches wide, and half an inch deep. These drills should
be laid out cross-wise of the bed, and may be made by gently pressing a
narrow strip of board into the mellow earth. Sow the seed thick enough
to cover the bottom of the drill, and sprinkle over it fine earth to the
depth of three-fourths of an inch. This should be pressed down with the
foot or a roller, so that it will be only half an inch thick over the
seeds.
Some provision must now be made for keeping the surface of the bed moist
until the seed comes up, which requires two or three weeks under
favorable conditions, and may take much longer. If the surface dries
after the seeds sprout, they are likely to perish. The best way to
prevent this is to furnish shade. For a small bed, a piece of burlap
spread over it, and kept in position by a stone at each corner, is
excellent. I have generally used a light covering of straw, held in
place with strips from the planing mill. Another method of keeping the
straw in place is by stretching binder twine directly over the row. When
the young plants appear, a straight edge is placed just outside of the
row, and the straw is cut through with a sharp knife, first on one side
and then on the other. The part over the row is then removed, and the
rest left for a mulch. There are, however, two objections to the use of
straw as a covering: moles sometimes work under it, heaving up the
ground to the detriment of the crop, and it nearly always contains
objectionable seeds. One of the most extensive growers in my
acquaintance shades his seed beds with the shallow crates in which he
stores bulbs through the winter.
After the seedlings come up they should be kept perfectly free from
weeds, and the surface should be stirred frequently. In an ordinary
season the bulbs will run from one-fourth to one-half inch in diameter,
and with the best possible opportunity they will grow somewhat larger.
Seedlings should be taken up as soon as they show the first sign of
ripening, i. e., when their tops begin to turn yellow. The reasons why
this work should be done early are given under the head of "Digging and
Curing," which also describes in detail the mode of doing it. Most of
the earth falls off in the process of taking up the bulbs and pulling
them from the stems, and the rest is sifted out. The bulbs are then put
into flats, an inch or two deep, and allowed to dry. Sometimes they are
dried with the tops on, and kept in that condition till planting time,
but most growers prefer to take them off when green.
CHAPTER X.
Growing from Bulblets.
Success with the gladiolus depends more upon the use and management of
bulblets than upon any other one thing. Let us suppose the case of a
person who grows bulbs in his garden for flowers, and saves only the
bulbs, allowing the bulblets to go to waste as of no value,--and this is
exactly what many people do. What is the result? The bulbs that are
saved have bloomed, nearly all of them at least, and consequently they
are somewhat flattened in vertical diameter, which is more or less of a
falling off from the ideal round or conical shape. These are planted and
bloomed the next season, and only the bulbs are saved, as before. This
process is repeated year after year, the bulbs becoming gradually
thinner and less vigorous, the spikes diminishing in height and the
flowers in size, until, by and by, the grower comes to the conclusion
that his bulbs have "run out."
Now follows the experience of one who saves the bulblets, or a portion
of them. He plants them, and they make bulbs, mostly too small to bloom.
The next year these are planted, and in turn make larger bulbs, of
blooming size, perfect in form, and capable of yielding spikes of
flowers that will be an honor to the varieties from which they were
grown.
The first example shows why bulbs deteriorate when only bulbs are saved,
and the second, how to keep them up to a high standard of vigor by
renewing them from time to time with bulblets.
As success with bulbs depends largely upon the use and management of
bulblets, so success with bulblets depends, to a great extent, upon the
care given them while out of the ground. This has been dwelt upon in a
former chapter, and may be still further emphasized to good advantage.
Bulblets may easily be kept too dry, and herein lies the principal
danger. They should not be stored where artificial heat can reach them
nor where they are exposed to drafts of air. The effect of drying, as
previously explained, is to harden the coverings, and render it
difficult for the sprouts to make their way out. It is best never to let
them get dry from the time they are taken up till they are planted.
There is but little risk of keeping them too damp, and yet this is
possible, as, for instance, when the receptacles in which they are
stored are allowed to stand on a wet cellar bottom. In such a case a
large part of them will grow before they can be planted, and so be lost.
On account of the necessary dampness to which they are exposed through
the winter, they should be planted early, four or five weeks before
corn planting time, if weather and condition of soil permit. The
bulblets of some varieties sprout early and at a low temperature, and an
active effort should be made to get them into the ground before this
comes to pass. The soil may be too cold to start the majority into
growth, but the shells will still be softening and getting ready to grow
as soon as there is sufficient warmth.
The growing of bulbs from bulblets is such an important part of the
business that it seems best to describe the process in detail, even at
the risk of some repetition. The ground used for this purpose should be
level, or as nearly so as possible, to guard against washing, and the
soil should be made very fine. The rows should be made straight, of
uniform depth, about two inches, and rather broad, so as to give a good
width of bottom surface. If horse labor is to be employed in the
cultivating, the rows will need to be from thirty to thirty-six inches
apart; if a wheel hoe is to be used, eighteen inches will be ample, and
when land is precious the space may be diminished to fifteen inches, or
even twelve, though the latter is too narrow for convenience. The
bulblets should be screened through sieves of different meshes, so as to
have each size by itself, in order that the growth may be uniform.
Sow them very thick in the row, from one hundred to three hundred to the
foot, and have the bulbs average half an inch in diameter. They seem to
do best when very thick in the row, perhaps because there is such a mass
of stem that they can lift up the covering of earth and come through
with ease. Whenever I have sown them thin, with a view to obtaining
larger bulbs, I have been disappointed. They seem to exhaust their
energy in pushing their way out of the shells and up through the soil,
and their subsequent growth is not strong enough to be satisfactory. As
a rule, it is the object of the grower simply to change the bulblets
into bulbs, without special regard to size, but even if the latter were
the chief consideration, the end would probably be better attained by
close sowing. 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 starting.
After the bulblets are sown, cover them slightly with the foot, treading
the earth directly over the rows. Next, sow a complete fertilizer, at
the rate of a thousand pounds to the acre, along the rows in the tracks
made by the foot and then draw the soil from both sides over the
fertilizer, making quite a ridge above each row. In small areas this
work may be done with the hoe, but in large ones it is better to use the
cultivator with the wings attached, as in covering bulbs. As soon as the
weeds start on the ridges, they should be lightly stirred with a steel
rake. A fine harrow or weeder may be used on large plantations, if
preferred. This stirring destroys the weeds over the rows before the
bulblets are fairly sprouted. A little later, when the shoots are nearly
ready to come through the ground, go over the rows again with the steel
rake, and level them down. This kills the second growth of weeds, makes
the surface clean for the young plants, and does away with the first
weeding, which is a costly item. It is important that this second
stirring be done at the right time. If too early, weeds will come up in
the rows with the bulblets; if too late, some of the young, tender
shoots may be injured.
If there is reason to think the bulblets too dry at planting time, they
may be put into sacks and soaked in water a day or two. In fact, however
well they may have been kept through the winter, it is not a bad plan to
soak them before planting. This gives the shells a more thorough
moistening than they could get in storage or in the ground, and this
cuts short the time required to soften them, and accelerates the coming
up by just so much. Some growers spread them on the cellar floor, wet
them, and cover with burlap. They are stirred every day, and kept moist
until they begin to sprout, when they are planted.
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 harvested. The surface should be stirred often to keep down
the weeds and encourage a steady and vigorous growth. Inasmuch as the
product is a valuable one, it pays to give it every advantage. The work
of harvesting is described at length under the head of "Digging and
Curing."
There is one curious fact connected with bulblets, which is worth
mentioning. Although they need the most judicious care when out of the
ground, if best results are to be attained, their vitality and tenacity
of life are such that they may be left around, exposed to all kinds of
weather, and treated with perfect neglect, and yet, when they come in
contact with the earth some of them will grow. I recall an instance of a
barrel of bulblets that stood in a shed through two winters and one
summer, and when the second spring came they were poured out on the
ground, and probably twenty per cent of them sprouted.
(See further Notes Pages 95-100)
CHAPTER XI.
Peeling Bulblets.
It is sometimes desirable to increase a stock of bulbs faster than it
can be done in the ordinary course of nature, even with the best of care
and skill in growing. This is often the case with new, high-priced
varieties, and occasionally with an old and popular one that naturally
increases very slowly, as the Shakespeare. It has been discovered that
this end can be achieved by peeling the bulblets before planting. Even
if the bulblets have been kept in perfect condition, the shells are
somewhat of an obstruction to their growth, 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 unhindered. The hard covering is nature's
safe protection for the beautiful little bulblet within, and it comes so
near to being waterproof and air-tight that the tiny sprout is slow in
making its way out. Many of them remain shut in, and so are lost to the
grower. Careful peeling overcomes this difficulty, and they all grow,
like bulbs. Not only this, but they grow much larger for the peeling,
and also yield a fair product of bulblets, thus increasing their rate of
multiplication in various ways.
When I first heard of the advantages of peeling bulblets I decided to
try it, and engaged a number of girls to do the work at their homes in
the winter, paying ten cents an hour. I had a choice lot and the work
amounted to over thirty dollars. I found that there was a difference in
girls. Some did the work carefully and others bruised or wounded the
tender kernels. The bulblets were put away in the cellar, and in a short
time they became a moldy mass. They were a complete loss, for not one of
them was planted, and the ruin of my choice bulblets hurt more than the
waste of the money. After that I had very little confidence in peeling
bulblets, until Mr. E. V. Hallock of Long Island, New York, one of the
most experienced and skillful growers in the country, gave me an
important item of information, which explained my failure and revived my
interest in the subject. This was the secret: "The bulblets should be
peeled the same day they are planted." Mr. Hallock also gave me some
valuable hints on cultivation.
By experimenting on the work of peeling, I have found what seems to be a
good way of doing it. Hold the bulblet firmly between the thumb and
fingers of the left hand--unless you are left-handed--with the top
upward. Then with the thumb nail and first finger of the right hand take
tight hold of the point of the shell, and pull to the right, as if
husking an ear of corn. This will usually strip off a piece of the
covering, leaving a part of the kernel bare. Now take a sharp-pointed,
thin-bladed knife and insert the point under the edge of the broken
shell, being very careful not to cut or bruise the kernel, and lift up
the husk in pieces, until it is all removed.
For planting, make the soil rich and fine, as much like potting soil as
possible, and have the ground ready when it is time to plant corn. Lay
out a bed four feet wide, and rake it smooth. Make drills across it
about an inch deep, more rather than less, and far enough apart to
permit working between with a narrow hoe, say six inches. Place the
newly peeled bulblets in the drills, about an inch apart, and cover at
once with sifted sand, about two inches deep, and then press it down
level with the surface. Sand is preferable to most kinds of soil,
because it never bakes, and not only this, but it shows where the rows
are, 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 bulblets.
The bed should have frequent stirring and perfectly clean culture.
Bulblets thus treated will produce bulbs from three-fourths of an inch
to an inch or more in diameter. They will also yield a goodly number of
bulblets the first year, and the second year the increase will be still
greater.
Soaking the bulblets, as mentioned elsewhere, is next best to peeling,
and is available for large quantities, while the latter is profitable
only in special cases.
I will add, by way of suggestion, that I have lately tried peeling
bulblets in advance of planting, and mixing them with potting soil to
keep. My work along this line has not been extensive enough to warrant
pronouncing it a success, but the few bulblets that I have experimented
with have kept perfectly.
[Illustration: Black Bulblets (Hard Shell)]
[Illustration: MARGARET]
CHAPTER XII.
Growing for Specific Purposes.
Gladiolus growers have different objects in view in carrying on their
work, and it is managed according to the results desired. 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 season. He
prepares the ground thoroughly, plants deep to support the tops, gives
plenty of nourishment and the best of culture, cuts the spikes as soon
as they are high enough, and as a result he harvests a crop of large,
well formed bulbs that are pleasing to buyers and satisfactory in every
way.
He who grows for flowers, takes the same pains in preparing, enriching,
and tilling the soil, and supporting the tops, but when the spikes
appear, instead of cutting them at once, he allows them to go on growing
until the flowers begin to open. Then he cuts them judiciously; if for
sale, with long stems and plenty of foliage; if for home use, with less
of both. This is his harvest, and the bulbs, which are taken up later,
may be considered a by-product. When the flowers are cut with much
foliage the bulbs are dwarfed, but this does not matter when the flower
market pays more for the spikes than the bulbs would bring if grown to
perfection. The object in growing is naturally decided by the
prospective gains. If a crop of bulbs will yield greater profit than a
crop of flowers, the flowers are sacrificed and the bulbs are given
every advantage; if the flowers will bring better returns the bulbs take
second place, and the attention is centered upon developing the blooms.
He who grows for seed gives the same preparation and care as the others.
Then, instead of cutting the spikes at the earliest opportunity, as in
growing for bulbs, or when they begin to bloom, as in growing for
flowers, they are allowed to come out, display their beauty for awhile
and fade. After this the small green pods appear, fill out, and ripen,
and then the producer of seed reaps his harvest.
There is much to be said upon the subject of growing and saving seed,
and the details of this fascinating work will be considered in other
chapters.
Keeping Cut Flowers.
While gladiolus blooms are exceedingly beautiful when fresh and well
cared for, they are very unattractive when neglected, 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 it. The best time to
cut the spikes is when the first flowers unfold. Put the stems into
water, and the next day there will be more blossoms open, and then more,
and so on, until sometimes there is a large number out at once.
Varieties differ very much in this respect. Some will display six or
eight blooms, or even more. The largest number I ever saw on one spike
at one time was fourteen, and that was a very rare case. On the other
hand, some kinds no sooner open three or four blooms than the lower ones
begin to fade. This is equally true whether they bloom on the plants or
after they are cut. It seems that some stems are unable to take up
moisture enough to supply more than a few flowers at once. Ordinarily, a
vase or jardiniere filled with freshly cut spikes will look nice for two
or three days. By that time they will have bloomed up far enough so that
the first flowers begin to wither. After this, they should receive
attention every day. The faded flowers should be taken off, the stems
shortened accordingly, and the water changed. With this treatment the
bouquet keeps fresh and beautiful until the last bud opens.
It shortens the life of cut flowers of any kind to stand in the sun, or
to be exposed to a current of air, and the gladiolus is no exception.
Marketing Flowers.
In cutting gladiolus spikes for shipment it is best to do the work in
the morning, as far as possible. In the daytime, especially when the sun
shines hot, or the wind blows, or both, the plant gives off moisture
rapidly, and flowers cut under such conditions are liable to wilt,
unless their stems are placed in water immediately. During the night,
evaporation is diminished or suspended, while the roots continue to
take up moisture. The dew also has an effect, and in the morning the
plants are full of sap. This is one reason why it is best to cut the
spikes early, and another is that the new blooms expand at that time,
and so are perfectly fresh. If one has large quantities to cut, it may
be necessary to continue the work all day, or the greater part of it,
and in such a case, or, in fact, whenever it is done, it is a good plan
to stand the spikes in water for a time, if convenient, and give them an
opportunity to fill their stems. Flowers thus refreshed will last longer
than those that do not have a chance to drink.
There is a difference in markets as to the length of stems demanded.
Some require them to be very long, with much foliage, and in such cases
the prices should be high enough to pay for sacrificing the bulbs, which
are rendered almost worthless by such cutting. When stems of moderate
length are acceptable, it is a good rule to cut down to the third leaf
below the spike, taking only the two small ones nearest the flowers.
This method gives the bulbs an opportunity to grow large and strong.
For shipment, the spikes are tied in bunches of twenty-six to
twenty-eight, so that each bunch will make two liberal dozens. They are
then placed in an upright position in a crate, box, or other receptacle.
There are various styles of packages, and each shipper chooses to suit
himself. One season I shipped thousands of spikes in tall candy pails,
with an inch or two of water in the bottom. They started at night and
arrived at their destination in the morning, "as fresh as daisies," the
commission man said. If the spikes are slightly wilted in transit it
does little harm, as they revive very soon after being placed in water,
though it is probable that any wilting shortens their terms of service
more or less.
Some growers cut the spikes before any flowers open, tie them in small
bunches, wrap in paper, and pack in crates, in layers. This method is
good for very long distances.
There is one other mode of shipping which I adopt when I wish to send
spikes that have several blooms open, without injury to the flowers. I
take a half bushel market basket, line it with waxed paper, sprinkle
damp moss in the bottom, and then "string" the basket--that is, sew
strong cords across it with a sail needle, three in each end at the top,
about three inches apart, and three others below these, an inch or two
above the bottom of the basket. The flowers are then put in slantwise,
beginning at the ends of the basket, and working towards the middle,
until the space is all occupied. The lower cords hold the ends of the
stems in place, while the upper ones support the weight of the flowers,
and keep them from crushing each other. A basket thus prepared will
carry from fifty to one hundred spikes, according to the angle at which
they are placed. The nearer upright their position the more the basket
will hold, but an angle of forty-five degrees is as much as they will
bear without swinging sideways and becoming disarranged.
It is sometimes desirable to send a spike by mail, and this can be done
to perfection by enclosing it in a pasteboard tube, such as publishers
use for mailing pictures. It should be drawn into the tube stem first,
and out the same way.
Growing and Saving Seed.
One of the most interesting branches of gladiolus culture is the growing
of seedlings, and a very important part of this is producing the seed.
Of course, seed can be bought, but it is more satisfactory to the grower
to raise it himself, as far as practicable, and know what it is, besides
eliminating an item of expense. Spherical or conical bulbs are more
vigorous, and therefore better for this purpose, than flat ones of the
same sort. There is a difference in the productiveness of varieties in
regard to seed, as well as bulblets, some yielding little or none, while
others bear freely, but in the latter case it is not best to permit the
bulbs to ripen the greatest possible amount. When they begin to bloom
they should be beheaded, leaving only the lower flowers and buds, say
four, or five, or six, and these will develop large, strong pods, filled
with seed of the best quality in point of vigor. This method is also
advantageous to the bulbs, which, though only a secondary consideration,
are not by any means worthless. For the benefit of both seed and bulbs,
the matter of cutting off the buds that are not wanted should be
attended to promptly as soon as the first flowers unclose.
When the seed begins to ripen, it should be watched, and secured at the
proper time. At a certain stage the pods burst open, and if left long
after this, the seeds, which are very light, are apt to be blown away.
The careful grower wishes to save every seed, for he has a feeling that
if one is lost, that one may be the choicest of all.
CHAPTER XIII.
Crossing or Hybridizing.
These expressions seem to be popularly used in a rather free way, as
applied to the gladiolus, to denote the bringing together of different
varieties, for the purpose of obtaining seed, which shall produce new
and diverse kinds, combining in some degree the qualities of the
parents, and presumably of superior excellence. Accepting the foregoing
terms in the sense alluded to, as meaning simply a mixing of stocks, or
of varieties, there are two ways of securing the desired results, the
natural and the artificial. In the former, insects and the wind do the
work; in the latter, it is done by hand. It may be worth while to speak
of these methods somewhat in detail, with the prefatory statement that a
variety is not supposed to reproduce itself from seed, and as a rule it
does not. Although there are instances in which seedlings bear a close
resemblance to a parent, or to each other, theoretically no two are
alike, and in reality there is a wide range of variation among those
grown from the same bulb. In this variation lies the charm of the work
and the secret of success.
Suppose the grower wishes to cross two varieties in the natural way. He
plants the bulbs near together and apart from others, far enough distant
so that their pollen cannot reach the blooms. Between the two there is
an interchange, each being fertilized by the other, and the results will
comprise as many variations as there are seeds produced. Several kinds
may be planted together in the same manner and the consequent
combination will be still more numerous and varied. If the amateur
wishes to save seed from his bed of mixed bulbs, he watches the blooms
as they come out and cuts and carries away any that are not desirable to
propagate from, so that they may not affect the seed of the others. By
this method all the seed saved is of a high grade of excellence, and the
new developments from it are exceedingly interesting.
When the grower purposes to cross two varieties artificially, he goes
about it early in the morning, when the blooms first open. He selects
the flower which is to be the mother parent, cuts away the stamens with
sharp pointed scissors, and then covers it with cheese capping, to keep
out strange pollen. From ten o'clock in the forenoon to about four in
the afternoon, the pistil secretes a honey-like liquid, which causes the
end or stigma to be moist. It is then said to be receptive, and the
grower carries the stamens from the other parent, and gently touches the
stigma with the anthers, causing the pollen to adhere.
Hand-hybridizing can be carried on in a garden, or any small area, while
special crossing done in the natural way requires a great deal of room.
The artificial method also has the advantage of being perfectly exact,
while in the other there is a possibility that pollen carried by bees
may be introduced, even at a considerable distance.
Whichever plan is adopted, the work is very fascinating, and if the
grower succeeds in attaining the realization of his ideals along the
lines he is pursuing, or even a near approach to those ideals, the
pleasure he experiences is ample recompense for all his efforts.
[Illustration: EUROPE]
[Illustration: ATTRACTION]
[Illustration: SPHINX]
CHAPTER XIV.
Enemies and Diseases.
The gladiolus has almost no enemies, and the same may be said of
diseases. The bulb has a very unpleasant taste, and is somewhat
poisonous. It is not eaten by mice or grubs. The black aster beetle is
fond of the flowers, and is quite a pest when very abundant. These
insects have a preference among colors, and attack the red flowers
first, especially a scarlet sort named Bertha. They will single out the
spikes of this variety in a field of mixed colors, and devour the very
buds as soon as the red comes in sight. They are especially troublesome
when the weather is hot and dry, as they can then fly readily. When it
is cool and damp, if jarred from the spikes they fall to the ground, and
are slow in regaining their places. The grower of flowers, either
amateur or commercial, finds in these insects an enemy hard to contend
with, but the grower of bulbs pays no attention to them, as they do him
no harm.
In regard to diseases, bulbs sometimes become scabby, but this seems
rather an accident than a disease. It is apparently due to conditions,
and is not perpetuated by heredity. Perfectly sound bulbs may produce
scabby ones, and vice versa. If healthy bulbs are planted in a place
that is too wet, or that is subject to frequent overflow, or if they
come in contact with barnyard manure in the ground, or if the foliage is
seriously injured in the growing season, the product is liable to be
scabby. Some years ago I had a field of gladioli, one end of which
proved to be a runway for dogs, and the plants that came in their way
were broken, or partly broken. As a consequence, many of the bulbs in
that part of the field were scabby, but these planted in a different
place, produced smooth ones the next season. If bulbs are taken up and
cured immediately after the tops have been injured, by wind or
otherwise, they will be sound and in good condition for the next year,
even though not half grown; but to be deprived of their foliage, or a
large portion of it, while the roots remain undisturbed, appears to
destroy the balance, and cause bad results.
In some localities the gladiolus is affected by rust, which turns the
tips of the leaves brown in the growing season. If this is a disease,
the remedy does not seem to have been discovered, but in numerous
instances careful observation will show that it is due to local causes.
The foliage is sensitive to atmospheric conditions, and cannot be
successfully grown where it is subject to poisonous gases. Smoke from a
pottery carried over the bed by prevailing winds is almost sure to be
fatal. Salt is thrown into the kilns to glaze the ware, and the
chlorine set free is deadly to many plants. Even smoke from factories is
more or less injurious, and many cases of rust can be traced to some
such source.
Taken all in all, the gladiolus is one of the most reliable of crops.
(See Note.)
Note:--There are three well defined diseases affecting gladiolus
bulbs during growth and in storage, soft rot, hard rot, and scab.
There is no cure for the two former, but they may be controlled by
discarding all affected bulbs and planting in fresh soil free from
animal manures. Scab may be greatly reduced by soaking all diseased
or suspected bulbs, after removing the outer coatings, for twenty
minutes in a solution of bichloride of mercury, fifteen grains to
each gallon of water, or for same time in solution of formalin, one
pint to thirty gallons of water.
CHAPTER XV.
What Constitutes a Good Variety.
The different types of the gladiolus vary so widely that they cannot be
measured by one fixed standard, but there are some general requirements
of excellence that apply to all. Vigorous healthy growth is
indispensable. It is not worth while to cultivate a variety that is
constitutionally feeble. Another essential is a fair-sized clean bulb,
and it is desirable, though not imperative, that it should produce
bulblets freely. The leaves should be green to the tips throughout the
season. The spike should be tall and straight, with a good distance
between the first flower and the foliage. In some varieties the spike
develops so rapidly, and is so tender and succulent, that it is unable
to support its own weight. Hence, it makes a crooked stem which is a
blemish, however perfect it may be otherwise. Ordinarily, it is better
that the spike should not have branches, though some of the best kinds
do, as May, Augusta, and others. When a variety is used for forcing, and
individual flowers are cut, branches are an advantage, as they lengthen
the season, but when the whole spike is cut they are useless, and worse,
for they exhaust the bulb more or less, and time is consumed in taking
them off. The stem should be able to take up water freely, so that it
may open a goodly number of flowers at once. This is a characteristic
common to the Gandavensis varieties, while the opposite is true of the
Lemoines. The typical spike should have two rows of flowers facing the
same way, and near enough together to conceal the stem, or the most of
it, but not so close as to look crowded. The blossom should be finely
arched, and open enough to bring out that frank, engaging expression
which is peculiar to this flower, and one of its special charms. The
petals should be of ample width, to give the bloom a rich, generous
appearance. Substance in the petals is of very great importance as
enabling them to endure exposure. If too thin, they will wilt in a warm
or windy day.
There is one more requirement, without which all other perfections go
for naught,--fine coloring. It may be light or dark, delicate or rich,
solid or a combination of few or many hues, but it must be clear,
spirited and attractive, not dull nor muddy, nor faded. The gladiolus
comprises such a marvelous range of colors, from white up through all
the shades of pink, melon, and scarlet, to the richest and most glowing
reds; some fine tints of yellow; and innumerable blendings, markings and
variegations, that there is no need of accepting or perpetuating an
unlovely color or one that requires an apology.
CHAPTER XVI.
How to Obtain a Choice Collection.
There are, as before stated, some qualities which are requisite to a
good gladiolus, but this demand does not draw close or inflexible lines.
There are hundreds of varieties in existence which possess the necessary
traits in a considerable degree, and more are being produced every year
by the growing of seedlings. This breadth of variation gives room for
the exercise of individual tastes equally as diversified, and it is
interesting to observe the differences displayed. One person's ideal may
be quite ordinary in the estimation of another. Once, when I exhibited
ninety varieties at a fair, I was surprised to see a lady select as her
first choice the one which was ninetieth in my opinion.
There are several ways of obtaining a fine collection. If one can afford
to gratify his wishes without regard to expense, he can buy named
varieties year after year, select those that he most admires, and reject
the others. With less outlay he can buy mixed bulbs of a high grade, or
unbloomed seedlings, and retain the finest, as before. This is an
excellent way, and in no other can a choice collection be obtained for
so little money in so short a time. Another method, which involves still
less expense but requires more time, is to grow bulbs from seed, and it
is wise to procure the seed from many different sources, in order to
attain the most extensive range of colors and characteristics. Seedlings
well grown the first year will show a few flowers the second, and the
next season all will bloom. The grower can then choose those that please
him best, and this work is unspeakably captivating.
CHAPTER XVII.
How to Keep a Collection Vigorous and Well Balanced.
The gladiolus, like other flowering plants, shows the effects of
continued neglect or ill usage in diminished vigor and inferior bloom.
This is not saying that a variety will "go back" to some ancestral sort,
or that it will lose its individuality, but it will become puny and
unsatisfactory. This deterioration is principally due to mismanagement,
and can be counteracted by a change of methods. Suppose a fine, conical
bulb is planted. If it meets with no misfortune it will produce a
perfect spike of flowers, and perhaps a dozen or twenty pods of seed.
When taken up in the fall, the bulb is almost certain to be small and
flat, on account of having exhausted its vitality in blooming and
seed-bearing, and if it yields any bulblets they will probably be so
diminutive as to be thought not worth saving. No amount of skill could
get much out of that bulb the second year.
There are two ways to bring it up to its former vigor. First: plant the
bulb the next spring under the most favorable circumstances, give it
plenty of plant food and the best of care, provide support for the
foliage, cut the spike as soon as possible, and when the bulb is taken
up it will be large and solid, and ready to do energetic work the
following year. The second, and better way, of restoring a variety that
has become exhausted, is to save the bulblets, however tiny they may be,
pack them in damp sand, and store them in a cool place over winter. In
the spring, peel them carefully, and plant according to the directions
given in the chapter on "Peeling Bulblets." Give good culture, and the
outcome will be a crop of blooming bulbs, and most likely a fair yield
of bulblets.
There is another difficulty that besets some lovers of this beautiful
flower who take pains to procure fine collections, and give them the
best of care, according to their knowledge. In a few years many of their
choice varieties seem to have dwindled away to almost nothing, or to
have disappeared entirely, while they have a burdensome surplus of some
others. They wonder why this is so, and some become convinced that the
gladiolus will in time revert to some original species. Nearly all such
cases may be accounted for by considering that some varieties multiply
very much faster than others, both by bulblets and the formation of new
bulbs. If one bulb produces a hundred bulblets, another ten, and another
one--or perhaps none,--it is easy to foresee what will happen in a few
years.
Another thing to be taken into account is that the grower sometimes
divides his treasures with his friends, and in so doing he is liable to
give away the one bulb that does not multiply, thus losing that variety
from his stock. He may dispose of a number in this way and, meanwhile,
those that increase rapidly are fast taking possession of his
collection. There are ways of guarding against this situation. First,
when varieties are found to have many bulblets, save only enough to keep
the stock in balance, and throw away the rest. By being watchful and
persevering in this course, much of the difficulty in question can be
avoided. Second, if some varieties get the start, and become too
numerous, mark them as they come into bloom, with cheap tags, or by some
other device, and take them up separately in the fall. Several varieties
can be "marked out" at the same time in this way.
[Illustration: MRS. F. PENDLETON]
CHAPTER XVIII.
Commencing in the Business.
If one desires to grow the gladiolus commercially, there are several
ways of making a beginning, and it is well to have a clearly defined
plan. The grower can enter upon the work with very little outlay by
commencing with seed. Only choice seed should be used. The first year's
product will average about the size of peas. With extra pains, many of
these could be brought to small blooming size, but it is better to keep
them below that limit. The next year they will all grow to first and
second sizes and the bulbs will be perfect in form and full of energy.
Of these there will be no two alike, and such bulbs are generally in
demand. Some will be of superior merit, and many good. Each purchaser
will find at least a few that he will prize. By sowing seed every year,
the grower will always have fresh stock coming on, and if careful to use
only seed of high grade, he will establish a reputation as a producer of
fine seedlings. He can, in time, make arrangements for growing seed
himself, and thus save the expense of buying, besides enjoying the
satisfaction of knowing its excellence.
Another way of starting is by purchasing small stock. This has the
advantage of making salable bulbs the first year, also quantities of
bulblets, but there is another side to the question, which is less
encouraging. If the stock is simply common mixed, which is about the
only grade offered for sale, the grower is likely to find that a good
part of it is such as he can take no pride in, and he will be under the
necessity of beginning soon to weed out the undesirable varieties. The
same difficulty will re-appear in the crop grown from the bulblets. This
method involves more expense than would appear at first thought, and is
likely to be rather unsatisfactory as to quality in the end. If small
stock of high excellence could be bought, it would be the perfection of
a start for a beginner, but it is very seldom obtainable. Every grower
knows that bulbs the size of peas are far more prolific of bulblets than
those of the same variety two inches in diameter. Accordingly, he sells
the large ones, which bring good prices, but make little increase, and
retains the small ones, which would yield only trifling returns if sold,
but are of great value as multipliers of stock.
Still another and very good way of beginning in the business is to buy
blooming bulbs of fine named sorts, cultivate them separately, and sell
them by name. He who adopts this plan does not need many varieties. It
is better to purchase few, and a larger number of each. If he selects
those that are in good demand, he is pretty sure to find ready sale for
all that he can raise. He is not likely to have too many of the May or
Augusta, nor of those newer and more expensive favorites, America and
Princeps. This last method, and the one first described may be combined
to good advantage.
If one wishes to commence growing flowers for market, he may start with
seed, provided he can afford the time, or he may buy blooming bulbs,
either mixed or named. In the latter case he should look out for a
liberal proportion of light colors, as they are usually more salable
than darker ones, though of late, good reds are rapidly gaining in
popularity. Some growers raise mostly fine white and light varieties,
and their flowers are in demand even when the market is full of common
stock.
Finally, whatever the grower's objects may be in his work, and whatever
methods he may adopt in carrying it on, he will find plenty of room for
the exercise of his own judgment and tact, after he has read and
pondered all that he can find in print in regard to gladiolus culture.
APPENDIX
By
DR. W. VAN FLEET
CHAPTER I.
Garden History of the Gladiolus.
The gladiolus is horticulturally the most important member of the
Iridacæ or great Iris family and has long been the most popular of all
summer-flowering bulbous plants, ranking in general usefulness even such
prime favorites as the dahlia, the canna and the lily. Almost one
hundred and fifty species have been from time to time described by
botanists, but only a fraction of the number has thus far proved of
value in breeding and development work. Fourteen or more species are
natives of Southern Europe and Western Asia, but these have always been
of minor importance as garden plants.
The headquarters of the genus is South Africa, centering in Cape Colony
and Natal, though there have been recent finds of value on the mountains
of tropical Africa and in Madagascar. The European and Asiatic species
run to purple and lilac in coloring, though white varieties occur in
cultivation. Flowers and plants are rather small, 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
frost. The most attractive of these northern kinds are _G.
crispiflorus_, _G. atroviolaceus_, _G. Byzantinus_ and _G. communis_.
The latter has been offered in this country as the "hardy" gladiolus,
but it will not endure severe freezing. These species hybridize together
when opportunity presents, but do not readily interbreed with the
African kinds and have rarely developed garden forms superior to the
respective wild types. The blooming time is early spring.
Another series of early-blooming, small-flowered species is represented
by _G. blandus_, flesh colored, _G. Watsonius_, scarlet, _G. alatus_,
yellow and red, and _G. tristis_, pale yellow, sweet scented. All are
native to the Cape of Good Hope and can endure little cold. They are
admirably suited for window and greenhouse culture and are interesting
subjects for interbreeding, though no startling results should be
expected. The winter-blooming varieties grown by florists, such as the
_Bride_, _Delicatissima_, and _Peach Blossom_, belong to the hybrid
section known as _Gladiolus Colvillii_, which is, without doubt, a
hybrid between _G. cardinalis_ and _G. tristis_. 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
condition. The species in this class are many, several are fragrant,
and all are worth growing by the specialist for their individual charm,
but few are likely to attain commercial importance in this country for a
considerable time.
Summer Blooming Species.
Our popular garden and commercial varieties are, with scarcely an
exception, developments of strong-growing and relatively late-blooming
species found wild in South Africa. The chief of these is _G.
psittacinus_, native of Natal, but cultivated in Europe since 1830. It
is a striking and robust species with hooded, narrow, red-and-yellow
flowers, borne in a scattering manner on a tall fleshy scape or spike.
Eleven years later a seedling appeared in the famous Van Houtte
Nurseries, Ghent, Belgium, thought to be a hybrid between _psittacinus_
and _G. cardinalis_, the latter a tall scarlet flowered species or
variety of uncertain origin, known to have been cultivated as early as
1785. The Van Houtte seedling, named _Gandavensis_ in honor of the city
of its origin, was so superior to _psittacinus_ as to cause the latter
to at once go out of cultivation.
_Gandavensis_ made a great sensation in its time and is still the best
representative of the old-time gaudy red-and-yellow garden gladiolus, or
corn flag. It was eagerly welcomed by breeders of the day, among others
the accomplished French hybridizer, Mons. Souchet, of Fontainebleu, who
really laid the foundation of the modern _Gandavensis_ strain, the
basis of all that is best in the summer-blooming section. The
predominating types of the finest _Gandavensis_ varieties, however,
retain few of the characteristics of _psittacinus_. The erect, fleshy
stem, capable of absorbing sufficient water, when the spike is cut, to
develop all blooms, and the strong upright growth have been preserved as
indispensable features, but the flowers have been marvelously improved
in respect to form, color, size, arrangement and finish, as the result
of interbreeding with every procurable species or variety of
sufficiently distinct character, and constant seeding selection. The
most popular varieties of the day, such as May, Augusta, and
Shakespeare, have little resemblance to _psittacinus_ and practically
none to _cardinalis_, but exhibit strongly the main characteristics of
_G. oppositiflorus_, an old white-and-rose, many-flowered species, often
thought to have been the real parent of _Gandavensis_, instead of
_cardinalis_. The writer's experience is that present-day authentic
hybrids of _psittacinus_ and _cardinalis_ do not resemble _Gandavensis_,
while the issue of _psittacinus_ x _oppositiflorus_ closely reproduces
_Gandavensis_ as it is found in old gardens. 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 lacking, when the predominance of _psittacinus_ blood
in the strain is considered.
It was not until 1878 that Victor Lemoine, Nancy, France, produced, by
crossing the finest _Gandavensis_ varieties with _G. purpureo-auratus_,
an important race now widely known as _Lemoinei_, that possessed the
rich and intense shades of red, purple, and yellow so ardently desired
by fanciers. Some of the richest coloring in the floral kingdom is found
among the _Lemoinei_ varieties, now wonderfully developed by consistent
breeding. The hooded form of _purpureo-auratus_ blooms, however, is
often retained, and the stems usually have the wiry texture of the
species rendering the development of the flowers, after cutting, less
perfect than the _Gandavensis_.
The next great improvement in garden gladioli was brought about by Max
Leichtlin, Baden Baden, Germany, who extensively hybridized the best
_Gandavensis_ varieties with _G. Saundersii_, then a newly introduced
species characterized by large widely opened scarlet flowers speckled
with white on the lower divisions. The resulting seedlings, without
doubt the finest strain of modern times, were bought by V. H. Hallock
and Son, Queens, N. Y., then the most extensive American bulb growers,
and for many years the stock was worked up by them in the most
painstaking manner. Before dissemination it was sold to J. L. Childs,
Floral Park, N. Y., who introduced it to general cultivation under the
name of _Childsii_. The true _Leichtlin Saundersii_ hybrids are
characterized by gigantic growth and very large richly colored
well-opened blooms with beautifully spotted and variegated throats.
Shades of red predominated at first, but light colors have since been
developed in a very satisfactory manner. 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 conditions.
Lemoine soon afterwards produced a fine large flowered and brilliantly
colored race by crossing _Lemoinei_ hybrids with _Saundersii_. This race
was named _Nanceianus_ and comprises many truly beautiful varieties,
few, however, possessing the vigor of the _Leichtlin_ hybrids.
The next break of importance, also the work of Lemoine, came with the
use of _G. papilio_, pale lilac, blotched and overlaid with dull red. In
many of its hybrids the primitive colors have separated, resulting in an
attractive series of rich purple and heliotrope blues, quite new to the
genus. True bright blues, free from red and purple tones, have not yet
been obtained, but the blue kinds--issue of _Papilio_ and the _Lemoine_
varieties--are unique and desirable acquisitions.
_Gladiolus cruentus_, blood red and white, pollenized with a selected
_Childsii_ variety resulted in the magnificent scarlet hybrid
_Princeps_, acknowledged the first of its color yet produced. The latest
species of importance to be widely used is _G. Primulinus_, recently
found in the Zambesi Valley, South Africa. It is a vigorous species with
narrow blooms, pure bright yellow in color. The hybrids largely partake
of this coloring, and it appears only a matter of time when good
self-yellow varieties, comparable in size and finish to the best red and
pink kinds will be bred.
Minor Species.
A number of hybrids of _G. dracocephalus_, _G. Cooperi_ and _G.
Quartinanus_ have been offered of late years. These species are closely
allied to _Psittacinus_, but yellow, green and purplish shades, oddly
marked and striped, appear in the offspring. Some are curious and
attractive, but possess little value from the standpoint of the
commercial grower. _G. Quartinanus_ is a very late bloomer and may
produce varieties extremely useful for mild climates where the seasons
are sufficiently long to form bulb development. _G. Eckloni_ is a rare
species with small whitish blooms, minutely dotted with black purple.
The hybrids have mostly purple or red ground colors flecked with darker
shades. They are exceedingly attractive, but do not increase with
sufficient rapidity to possess great value. _G. vitatus_, an early
blooming, dwarf species, has yielded some charming porcelain and salmon
colored garden varieties, of rather small size, however. _G.
Leichtlini_, scarlet and yellow, allied to _Saundersii_, when crossed
with _cruentus_, is a striking brilliant crimson hybrid of much vigor,
but when blended with other species entirely loses its individuality.
The list may be extended, 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 strains.
Summary.
The gladiolus, in its European species at least, has been in garden
cultivation for quite 400 years.
The African forms first found their way to Europe about 1745 and new
ones have since been constantly added. The genus now numbers almost 150
species.
_The first_ marked improvement, from the garden standpoint, came with
the introduction from Holland, about 1785, of _G. cardinalis_, one of
the reputed parents of _G. Gandavensis_. The true origin of _Cardinalis_
has never been ascertained.
In 1840 _G. Gandavensis_ was raised in Belgium from seed of _G.
psittacinus_, an African species supposed to be pollinated with
_Cardinalis_, but more, likely with _G. oppositiflorus_, which the
progeny of _Gandavensis_ more closely resembles.
From 1845 until 1880 _Gandavensis_ seedlings or "French Hybrids" held
full sway in gardens. More than 400 varieties have been named,
comprising some of the most highly prized of all garden kinds.
Lemoine introduced in 1878 his justly celebrated hybrids between
Gandavensis and _G. purpureo-auratus_, known as _Lemoinei_.
The _Nanceianus_ strain, crosses between _Lemoinei_ and _G. Saundersii_,
was introduced in 1889.
_Childsii_, originated by Max Leichtlin, Germany, was first disseminated
in 1893. It consists of hybrids of _G. Saundersii_ pollinated with the
finest Gandavensis varieties.
Lemoine's New Blue was first exhibited at the Chicago Exposition 1893
and placed on sale the following year.
_Gladiolus Princeps_, _Childsii x G. cruentus_, the finest scarlet
variety ever raised, was introduced in 1903.
_Gladiolus primulinus_ and hybrids were first publicly offered in 1909.
[Illustration: PRINCEPS]
CHAPTER II.
Hybridizing Gladiolus.
The gladiolus, owing to the large size of the blooms and its open
character, is one of the easiest plants to pollinate artificially.
Healthy vigorous plants should be selected for seed bearers, and the
bloom spike supported with a firm stake. The blooms should be visited in
early morning as they open, and the anthers removed before they have
shed pollen, with the fingers, or better with slender forceps, taking
care not to injure the style or the three-parted stigma, which will be
ready to receive pollen about midday in bright weather or late in the
afternoon, or even next day if cloudy or dull.
The blooms should, immediately after the anthers have been removed, be
covered with thin cheesecloth, or "bobinet," firmly tied or pinned in
such a manner as effectually to keep out bees and visiting insects.
Ordinary mosquito netting will not serve after it has been wet with dew
or rain, as the mesh becomes so loose that energetic little pollen
carrying bees force their way through, often entirely spoiling results.
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 pollen.
About noon, 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 wind. The anthers may be taken
separately in the fingers, or with forceps, and lightly brushed over the
stigmas, which should be erect and open if they have reached the
receptive stage. One anther will usually suffice for a seed bloom if
pollen is abundant, but in some of the lighter-colored varieties it is
scantily produced and several may be needed. Occasionally the anther
valves do not open freely enough to permit the escape of pollen, which
may then be taken out with a narrow-bladed penknife, or better with a
little instrument made of a flattened pin fixed in a wooden handle.
The pollinated blooms should immediately be covered with the netting,
which should remain until they fade. If conveniences are at hand the
work may be rapidly accomplished--several hundred pollinations being
made in a single day by an active worker. Pollen can also be used from
cut blooms, the spikes being kept in water in a light room, free from
flies or bees, but it gradually loses power when the upper blooms open
under such artificial conditions. If the work is carefully done the
resulting seeds will produce hybrids or cross breeds as the case may be,
and it is always possible that the ideal sought for may appear among
the number. Pollen may be kept a week or more by drying in the shade and
wrapping in paraffin paper, but is far less reliable than if applied
fresh from the anthers.
The blooms of large garden varieties are rarely self-pollinated, even if
left uncovered, but the chances of fertilization with inferior kinds,
generally the most abundant pollen producers, are so great that it is
well to protect all seed-bearing blooms from insect interference. 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 serviceable. The ends
may be drawn together by cords looped through the fabric, effectually
barring out the meddling bees. If a greenhouse structure or even a well
lighted room is available, the plants may be grown in large boxes or
pots and taken inside when blooming. This is especially desirable in the
case of rare species and varieties, as there is no interference from
stormy weather. Every bloom can be pollinated and practically every
grain of pollen utilized under these secure conditions.
CHAPTER III.
Special Care of Seedlings.
Rare or scarce gladiolus seeds, particularly those resulting from
difficult crosses, should not be risked under ordinary garden or field
conditions of growth. We naturally wish to bring to maturity every
possible plant that the ideal we are breeding for may not be lost, if it
should by chance be included in the number. If grown in pots or boxes
the first season, with due care every good seed is likely to produce a
vigorous bulb that may be planted out next year. I have found six-inch
standard flower pots, after many trials, to be the most convenient
receptacles for small quantities of seeds, though almost equally good
results may be had from well drained wooden boxes five inches deep. The
boxes may be a foot or more wide and 18 to 20 inches long, and should be
new and clean.
On no account grow gladiolus seeds or bulblets successive years in the
same pots or boxes without sterilization, lest disease be fostered.
Sterilization may be effected in the case of pots, by roasting an hour
or more in an oven at a temperature above the boiling point of water, or
by well soaking in bichloride of mercury or formaldehyde solution,
described in a preceding chapter.[C] Boxes may also be roasted in the
oven or soaked in sterilizing solutions, but it is best to use new ones
if procurable. Boxes should have at least one-half-inch drainage hole to
each sixteen square inches of bottom surface, as gladiolus seedlings
greatly dislike waterlogged soil. An inch of pebbles, 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 sand, well mixed together. Some very old fine
manure may be used, but it should be confined to the bottom third of the
receptacle and not come into contact with the seeds or resulting bulbs.
The seeds previously rubbed free from chaff, 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 sand. Water with a gentle spray
until entire mass of soil is saturated, 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 degrees. But little more water will be
needed until the plants begin to come up, which should be in about
twenty days. A sunny situation in greenhouse or garden is needed to grow
the seedlings to best advantage, but if in the latter, protection should
always be given from beating rains as the tiny seedlings are very easily
broken down during the early stages of their development. Water should
be given with sufficient regularity to keep the soil constantly moist
without becoming sodden and all weeds removed as they appear. The bulbs
will mature in twelve to fifteen weeks from germination. Water should
gradually be lessened as growth ceases and foliage begins to yellow
until the soil quite dries out, when it may be passed through a sieve
and even the smallest bulblet secured.
[Footnote C: Page 59.]
The little seedling bulbs, ranging in size from a wheat grain to a
hazelnut, keep best in dry sand and should be sown next season like peas
in drills in the garden. Some of the strongest are likely to bloom the
second year and all should produce flowers the third. If seeds are sown
under glass soon after ripening, in early October, according to
foregoing directions, the bulbs may usually be ripened off in March,
cured in sand in a dry warm place and planted out in May, thus securing
a few blooms the following Autumn, one year after gathering the seed.
Most of the bulbs thus treated should attain blooming size by the end of
the first season. If only a few seeds of a rare variety are obtainable,
very porous compost in five-inch pots or shallower boxes, the seeds sown
near the edges, will give best results. 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 planted.
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 less,
sink it to within an inch of the top in the soil in a convenient sunny
place in garden, fill with prepared compost, sow seeds and proceed in
the described manner except that less attention will be required in
watering than if entirely exposed to the air. Box and soil can be lifted
out when the bulbs mature, the soil dried and sifted to secure every
minute bulb. If a considerable quantity of seed is to be sown a board
frame eight inches deep, with bottom lined with one-half-inch mesh
netting, and sunk in the ground, will give complete security from moles
and similar vermin. If ordinary poultry netting is stretched over the
top, additional security against surface marauders is given. Hand
hybridized seeds are too precious to risk in ordinary unprotected soil.
Five thousand seedling bulbs may be grown in a frame 4×6 feet, if seeds
are thickly enough sown.
CHAPTER IV.
Gladiolus Species.
The following list includes the most important Gladiolus species, as
recognized by modern botanists. Many species formerly included in the
genus _Gladiolus_ are now correctly assigned to _Acidanthera_,
_Antholyza_, _Babiana_, _Freesia_, _Montbretia_, _Tritona_ and
_Watsonia_. Most true Gladiolus species will hybridize together, under
favorable opportunity, but all attempts to breed the above genera with
Gladiolus, thus far, appear to have failed. The most important garden
hybrids of Gladiolus, useful in breeding work, have been described in
preceding chapters. An attempt is here made to note the height of each
species, the season of bloom in the northern hemisphere, the native
locality where known, and the approximate date of introduction to
cultivation:
Gladiolus adlami, dull yellow with minute red spots, Transvaal, 1889.
" alatus, 3/4 ft., scarlet, yellow, June, 1795.
" alatus algoensis, 3/4 ft., orange, July, 1824.
" albidus, 1 ft., white, June, 1774.
" angustus, 2 ft., yellow, June, 1756.
" atroviolaceus, dark blue, purple, white, Palestine, 1889.
" blandus, 1-1/2 ft., flesh, June, 1774.
" brachyandrus, 2 ft., scarlet, whitish, Zambesi Land, July, 1879.
" brevifolius, 1-1/2 ft., pink, June, 1802.
" byzantinus, 2 ft., red, July, Turkey, 1629.
" campanulatus, 1-1/2 ft., light purple, May, 1794.
" carneus, 2 ft., flesh, June, 1796.
" caucasicus, Caucasus, 1842.
" cochleatus, 1-1/2 ft., white, red, March, 1829.
" Colvillei, 1-1/2 ft., bright red marked with pale purple. Hybrid.
" Colvillei, alba, white.
" communis, 2 ft., red, South Europe, 1596, July.
" communis albus, 2 ft., white, June, South Europe.
" concolor, 1 ft., yellow, June, 1790.
" Cooperi, 3 ft., red, yellow, September, Natal, 1862.
" crispiflorus, various, July, 1842.
" cruentus, blood red, white, September, Natal, 1868.
" cuspidatus, 1-1/2 ft., white, brown, May, 1795.
" debilis, 1-1/2 ft, white, May.
" decoratus, 3 ft., scarlet, yellow, East Africa, 1890.
" dracocephalus, 2-1/4 ft., greenish yellow with purple lines,
Natal, 1871.
" Eckloni, 1 to 1-1/2 ft., pinkish white, densely red spotted, Autumn,
South Africa, 1862.
" edulis, 1-1/2 ft., white, June, 1816.
" Elloni, white tipped with purple, 1890.
" festivus, pale rose, July, 1844.
" flexuosus, 1 ft., orange, June, 1825.
" floribundus, 1 ft., citron, July, 1788.
" Gandavensis, rich crimson, yellow, summer, hybrid.
" gracilis, 2 ft., blue, white, April, 1800.
" hastatus, 1 ft., flesh, May, 1846.
" hirsutus, 1-1/2 ft., pink, June, 1795.
" hyalinus, 1 ft., yellow, red, June, 1825.
" imbricatus, 1 ft., red, June, Russia, 1820.
" involutus, 1-1/2 ft., pink, June, 1757.
" Kirkii, 3 ft., rose, Grahamstown, 1890.
" Kotschyanus, light violet, Afghanistan and Persia.
" Leichtlini, scarlet, yellow, Transvaal, 1889.
" Mackinderii, 2 ft., red or yellow, 1905.
" Milleri, 1-1/2 ft., violet, May, 1751.
" Mortonius, 1-1/2 ft., white, 1837.
" namaquensis, 3/4 ft., orange, June, 1800.
" natalensis, 4 ft., scarlet, yellow, August, Natal River, 1830.
" ochroleucus, Transvaal.
" oppositiflorus, April, Madagascar, 1843.
" papilio, 2 ft., purple, yellow, South Africa, 1866.
" permeabilis, 3/4 ft., orange, June, 1825.
" primulinus, Primrose-yellow, East Africa, 1890.
" psittacinus, 3 ft., scarlet, yellow, S. E. Africa.
" pudibundus, 3 ft., rose, hybrid (G. blandus × G. Cardinalis).
" punctatus, greenish-yellow, brownish-purple, 1889.
" purpureo-auratus, yellow, purple, Natal, 1872.
" Quartinianus, 4 ft., yellow and red.
" recurvus, 2 ft., striped, May, 1758.
" Saundersii, scarlet, white, August, South Africa, 1871.
" segetum, 2 ft., purple, July, South Europe, 1596.
" sericeo-villosus, 3 ft., yellow, S. Africa, 1864.
" Salmoneus, 2 ft., bright salmon.
" tenellus, 3/4 ft., yellow, June, 1825.
" tenuis, 1 ft., red, June, Tauria, 1823.
" trichonemifolius, 1-1/2 ft., yellow, June, 1800.
" trimaculatus, 1 ft., red, white, June, 1794.
" tristis, 1 ft., brown, red, 1745.
" turicensis, Garden hybrid: G. Gandavensis × G. Saundersii.
" undulatus, 1 ft., pink, May, 1760.
" versicolor, 1-1/2 ft., brown, June, 1794.
" vinulus, creamy white, feathered with crimson, 1888.
" viperatus, 1/2 ft., green, white, May, 1787.
" watsonioides, 1-1/2 ft., scarlet, Mt. Kilimanjaro, 1887.
ADDENDA
Odd Notes From Many Sources.
Planting gladioli after potato or tomato crops is said to incur risk of
scabby stock.
Parcel post has proven very satisfactory for shipping blooms, packed in
this manner.
The pure yellow Primulinus Sunbeam when displayed with purple Baron
Hulot is very effective.
Peeled bulblets require a warmer soil than the unpeeled ones, and for
this reason, May 15 to 20 is about the proper time for sowing.
To grow giant flower spikes, plant in rows 21 to 30 inches apart and 7
to 9 inches apart in the rows; fertilize well.
Long distance crates for mailing cut blooms may be made of slats
3/4-inch apart, with end pieces 6 to 7 inches square, braced in the
middle.
All spikes should be cut when lowest or first flower begins to unroll;
spikes should be set in water for an hour or more before packing.
Constant cultivation creating a dust mulch is very necessary with these
as with other crops in case of drought. Many overlook this.
Mrs. B. H. Tracy says that Liebesfeur or War, Mrs. Frances King, Pink
Perfection and Independence make a wonderful color combination.
It is conceded that second or even third size bulbs of Mrs. Francis King
will throw a better flower spike than bulbs of a similar small size of
most other kinds.
When your flowers are coming on freely and weather turns warmer, don't
forget that cuttings must be made more frequently, and Sunday work
unavoidable.
Some Gladiolus bulbs can stand freezing, though frozen solid. 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 injured.
When the roots of the gladiolus have attained their full growth, the
surface of the soil should be stirred but lightly, because of the danger
of cutting the roots. Prior to that time, gladiolus bulbs will stand
deeper cultivation.
Write your state experiment station for analysis of commercial
fertilizer best adapted to the Gladiolus. If you contemplate shipping
cut blooms, consult your commission man as to the most satisfactory
method of packing.
Young bulbs from seven eights to one inch in diameter should, if given
space when plants of about two and a half inches apart and well
cultivated, produce a crop approximately half or more first grade bulbs
and the remainder seconds.
One grower never plants gladioli the second time in succession on the
same land. Dr. Van Fleet, the originator of Princeps, who distributed it
through Vaughan's Seed Store, says that the variety should never be
planted on recently manured land, but in a naturally deep, rich,
alluvial soil.
When bulbs are worth only two cents or less and cut blooms selling at
three cents net or over, stalks may be cut close to the ground, giving
foliage much desired by the retail florist. This advice, of course,
applies to other values whenever the flowers are selling well above the
cost of the bulbs.
Gladiolus make roots freely outside in quite cool weather, therefore,
may be planted as early in the spring as ground can be opened, sometimes
certain soils may be heavily mulched with straw in fall and thus kept
unfrozen for very early planting in March.
When cut blooms are selling for less than the value of the bulbs, 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 bulb. Two
leaves or even three are not enough to finish and develop a first class
bulb.
For all points south of the Ohio River and in the extreme south second
grade bulbs, that is of diameter 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches have bloomed well
out of doors. Mrs. Frances King bulbs of only 1 inch to 1-1/4 have
produced well; America and Chicago White for best results need larger
grading than King.
Watchfulness in winter storage is necessary. If bulbs are racked or
shelved too deep and become moist, they must be thinned and turned or
both; if they become too dry, as they will if your cellar or storehouse
lacks moisture, you may put more layers in the racks, 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 bulbs.
Those, and they are many, 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 there, standing in vases allowed to open their blooms,
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 open.
One reliable grower keeps his black hard-shelled bulblets in gunny sacks
containing about one bushel mixed with about 20 per cent of fine dry
earth. He has been quite successful in keeping the bulblets in this
manner, and when so kept the shells do not harden to such an extent as
to prevent sprouting of the kernel, as sometimes is the case when they
dry out too much. This same grower believes in soaking the black
hard-shelled bulblets for 36 hours in water just before planting, but no
longer.
Gladiolus bulbs stored in bins should be turned every few days,
especially after February, as this tends to prevent sprouting. They
should not be kept in too warm and dry a place. It is best to keep them
quite cool, the thermometer running as low as forty degrees Fahrenheit
at times, and in an atmosphere of the ordinary cellar, which usually has
some moisture. If they become troubled with green fly, sprinkle them
with tobacco dust once a week.
Gladiolus bulbs stored in racks have been kept in good condition by
close covering of double or triple thickness of newspapers, 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 them. Others
have kept gladiolus bulbs in very good shape in old paper flour sacks,
which contain half a bushel or three pecks of the bulbs (the bulbs
being, of course, thoroughly dried out when tied in the bags). The
natural moisture of the bulbs seems, by some kind of paper protection as
mentioned above, to be conserved, while full and continued exposure to
dry air seems to provoke scab as well as hardening of the outer skin of
the bulbs.
It requires a good sized bulb of America to throw a first class spike
and second size bulbs produce, when forced, a considerably smaller spike
than the first size bulbs. The America requires a longer growing
season than most other gladioli and continues its growth well up to
severe frosts. Growers who wish to harvest the largest possible number
of first size bulbs allow these to grow as late as possible, and then
leave the plants on their sides for 36 or 48 hours, during which time
the sap from the stalks seems to go into the bulbs, making them more
firm and putting them into better keeping condition for the winter. This
latter suggestion probably applies to all gladioli and not alone to
America, as it is practiced by a good many of the best growers.
Growers differ a good deal as to the depth of the planting and width of
rows. One very successful Ohio grower plants his bulblets and small
bulbs fully six inches deep and in rows only two feet apart, pressing
the dirt down very firmly over the bulbs. Such deep planting, he claims,
secures cooler soil for the working roots and insures a better crop in
case of dry weather. The same grower in planting hard shelled bulblets
sows one pint to about three feet of row, making them very thick in the
row, as he believes that the hard shelled bulblets, in germinating so
close together, cause the hard shells of most of them to rot. There is
convenience also in digging the crop which may be lifted in a mass. They
also grow up so closely together in the row that they seem to choke out
the weeds, thus saving hand labor.
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