C^JC^S Cornell University Library SB 413.G5C45 "The gladiolus for profit" 3 1924 003 381 450 ^^g^^^^^g^^^^^^^^^^ THe Gladiolus for Profit. i I 1 ^^s^^^^^^^m^m^ m m <^ 1 COPYRIGHT 1920 BY R. M. GHAMPE FOREWORD. In presenting this book I vrish to impress upon the reader that the system and methods outlined herein are distinctly not for the grower with a twenty-acre field backyard. The method of field cultivation in general practice is his system and should be adhered to. This book is intended for the CITY m>an or womcm or SMALL TOWN dweller who is anxious to engage in this fascinating business, but knows not how to do so with the small space he has available. The system outlined in the following pages is not the vagaries of a fireside dreamer. It has been in actual operation at my nurseries for four years past, and the last two years, 1919 and 1 920, 1 have used it exclusively. If only one garden will have been brightened and one reader shown the way to a spare time home income through growing the gladiolus, I will consider that this book has fulfilled its mission. THE GLADIOLUS The gladiolus is a plant with long sword-like, pointed leaves from which arises a tall spike closely set with flower buds which open out starting with the lowest one first. The flowers are generally from three to five inches in width and of strong texture. The plant grows out of a bulb (sometimes called a corm) and reproduces itself by means of ( 1 ) division of the old bulb into several smaller ones; (2) by means of small offsets about the size of garden peas known as bulblets, and (3) by seed. Reproduction by seed will not enter into our growing plans or system, as reproduction by seed hardly if ever comes true to the parent flower, and is used only by specialists who seek to secure new varieties through exiEunination of the thou- sands of seedlings, in an effort to find a variety superior to the parent or to others, Reproduction by the bulbs or the bulblets always comes true to the parent variety. This is the method that we will deal with entirely. The life history of a gladiolus bulb is an interesting thing. First we have the bulblet (sometimes called cormel) produced by the mother bulb and adhering to it by means of a fine- tendril. These bulblets are produced in varying numbers according to the variety, the size and age of the mother bulb. . Some varieties produce as many as two and three hundred from a strong mother bulb, although these quEintities are but rare occur- rences, while other varieties are extremely shy producers, one to five or ten bulblets being the most eyer; produced. - The size, age and vitality of the bulb aTc the dominating influences in the production of bulblets; that is, 'no matter whether the variety is a shy or abundant producer of bulblets the maximum number which that variety is capable of making is controlled by the. size, age and vitality of the mother, bulb. ' - The bulblets are planted' in the Spring of the first yefir after their production and when dug in the Fall foil owing, will be found to have grown to bulbs anywhere from %-inch to an inch in size, although the maximum growth is generally about f^-inch. During this period of growth a few new bulblets will be produced on the bulb into which the bulblet has grown. These new bulbs are replanted the second year and produce bulbs from %-inch to 1 '/2 inchces, and sometimes larger. Bulbs are graded into the following sizes: No. 1 — 1^ inches in diameter. No. 2 — 1 J4 inches to 1 Yi inches in diemneter. No. 3 — 1 inch to 1 J/4 inches in diameter. No. 4 — %-inch to 1 inch in diameter. No. 5 — Yi-inch. to 54 -inch in diameter. No. 6 — J/2 -inch and under in diameter. These grades are standard unless specially specified otherwise. The No. 1 grade, or inch and one-half or over in diameter, is what is known as a full sized bulb and this is the only size that can be used with success for forcing by florists under glass, or in cold frames for outdoors. A first size bulb for such purposes should have a high crown or center and be well plumped out, which is a sign of high vitality. After such a bulb has been forced it will generally divide up into several smaller flat bulbs. These are worthless for forcing again and the best use that can be made of them is to grow them in the garden for bedding, etc. Most florists throw them away after being forced, hence the big and ever increasing demand for new bulbs. A first size bulb flowered outdoors will divide the same way gen- ereJly and if the flower has not been cut from the plant with a long stem, but if at least four or more leaves have been left on the plant, the resulting bulbs will possess a greater share of vitality than indoor forced bulbs. These divided bulbs as a general rule are good for bedding for several years, when they generally "run out," as the expression is, although the bulbs of some strong growing varieties will continue to produce fair flowers year after year, but never first class A No. 1 stock. The bulbs that you are to grow for customers are the first size bulbs pi'oduced in two or three years from the bulblets. This is the only stock that gives entire satisfaction. Do not take it from this that the only size bulbs you can sell is the first size. On the contrary, there is a big demand for all the different sizes of the varieties, which I have enumerated later on, from growers who may be sold short or wish to secure and work up stock of these different kinds. The modern gladiolus is the product of years of hybridizing 'of the original wild species until its identity with them has almost become lost. Sufficient it is to say, how^ever, that it has been brought to a point of perfection in color, form and growth that is a revelation to those who are only familiar with the old red variety of our grand- mother's garden. The modern varieties come in every hue of the rainbow except true blue, and even in this color the approach is close enough to satisfy all but the most critical. By cross hybridization new strains of gladiolus have been devel- oped that show an amazing vitality and growth, some of them reeich- ing a height of five to six feet and producing as many as twenty-five flowers on the main stalk, together with a smaller number from small side branching stalks. If you are unfamiliar with the flower, let me say that the gladiolus is in a class by itself as a cut flower either for the home garden or the florist A full grown gladiolus bulb will flower for anyone, anywhere, if given a fairly fertile soil, moisture and sunshine, providing that the season is at least seventy days or more without frost. Not only will it produce a handsome spike of flowers, but the spike if cut when the first one or two flowets are about to open, can be taken into the house and placed in a vase of water, and each and every bud will open out one after the other for a period of a week or ten days. This character of long keeping quality renders the flower particu- larly useful to florists, especially in summer time when the heat tends to w^ilt all flow^ers quickly. Again, florists are able to realize extra profits from their green- house space in the winter time by planting the gladioli bulbs in odd and end places between the carnations and other plants, and as it is practically disease proof and needs but little attention, the flowers are produced at a minimum of time and expense and bring big prices in the early Spring. ' You would not believe me if 1 were to tell you of the tens of thou- sands of gladioli blooms that are sold in our principal cities in the summer t'me from outdoor grown plants; in fact, one firm in Detroit uses 10,000 a week. Do not get the idea that the growers supplying all these flowers are making money — far from it. In a season of good rainfall there is generally in August an overabundance of the flowers and a glut on the market results, so that the flowers are sold really below cost. Now it is the purpose of this book to show you how to grow the gladiolus at a profit, and if the reader will follow the plans and system of growing outlined in the following chapters he will find that he can build up a profitable business right at home which later if so desired could be expanded to a whole time occupation. WHAT TO GROW, BULBS OR FLOWERS? The first consideration for anyone taking up gladiolus growing is the question of whether to grow for flowers or bulbs. If you have but a limited space in backyard or garden, do not look to flowers for your profit, for you can make far more money by grow- ing the bulbs, and if there are any flowers to spare, well and good. There is no use growing for flowers unless you have a market for the same within a reasonable distance to which it will pay you to ship and sell them. I would advise that if you live within, say, not to exceed forty miles of a large city that you can safely prepare to grow the flowers as by my method of culture and variety selection, you are pretty sure to hit the early market when flowers are still in demand and bring good prices. If on the other hand you are in an isolated part of the country away from large cities, I would advise against the practice, except in a lim- ited way, unless there is no local florist or unless you are on an auto- mobile main highway. In either of these latter cases, there is a strong possibility that you can dispose of a limited quantity of the Howers by either letting it be known that you are prepared to supply these for parties, church decorations, weddings or funerals, and in the case of an automobile highway running in front of or near your place a sign displayed so that the passing motorists can see it, and reading "Freshly cut gladiolus flowers for sale" will do the trick. Before going any further I want to say that "Gladiolus" is derived from "gladius" — s-word. The singular nominative case ends in 'us" Eind the plural in "i." There has been a discussion going on for years as to whether to pronounce it gla-dee-oh-lus or gla-die-o-lus or glad- ee-o-lus. Take your choice. 1 like the first one best. The plural ending, gladioli, is supposed to be used when speaking of more than one flower. Perhaps the reader has been mystified by this flowers or bulbs dis- cussion, but it is of the first importance because w^hen you grow for the bulbs you can not cut long first class saleable spikes of flowers with- out injuring the bulbs that 'will be produced. The question of bulbs or flow^ers is particularly important because it brings to heind the matter of varieties to purchase stock of in launch- ing your gladiolus business. To sum up, if you have but limited space and no market handy, grow for the bulbs only,, which you can sell by mail no matter where you are located, if you have a good-sized garden and a good matrket you can grow for bulbs and some flowers in a limited way. The big money lies in the production of first-class bulbs. VARIETIES Under this heading comes the most important part of the business. There are hundreds of varieties of gladioli, and there are growers that grow hundreds of varieties, but the secret of big profits from gladiolus growing in a small space is to GROW THE HIGHEST PRICE VARIETIES THAT ARE IN ACTIVE DEMAND, THAT ARE OF PROVEN MERIT AND THAT ARE HEALTHY AND GOOD REPRODUCERS. This is one of the keynotes of my system for beginners. It costs no more money after the original propagating stock is bought to grow a bulb that sells for $ 1 apiece than it does to grow a bulb that sells for 5 c, and it takes no-more space. The gladi- olus market is flooded with common and mediocre stock. Many of the big growers have such a large stock of these common varieties that they cannot afford to throw them away and have to content them- selves yeeir after year with planting them in valuable space, use valu- able fertilizer and receive a few paltry returns on the flowers. Remember this, there is nearly always a surplus of the mediocre but rarely of the high-class stock either of bulbs or flowers. I have seen thousands of cut spikes of oldtime and inferior varieties of gladioli waiting in vain in a commission' house for purchasers when a consign- ment of good Pendleton or some other high-class gladiolus would be sold upon arrival. The varieties that I recommend have been selected through years of painstaking and scientific study. They are selected because of their superior merit in color, shipping and keeping qualities, vitality, growth, reproductiveness, and of course because of these their popu- larity among the gladiolus buying public. Among the varieties rec- ommended for flowers are several whose earliness in flowering, to- gether with attractive color, put them in a claiss.by themselves. By working up stocks for cut flbwers the following are the best: PENDLETON — Pink with blood red blotch. PANAMA — Soft rose pink. PElACEl — Large white with lilac featherings in throat. WAR — Brilliant blood red. SCHWABEN- — Sulphur yellow with small brownish marking in throat. YELLOW HAMMER — Another yellow of more slender growth and particularly adapted to bouquet work. PRINCE OF WALES — Pure salmon; in a class by itself and very early bloomer. L'IMMACULEE A tall, pure white, probably the best commercial white with Peace. GRETCHEN ZANG — Large flowered; soft shade of pink. Good seller. EVELYN KIRTLAND — A very tall, melting rosy pink flower; is still high priced, but it will pay to secure a little stock to work up for the future. HERADA— The only true mauve gladiolus; a most striking color. ALICE TIPLADY — ^The best and truest orange; a fine color. WILBRINK — A very early flesh pink and valuable on that account. PINK BEAUTY — The earliest pink gladiolus. If the market is not overrun with this, secure stock of it by all means for the early flow- ers. Small flowered. PINK PROGRESSION— A sport of Pink Beauty; blooms same time; prettier. LOVELINESS — Here is a fine cut flower, tall, strong cream and apri- cot. A high-cleiss variety; fine seller. FRANCIS KING — Flame colored and more of this are grown than any other variety; invaluable for indoor decoration. If market is well supplied, leave it alone. Every grower has it. HALLEY — An early salmon, inferior in color to Prince of Wales If market has Halley. grow Prince of Wales; if no Halley grow Halley, because it is cheaper. CHICAGO WHrre — ^The earliest cheap white. Do not grow it un- less the market is not fully supplied. If supplied leave it alone and grow something else. L'lmmaculee is later but early. PRIDE OF GOSHEN — A tall, vigorous growing light pink, flesh color, ruffled variety. Do not buy it unless the market is under-supplied with midseason flowers, as I doubt if it will outsell Panama, etc. MRS. WATT — The best medium price wine red or American Beauty color. Not a very tall spike and not many flowers and not very large flowers, but to date easily the best in this color for a price that will allow it to be grown for cutting. MYRTLE — Arbutus pink, short spike, small flowers, but a very beau- tiful pink and very early. On the Chicago market it pays the growers a profit, but I doubt if it will everywhere, as the price is so much higher than Halley and Pink Beauty, that markets supplied tvith these will not pay the extra price for the more beautiful color. To most wholesale houses a pink gladiolus is a pink gladiolus, whether it is Myrtle. Panama, America or Pink Beauty, and it is hard to get the retailers to pay extra prices for Myrtle unless they have an exclusive particular trade. But try it out on a small scale. If confined to six only I would pick Prince of Wales, Pendleton, Peace, Loveliness, War and Panama. The early varieties are Chicago White, Pink Progression, Pink Beauty, L'Immaculee, Wilbrink, Halley and Prince of Wales. If the market is short of early flowers, pick Chicago White for white. Pink Beauty for pink and Halley for salmon. If well supplied pick Prince of Wales only, which will outsell the others. In this list I have purposely omitted America. America has been probably the most largely grown of any variety of gladiolus, but almost every market is glutted with it, as it is a late, light lavender pink variety, and whether the variety is "running out," as some claim, ? do not know, but the fact remains that a tall, good-sized spike is - becoming the EXCEPTION. Panama, an American seedling, while not as good keeping a flow^er, is a deeper, softer shade of pink that will command sales from many florists who are tired of America. If upon investigation you find that the market you will ship to is w^ell supplied with flowers all summer, pick Prince of Wales only. This variety is now reasonable enough in price to be grown for flowers, and being extremely early, you will if my directions are followed hit the market when flowers are still in demand in early summer and before any of the other varieties except the early ones wll have appeared, as all of the above others are late bloomers with exception of Yellow Hammer, which is medium early, and Pink Progression, Halley, Wilbrink, Chicago White and Pink Beauty, which are early but inferior in color to Prince of Wales. If limited to three varieties, I would pick Prince of Wales, Pendle- ton and Peace. If your market is already well supplied with the sorts aforemen- tioned and in order to secure sales, it is necessary to introduce novel- ties, try Alice Tiplady, a pure orange; Herada, the only true mauve gladiolus, or Mary Fennell, an exquisite lavender. These varieties are far more expensive than the others first mentioned and to sell the flowers of these alone would hardly pay a profit, owing to the greater value of the bulbs. The proper caper would be to grow a limited quantity of these and ship to one or two florists only, one only if pos- sible, and agree that if he will take your entire cut, or as many as he needs of the other varieties, that you will include some of the above three in the shipments. Alice Tiplady furnishes the true orange yel- low so much admired for Fall decorations, and in growing this variety I would advise late planting, that is if stock is wanted for September first and on which is the time Fall color flowers are first in use to any extent, the bulbs should be planted about June I to 15, which will bring them on about right. Herada and Mary Fennell are suitable for any time, as their mauve and lavender shades furnish the tones so much desired in funeral work to mix with white flowers. If just one florist feels that he is to receive varieties like the above which no one else will have, he is very apt to make arrangements to take your entire cut as far as his needs , go in preference to other grow^ers who cannot supply novelties. The extra cost of the bulbs will be more than paid for in such an arrange- ment. I have not found the demand for Mrs. Watt, the American Beauty shade, to be as great as one would suppose. If, however, your florist or wholesaler tells you that he could use an A/nerican Beauty shade gladiolus, grow Mrs. Watt. Mrs. Ar'thur Meeker, Kunderd's Ameri- can Beauty shade, is a taller grower and a little later in flowering, but the shade is identical with Mrs. Watt. The improvement consists in . a trifle larger flowers, more of them and a little taller spike. At the present price of the bulbs it is out of the question for cut flowers. ■ Lily White is a fine thing, there is no question about that, but who can afford '■ to grow it for cut flowers at the present price of the bulbs, especially when it will come in competition isith Chicago White, which though far inferior. Will bring at least twice what its bulhs cost? There is, however, one American Beauty shade on the horizon that is a cracker jack. 1 refer to Diener's American Beauty. It is not tall, but every spike is a bouquet, ten to fifteen flowers open at once; four spikes will make as big a show as a dozen Mrs. Watt, and the creamy blotch in the center enhances the beautiful shade of the flowers. It will pay to lay in a small stock of this variety to propagate from and . work up for the future. ! I am satisfied that the above will fully cover the cut flower varieties that will bring the money. There are lots of others, some maybe as . good, but the great majority inferior and not known and in demand by the florists. Any individual of the flower buying public who will fail to enthuse over Pendleton, War, Gretchen Zang or Prince of Wales has a very poor eye for color value. The next thing to take up is the varieties to grow for bulb sales alone. The immensity of this field is enough to overwhelm the unin- formed amateur, but the long weeding out process which I have put taost of the modem varieties through, allows me to confidently and conscienitiously recommend the following list or any part of it as a safe proposition for beginners to start with. This list has been prepared with reference to the habit of growth, vigor, reproductiveness, color and flower size, and because of all these attributes the present demand and the almost certainty of good future demand for these varieties in the next few years to come at least. LE MARECHAL FOCH — This is an extremely large light rose pink and flowers extremely early. While I have not had this under test long, still 1 am convinced that it has a future and is well worth stocking up on. Good buy. GOLDEN MEASURE — The best yellow yet in commerce; will be high priced for some time to come and in good demand. Buy moderately. RICHARD DIENER — ^The most beautiful pink gladiolus that I have; ever seen. Very high priced now, but when price decreases a little it should be bought. MRS. DR. NORTON— La France pink over white ground with canary throat. Good buy. LOUISE— —Here is a lavender in a class by itself. Good buy. BYRON L. SMITH — Another lavender for which there is a big de- mand. Elxquisite color combination of lavender and canary throat. , Good buy. CRIMSON GLOW — The best red> to date. A Pacific Coast corre- spondent says that he does not share my admiration for this varj-,- ety; perhaps he has never seen it at its best. The immense, wide- open flowers glisten with a sheen that shows on no other variety. ,. Good buy. PURPLE GLORY — Beautiful rich ruby red with blotches of blackish purple, heavy textured flowers on immense vigorous spik^; the, smaller bulb throws a good spike. Good buy. ALICE TIPLADY — ^The best orange shade gladiolus and in good demand. A good buy. DIENER'S AMERICAN BEAUTY — ^This is a comer for cutting; one , spike is a bouquet. A good buy. MARIE KUNDERD — Here is a coming early white gladiolus. Immense size, beautiful pure white with just the faint- est pink line in throat. As early as Chicago White and Myrtle and earlier than Prince of Wales; very reproductive and healthy. Will be the leading early white in a few years when enough stock ; is available. The finest early white in the world barring none. . LILY WHITE — ^This is the best moderate priced early white at preis- ent. There is a good demand for the bulbs and it can be stocked with confidence.' Good buy. MARY STEARNS BURK — A new yellow with apricot tinge that will , be in good demand for fall decorations when the stock is more plentiful. Stock moderately. TAMALPAIS — For years Mrs. Francis King has held full sway as first choice among all florists for decoration work of any kind where flame color is desired. This is a more brilliant and far better color and will in years to come surpass Francis King. Still high priced, but it will pay to buy a small amount of stock of it. ANNA EBERIUS^ — ^A striking purple gladiolus that is in good de- mand; a good buy. ORANGE GLORY — Alice Tiplady is a purer and clearer orange color, but Orange Glory is extremely attractive and the demand is good. Stock moderately. ALTAIR — A true salmon saffron color, very tall growth. When bet- ter known will be in good demand. Buy but a little. SCARLANO — Here is a coming cut flower brilliant red. It is such an intense red that the dark red blotch in throat appears almost blackish at a short distance. Prolific, very tall grower, with lots of flowers open at once. Good buy. MR. MARK — The best blue and only one worth growing for profit; a fair demand exists. Stock moderately. HERADA — The true mauve gladiolus, in good demand. Good buy. EVELYN KIRTLAND — Sparkling rosy pink, on very tall spike. Good buy. GIANT MYRTLE — One of the most beautiful gladioli in existence; large flowered, deep arbutus pink; is now and will for many years be in big demand. PARAMOUNT — Cream and pink; high-priced, but a safe buy. Won- derful and exquisite. PEACH ROSEi — Here is a coming cut flower variety. Far more beautiful than Pendleton or any commercial variety now on the cut flower market. THOMAS T. KENT — ^This has found favor among hundreds of enthu- siasts; a tall, ruffled pink. A good buy. FLORA — Not as good a yellow as Golden Measure, but much less expensive and will be a good cut flower and a safe buy in moder- ate amounts. JACK LONDON — ^This will be a fine cut flower when price is within reach for cutting purposes. Its merit lies in the color combination of salmon with orange yellow stripes in the petals, which makes the flower show splendid color under artificial light. A good buy. MRS. W. E. KIRCHHOFF — a wonderful white claimed by the orig- inator to be a cross between Schwaben and Europa. I have not had this under trial as it has just been introduced. The number of en- thusiastic letters I have received from correspondents relative to this variety induce me to mention it here. The above list is short but choice. There are hundreds of others, but the above list comprises the ones that have sitruck the public fancy and are money makers. The above varieties are all high priced varieties, with the exception of Mr. Mark, Orange Glory, Anna Eber- ius, Lily White, D.'s American Beauty and Alice Tiplady. If confined to half a dozen as a start, I would pick Mrs. Dr. Norton, Byron L. Smith, D.'s American Beauty, Purple Glory, Alice Tiplady land Lily White. It is questionable if you will be able to secure stock of even part of the above, but confine yourself to this list or what you can secure of it and you cannot go wrong. Now understand, the above list is for the use of growers who have but a Hmited space at hand and want the highest priced varieties that can be grown and SOLD. To plant even a simall space with the above varieties will represent quite cin investment, so if you have quite a large yard or lot which you wish to put into bulbs, include any or all of the cut flower varieties, for bulbs of these varieties, while not selling for as much. Still are always in good demand. PREPARATION OF YOUR GROWING PLOT The best soil for growing the bulbs or flowers is a pure light sandy silt. This is the soil that has made Holland the bulb supply of the world for so many years. The second best soil is a light sandy loam; the third best, a clay loam, etnd the worst a heavy clay soil. I grow all my bulbs in raised beds of fine silty lake sand which I have had' drawn in from the shores of Walled Lake, and make 'into raised beds enclosed by twelve-inch planks. These beds are about eight to twelve inches iii depth. They are raised because niy location is near a marsh and 'lake' 'and perfect drainage tnust be insured, in order that heavy spring and summer rains cannot form pools of w^ater over the planted bulbs and rot thenl. In dry weather I turn on the overhead irrigation pipe which is shown in several of the photographs. "Now 1 realize that very few growers can secure fine lake sand, but in order to carry out my system of growing there are several principle that must be adhered to. In the flrst place you must have a porous soil, the freer from st to sleep" and their growth is checked. The second method is by planting the bulbs shallow, say not over two inches deep, in cold frames, about the first of April in this local- ity. The sash are to be kept on until the weather warms up and should not be lifted except to prevent the sash overheating on bright, sun- shiny days, and then only sufficiently to keep the temperature at least around 75 degrees. If you are not familiar with cold frames, you have no conception how hot these will become with a few hours of Spring sunshine pour- ing through the closed sash. The thermometer will shoot up to 110 degrees or better before you realize it. In this method the bulbs should be planted about 3 inches apart in the row and in rows about 6 inches or better apart. After about ten days of the above treatment in the frames the shoots will appear and by the time the weather is settled and frosts are unlikely, the leaves will be pushing against the glass and it will be safe to leave the sash off. These bulbs will produce flowers at least two weeks before the earliest outdoor grown stock, ^nd a few weeks mean a big difference in the sale of Summer flowers. It is needless to say that the soil must be mellow and well enriched with well rotted manure, horse, cow or pulverized sheep manure. A light top dressing well raked in, of a high percentage phosphate fer- tilizer, will be beneficial. By all means leave the sash off to catch all the Spring and early rains possible, unless the weather is cold or continually cloudy. The inside soil must have plenty of moisture at all times except in cold, cloudy weather, when it is advisable to keep the soil on the dry side. The third method is the simplest of all, but will not bring as early flowers as the other two; but then cold frames cost money and not everybody can invest in them. This method consists of planting the same sprouted bulbs outdoors in a light, rich soil, sandy soil if pos- sible, about the 15th of April in this locality. These should.be planted not more than three inches deep. As long as the weather continues fairly mild they will go ahead and start to sprout in ten days or less, but if, as sometimes happens, a cold wave comes after an early w^arm spell and they have already sprouted through the ground, take a hoe and going along each side of each row, draw^ earth against the green sprouts so as to almost cover them. This precaution will only be necessary when a heavy frost or freeze threatens and will carry the growing plants through safely. These bulbs must have continuous shallow cultivation with hand cultivator or rake drawn back and forth in the space between the rows, so that the ground will never crust or bake. Stop cultivating, however, when the plants show a flower stalk. Fertilize and mulch as before noted. In grow^ing for cut flowers there are two insects only that will cause any great amount of trouble, and that but seldom. These are the grasshopper and wire w^orms. The grasshoppers in a dry season will chew the flowers as soon as they have opened, and wire worms attack the tips of the green leaves, making them unsight- ly with a network of holes which kills the leaves and causes them to turn brown as far as the insects have eaten them. The remedy in both cases is a strong solution of nicotine in one of its many popularly sold forms, sprayed on before the buds are ready to open, and then see that the flowers are cut In the early morning before the grasshoppers have a chance to attack them. The leaves with worms on must be cut off Eind burnt. Oftentimes a grow^ing gladiolus plant will show a browning of the tips of the leaves. This is not an indication of disease, but rather is due to a climatic or soil condition, and does not affect the flowering. PACKING THE FLOWERS. If the flowers are to be taken but a short distance and automobile service is available, ship the flowers upright in pails containing a little water in the bottom, unless you are selling a large quantity, when this method would not be practical. The most practical way and the one that is used by a number of growers is as follows: Take an empty orange crate such as can be secured at any grocery store, and nail a lath upright to the inside corner of each of the heavy end pieces, and also one to each side of 23 the center board (see illustration) so that they will project up about two feet and a half above the box and at an angle outward from the side of the box. O'R.ANG'E GRATE-, Having prepared the crate as above, the bottom is to be very heav- ily lined with newspapers, with a piece of heavy wax paper on top of the newspapers and so folded that it extends up the sides of the box a short ways; onto this a layer of wet moss is placed. Two inchei thick is ample. The flowers are now taken from their pails of water and lied in bundles of twenty-six each (one extra is aWays included). These bundles are placed upright with the stem ends resting on the wet moss. The wax paper holds the moisture in the moss and the moss supplies a certain amount of moisture to the flowers while in transit, besides making a cushion for the stems to rest on so that they travel without unnecessary bruising. In tying up the bundles of twenty-six each, lay the flowers after evening up the stems, on a large three or four thickness newspaper spread out flat on a table, and roll the paper round them so that the stems project at the bottom an inch or two Emd the paper comes up to the first bud on the stalk; then tie with string, winding the same around the bundles several times. These bundles are then to be all tied to the crate with several turns of heavy, cord around the entire lot, catching the cord around the lath uprights as it is brought by them. All express or parcel post shipments should be marked Peri5iable and Rush, whether the express clerks can see it is perishable or not. Don't rely on them seeing it. The great majority of them need a brain stimulus and a good sticker printed in bright red ink will supply it. If there are not bundles enough to make out a full crate, the extra space should be filled in with tightly crushed newspapers. 24 Flowers are also shipped, tied in bundles as above, in barrels with the bottom of the barrel prepared with moss about as above described. For a smaller number an empty banana crate answers admirably. For taking but a few high-class exhibition blooms to display some- where, they can be packed flat down in a tray and flower and stem ends alternated, then cleated across the center of the stalks, w^rap- ping the w^ooden cleats in a piece of newspaper to avoid crushing the stems, and nailing the ends of the cleat through the sides of the tray. DIGGING THE BULBS. The bulblet grown stock is the first to be dug and in this latitude we generally start to dig the first w^eek in September. It is essential that these should have a green growth still on them or before the leaves turn brown and dry up. Planted as per the system outlined in the chapter on planting, all that is necessary to dig them with, is the same eight-inch garden spade. Start at one end of a row and insert the spade down and far enough under them to avoid cutting the bulbs and stems, and pressing down on the handle, loosen the earth at the same time, grasping with the other hand all the stems possible to secure, gently lift up, shaking the sand or earth off from them. If sand is used it will drop off like water off a duck's back and the bulbs can be placed in wooden trays to dry. It is not necessary to cut the tops off from the bulblet grown bulbs when digging them, but is advisable if the time can be spared. The stem growth on a bulblet is generally thin and weak and read- ily dries up and can be more easily separated after drying. But varie- ties that make a heavy, stiff growth should have the stems cut off at digging time. The bulbs that were half-inch size when planted should next be dug; about September 1 5th is right for these. Loosen the earth as 25 before and shake the earth free, holding them by the stems. The stems on all bulbs except bulblet grown bulbs, as noted before, must be cut off with a knife, heavy chears or pruners just above the bulb as soon after being dug as possible. Bulbs should then be placed in wooden trays and set away in a place where there is a free air circulation to dry thoroughly before being stored for Winter. The trays that i use and which are illustrated in the picture of the bulb curing room, are 14 inches wide, 4 inches deep, and 33 inches long. Trays could be made somewhat longer and wider but no deeper, otherwise the bulbs will cweat when piled full and they will not dry rapidly. A simple method to make the trays at almost no cost is to secure soap boxes or other kinds from the grocery and cut the sides dov/n with a saw^ to a four-inch depth. After the small bulbs are dug the inch sizes and up should be taken up, starting about October first. DO NOT BE IN A HURRY TO LIFT THE LARGE BULBS. They should stay in the ground from thirty to sixty days after flowering. It is this period of their grovyth that produces the bulblets, plumps out the bulbs and puts the vitality into them for the next season. Digging should be finished by October 15, before a freeze sets in. In lifting bulbs that have been planted in sand all that is necessary is to cut the tops off and put the bulbs with bulblets adhering into trays to be cleaned and dried. If, however, you have a heavy soil it is advisable to drop the bulb after cutting off the top into a large eighth-inch mesh screen as shown in the photograph. This should be suspended and after a small quan- tity ^of bulbs have been emptied into it, the screen should be shaken to sieve out the earth which is sure to adhere when digging from a 26 heavy soil. In digging from a wet sand it is also advisable to use this screen. By this means a large quantity of dirt is cleaned away from the bulbs and nothing left but the bulbs and the bulblets be- sides some little larger trash such as stones, etc. These bulbs so sieved should then be placed in the trays. The stones and trash must be picked out later by hand. Sieve for sifting earth from a quantity ' f Eu'bj:- 1 his is sus- pended by 4 wires attached to corners ai joined to a center hook In digging rare varieties of bulbs I would advise that the entire spadeful of sand, bulbs and all, just as lifted from the ground, should be placed in the sieve and sieved v^^ithout lifting the bulbs out of the earth, as by this means every bulblet will be saved, and w^hen they are worth from 1 cents to a dollar apiece, as in some varieties, thia is qpite an item. Handy small sieve for saving all bulblels in digging a few bulbs each of rare varieties 27 CLEANING, CURING AND STORING THE BULBS. After these trays with bulbs and bulblets are placed indoors, each variety should be taken in turn and the bulblets pulled off from the bulbs with the fingers and the roots separated from the new bulb. In separating the roots a corn husker or a heavy, short-bladed pocket knife is just about the best weapon. The blade should be inserted between the old, dried-up bulb and the new bulb and this old bulb separated and pulled off and thrown away. Put the bulbs as fast as cleaned into new trays or containers and empty out the bulblets into wooden or tin boxes or glass jars. Mix damp sand with them before setting away for the winter. CLEAN AND HANDLE BUT ONE VARIETY AT A TIME AND LABEL EVERYTHING. If they are once mixed your stock, while not worth- less, will be worth far less and will take several years to rogue out clean again. If the bulblets are from bulbs dug from heavy soil there will be quite a quantity of dirt still mixed with them. This can be separated by dumping bulblets, dirt and all into a box with screen bottom and washing the dirt out in a tub of water by swishing the box back and forth. Dry the bulblets in a tray before packing away for Winter. The cleaned bulbs are next placed where they will have good air circulation and become thoroughly dry. If piled deep in the trays they should be stirred around every few days with the hands. After the bulbs have been thoroughly dried or "cured," they should be graded into the different sizes. For this purpose w^e use what is called a grading stick, as shown in the illustration. This is easily made out of a common shingle whittled down and notched as per the illustration. Take the stick in one hand and pick up a handful of bulbs with the other hand. Project one bulb at a time with the fingers against the stick in order to see what size it belongs to. This determined, it is then dropped into a tray or bag or box intended for this size. After a little the stick vnU. be unnecessary, as you can tell rapidly by eye alcne what the size should be. Some growers use sieves and shake the bulbs over these. For instance, all No. 1 bulbs would be those that would not drop through an inch and one-half mesh, etc. The grader is an easier' and loss troublesome proposition for the beginner. The LARGEST notch that any bulb will NOT fit in determines the size of the bulb. Thus, if a bulb will not go into the 1 '/2"inch notch it is first size, i. e., over inch and half in diameter. If it fits into the 1 Vi notch, but will not fit into the 1 '/^ notch, it is second size, i. e., from inch and a quarter to inch and a half in diameter, etc. This grading is not necessary in the Fall, if time is at a premium, and no Fall sales are contemplated, but it is essential before advertis- ing your bulbs that you should know how many of each size you have and they should be graded out so that orders can be easily and readily packed. 28 1"-— ^Q-^ ;STI0K When bulbs are thoroughly dry they should be packed away for the •winter in wooden boxes if possible, or the same trays can be used piled one on top of the other and slightly jogged so that there will be some air circulation. Bulbs should be placed in an attic, or some place wbere they will be entirely free from frost, heat and dampness. During the winter examination should be made at intervals of two or three w^eeks, and if any show signs of mildew they should be emp- tied or spread out where the sunshine will strike them and 'so kept until the mildew disappears. Paper sacks can be used for storing small quantities of bulbs, care being taken to see that each sack is properlj^ labeled. PACKING AND SHIPPING THE BULBS. If bulbs are sold in the Fall for Fall delivery, they can be packed directly as they are cured in the drying trays. For sending small quan- tities, each variety should be enclosed in separate paper bags, half pound, pound, five-pound or larger, as the occasion may demand. TTiese can be secured from wholesale commission houses or grocers. Each bag should be separately tied with string and then all packed in used wooden boxes or cardboard containers which are also available at grocery stores. One system, in use by a prominent grower, for small shipments, is to secure empty ^hoe boxes arid by cutting the same in half crossways at the center and then slitting the bottom edges of each half several inches and folding these sides over, two separate boxes each half as large as the shoe box and which will fit one over the other, can be "formed. These make ideal containers for parcel post shipments of a few bulbs and cost practically nothing. 29 In packing the bulbs in wooden boxes it is the, general practice to heavily line the boxes with newspapers and to pack excelsior around the outside of the bulb packages to keep them immovable after packed. This newspaper lining and excelsior gives frost protection and should be used at all times when there is damger of frost in transit. In place of excelsior, sawdust, shavings, ground cork or crushed newspapers can be used. TTie buyers address should be marked with blue marking crayon on at least two ends of the box in large type, besides having a ship- ping label nailed on the box. All shipments in cardboard containers should have the container wrapped thoroughly on the outside with hea^'y wrapping paper and securely tied. SELLING THE BULBS. If you live near a large city in which there is a florist to whorn you are sending flow^ers, an excellent plan is to arrange a window display in the flowering season, having samples of the different flowers exhib- ited in separate vases and each correctly labeled with a small card, so that passersby can read the different names. Have a large card in the window to the effect that bulb orders will be booked for the different varieties as per the samples. Florists will readily take up this proposition, as July and August is the dull season for the florist and this will bring people into the store to whom he may sell other things and later secure them as customers. Allow the florists 15 to 25 per cent for booking the orders and he is to secure this percentage as a deposit from the cus- tomer, the balance due parcel post C. O. D. in Fall or Spring. A small liner in the papers, such as "Don't Fail to See the Gladiolus Exhibit in Blank's Flower Store," will bring good results. The above method will bring a limited amount of sales, as will also a sign exhibited near your home or farm, if same is on a main high- way, calling attention to your gladiolus garden and stating that "Visi- tors Are Welcome." As for disposing of large quantities of bulbs, there is one magazine that stands pre-eminent among all the garden publications. This is the FLOWER GROWER, published monthly by Madison Cooper at Calcium, N. Y. This magazine is now in its seventh year and is the ONE magazine gladiolus growers must subscribe to. It completely covers the activi- ties of the gladiolus business in all its different phases and is the publi- cation to advertise in in order to sell your bulbs. You cannot be a successful gladiolus grower and keep up to date on all the latest details of the business without subscribing to this maga- zine. The subscription price is only $ 1 per year in the United States, 25c extra for Canada and other foreign countries. A small liner or inch advertisement, or larger if your amount of stock to sell warrants it, will bring results. 3° In advertising bulbs, if you have but a few vaxities, by all means quote prices in your ads. This will bring cash orders. Subscribe to the magazine and examine the advertisements and you^ will readily see what is necessary to sell your stock. This magazine also covers dahlia, iris, peony and miscellaneous flower culture and ads for such will also bring results. It is, however, primarily a magazine for the gladiolus grower. If your line of varieties is extra choice and quite a number of vari- eties are grown, all that is necessary is to state that list will be sent upon request. It is a good policy with this kind of an ad to list some 'leader" of which you have a good sized stock and quote a price on it that will prove attractive to the buyers. TTiis will bring you cash orders, besides requests for your list. DO NOT ATTEMPT to advertise your bulbs in miscellaneous pub- lications. It takes expert advertisers and a large stock covered by a catalog to make this pay, as the cost of the first replies is generally ■way in excess of the first orders and only through having a large stock and large catalog and thereby securing repeat orders can this system be made profitable. It is true that this is the advertising method that has built the immense businesses of Dreer, Burpee, Ferry and others, but LEAVE IT ALONE; it is not for the small grower. The hardest and most expensive lesson for an inexperienced adver- tiser to learn is that CLASS PUBLICATIONS are the mediums to stick to and pay no heed to the siren calls of the various letters solicit- ing advertising in general circulation magazines which you will receive sooner or later. In your case the class publication for you is the Flower Grower. If you would be successful you must have system in selling your bulbs and booking the orders. The simplest way is to list the name of each enquirer or customer on an index card as per the illustration. Smith, George W. 435 Blank St., Newcastle, Ind. 191P- -12-2. Asked Catalog.. 1919- ■ 2-6. Ordered 100 Prince o f Wales, 1- -2 and under, |6.00 per Hundred. Money " Order enc losed. 1919- ■ 4-1. Order Shipped. 1920- •11-15 Ordered list as per loose leaf ' for df 3 livery- April 1, 1921. Check enc ilosed $15. 50 in full. 31 After the name the date of the order and varieties and quantities of bulbs ordered are listed. If a large list is ordered make a notation to refer to the loose leaf book where such a list can be written down under the same customer's name alphabetically filed. These card indexes, likewise a small loose leaf book, can be bought with the index cards very cheaply at book stores or office supply depot. After orders are received the cards are taken out of their places in the index eind filed under Fall or Spring delivery. Before making up the order, copy a list of the items and name of purchaser on separate slips of paper and on top of each one place a shipping label or tag properly made out so that as each order is packed the tag is ready to attach to th epackage. When order has been sent, mark the date sent on the index card to aid in case of non-delivery. After a few years, when you have a good-sized list of customers, your printed bulb list can be sent to these names in the Fall of the , year and you will receive direct orders from them, but by all means continue to advertise, if only a few lines each month, so as to keep your name before the gladiolus buying public. I secured over 700 new customers in the year 1919 by continuous advertising in the Flower Grower. Enough said. Let me add that practically all small sales are made on a caah in advance basis, although if your customer insists on it, shipments can be made by Express or Parcel Post C. O. D., but it is well to receive a deposit of 25 per cent on the order before so doing unless selling to some well-known firm. All growers send out a postal card upon receipt of the orders, acknowledging the same and stating when shipment will be made, and when shipping the orders most of them send out another card notifying the customer that their order was shipped on such a date and by express or parcel post, a sthe case may be. Don't ever send bulbs by FREIGHT. THE AMERICAN GLADIOLUS SOCIETY Each and every gladiolus enthusiast whether amateur or proFeisional grower should join the American Gladiolus Society, a society devoted solely to the study and improve- ment of the gladiolus as a flower for the people. Annual exhibitions are held in different parts of the country and printed reports of the same and all other matter! pertaining to the gladiolus are printed and sent to the members. For membership application blank address Prof. A. C. Beal, Ithaca, N. Y. 32 DAHLIAS. Under the chapter on rotation you will note that only one-haVL of your growing plot can be used in a year. What to put in the other half is up to you, but my advice is to grow dahlias there. Dahlias in a light, sandy soil, or a heavy soil lightened by sifted coal ashes as directed, will grow to PERFECTION, provided that you Ccin supply moisture in a dry season and this is teiken for g^ranted, otherwise you will not be growing gladioli. There are hundreds of varieties of dahlias, but there are only four that I have found that are sure profit makers for both flowers or bulbs, and please note here that you can cut the flowers from a dahlia and sell first-class bulbs the same season if the bulbs are not overmanured and the growth forced. For this reason I advise that no fertilizer be added to the plot for dahlias in the Spring; simply turn over whatever was left from the gladiolus mulch. The varieties recommended are as follows: KING OF AUTUMN — A grand yellow and old rose dahlia that makes stems up to four feet long. A free bloomer and brings the highest price that has ever been secured for dahlia flowers. MINA BURGL£ — ^A glistening, glowing red on good stems. MAUDE ADAMS — A smaller round or ball-shaped deJilia, white overlaid light pink; the freest blooming dahlia 1 have ever seen bar- ring none. No matter what the season, this variety will flower early and late. Its value lies in making up design work for funerals, or set pieces. SPRINGFIEILD — A small salmon red cactus dahlia that is very pretty and extremely free flowering and very useful for florists' work. The above four are SURE FIRE,, TRIED, TESTED and TRUE. Better to grow four kinds and get some flowers worth while and have some roots the growers and public want, than to grow dozens of catalog Seven Wonders and get stung. Dahlias should be planted flat do'vvn with the sprout projecting up in a hole about six inches deep, and in rows 3 feet apart and plants 2 feet apart in the row. Plant about the middle of May. Don't be in a hurry to plant early, especially in a light soil. They will bloom much earlier in a light soil than a heavy soil, and you want them in bloom from the 15 th of August on, NOT BEFORE, at least for this latitude. Flowers produced in the hot Midsummer weather are poor in size and keeping quality. The dahlia flowers are best when the nights start to get cool. When the dahlia plant has made two sets of leaves pinch out the center. This will cause a sprout to form and grow into a stalk at each of the leaves and give the plant a short, thick, heavy main stalk with four side stalks. Such a growth will protect the plant against winds and do away with staking, and you get twice as many flowers. .33 When the flower buds have reached a good size, NOT BEIFORE, remove the buds from each side of the flower stems for a space of a foot to 1 8 inches, leaving the terminal bud on the end of the stem to open into a flower. This disbudding process throws all the strength of the removed buds into the flower bud cmd makes a larger flower; also gives you greater stem length. Florists demand a good stem length in dahlias. If you want to get top prices see that all your dahlias are shipped with at least fifteen inches and more of stem. The flowers should be cut in the early morning and placed at once into tall jars or pails where the stems will be fully immersed in water. Keep them here for at least two hours or longer. Flowers should be kept in a cool, darkened room, preferably the cellar, and lightly SPRAY the flowers with water with a common mason jar insecticide sprayer such as sold by hardw^are stores or any other small sprayer. Pack them in wooden trays or shallow wooden boxes, lining the bottom with several newspapers and a piece of wax paper on top of the same. The flowers are then laid in rows, care being taken to see that each one is not crowded. One-half of the tray has flowers with the stems alternated with, the stems of flowers from the other end (see illustration). TTiese stems are now held down by a wooden cleat wrapped in paper and laid across the middle of the box and nailed from the outside. ■ Spray the flowers again as above. By having uniform sized trays made, they can be packed and laid one on top of the other, first laying a piece of wax paper over the flowers in each tray. On the top tray nail a strong wooden cover. For shipment two pieces of lath should be nailed across the ends so as to hold the boxes immovable. (See illustration.) 34 J^J To eAiZ>5 OF ^rj^ \fIKVJ Send by auto, express or parcel post; auto is preferable. It is well to mulch the dahlia plant with a mulch of cut grass, straw or coarse manure in order to conserve moisture and keep the soil cool in hot weather. Dig the clumps of tubers after frost has cut the plant, using a potato fork, and take extreme caie in lifting the' clumps that the earth is thor- oughly loosened so that none of the tubers will be broken. A tuber with a broken neck is worthless. Cut the tops off at once leaving about 4 inches of stem. Store the clumps stem end down in barrels or boxes in a cellar or storage room where there is neither HEIAT nor FROST. If this is impossible then the clumps should be stored in boxes and the boxes filled up with sand, sawdust or ground cork, to prevent the air get- ting to them and drying up the tubers. This is necessary in a cellar with a furnace. In the Spring remove this packing material and with a sharp knife cut each tuber off so that a part of the MAIN STEM to include a sprout if possible is attached to the tuber. They are then ready for selling or planting. PROFIT. What profit is possible in gladiolus gfrowing, is a natural question that will be asked by many who intend to take up the business, but please let me serve notice on you now that it is NOT A GET-RICH- QUICK SCHEJME. Do you know of any legitimate business that is? Neither is it in a class with those ginseng and rabbit pipe dreams where you sit down by the fire on a cold winter's night and with pad and pencil figure out where by starting with three or four pairs of rabbits or 1 00 ginseng seeds you can have about twenty-four hundred rabbits running around the back yard in less than a year, or at the end of five years have ginseng roots enough to pay off the mortgage and send John through college. 1 will give you a few figures based on the MINIMUM increase pos- sible if my system and directions are followed. Under the planting system' as outlined, about 22 1-inch bulbs can be planted in each square foot of growing space, this by figuring 30 35 bulba to each lineal foot of eight-inch trench ,but we have to figure in the eight-inch strip that stands between the bulb rows, which makes 22 to each square foot of space. The varieties recommended are all good propagators and multi- pliers and Prince of Wales is a fair example, so if we plant this variety in the following sizes and take the average of the profit from each size, we should arrive at a pretty fair idea of what the average profit should be on a good variety of gladiolus. Bear in mind that there are many varieties like Mrs. Dr. Norton, Crimson Glow and others, that are far more prolific bulblet producers than Prince of Wales, so I am not taking the best as an example, by any means. I have seen inch bulbs of Dr. Norton that carried almost a, hundred bulblets when dug. Size No. per Sq. Ft. Cost Number and Value Bts. Value Bulbs Produced Profit inch . 22 $ .66 220 worth $1.00 $1.32 $1.66 1/2 in. 30 .60 300 worth 1.50 .90 1.80 Bts. 200 1.00 xxxxxx (150) 3.00 2.00 Total Divided by three . 5.46 $1.82 Check off 25 per cent (and this is ample) for cultivation, fertilizer, advertising and packing and you have left $1.35 net profit per square foot of growing space. This is what you call intensive horticulture. If you know of any other growing proposition that will produce the same returns and is PRACTICAL ON A SMALL GROWING SPACE, step up and let's hear it. Onions are the closest. One square foot of onions, on a produc- tion rate of 1,000 bushels to the acre, which is SOME crop, will pro- duce about 1 ]/4 pounds onions, worth about 5 cents at the most. To be sure, the seed does not cost near as much in proportion, but you have got to have at least half an acre field to make anything, and the WORK. To anyone who has raised onions, nothing more need be. said. Growing glads, for cut flowers we get a story almost the same. One square foot will take 7 bulbs costing at 6 cents apiece, 42 cents. The seven flowers if sold on an early market should bring 1 cents apiece, or 70 cents. We will dig about ten smaller bulbs (some will divide) , worth 4 cents apiece, or 40 cents, and secure about 1 bulb- lets apiece, or 90 bulblets, worth 45 cents. We thus harvest $1.55 36 • and invest 42 cents; $1.13 profit on investment of 42 cents. Take off • 25 per cent, will leave about 85 cents, or about 200 per cent on the investment. My experience has been that this is what can reasonably be expected if you use good judgment in the growing and selling of your crop. Dahlias will tell a slightly different story. Take for instance a single root of King of the Autumn, costing 50 cents. This will occupy a space two feet by three feet, or six square feet. This makes the cost per square foot 82/3 cents. The plant should produce on an average at least five good flowers. (I've had 25 and more, but this is no place to figure meiximums. ) These are worth 1 cents apiece if well grown. (My florists think as much of K. of A. dahlias as they do of chrysEmthemums), making 50 cents for the flowers. The roots should give an increase of at least five at 50 cents apiece, is $2.50 for the roots, or $3 for fl.owers and roots, or 50 cents per square foot; check off 25 per cent, leaves you 3 7 J/2 cents net per foot on investment of 8 I -3 cents. This looks good, but does not compare with glads., for a small grower, because you cannot make as great an investirient per square foot of space. For an alternate crop with glads., 1 know of nothing that fits in better, and furthermore, the selling cost is reduced because both gladi- oli and dahlias can be listed on the same catalog or trade list that you may send out and at no great increase for printing and at NO increase for postage and mailing. THE FUTURE OF GLADIOLUS GROWING. My opinion is that the business has hardly been scratched. It is the flow^er for the million, and only about a thousand out of the mil- lion have realized it. Look at any city back yard and see how many have gladioli growing; maybe one in ten, yet the gladiolus would give them flowers to brighten their yards and tables at small expense, and they are SURE to bloom anywhere and for anybody with only half care, and the ONLY flower that lasts a week or more in Summer after being cut. Gladiolus growing has the brightest future of any flower culture that I know of. THE SEARCHLIGHT The opinions expressed on the merits of the following list are MY OWN and I am by no means infallible. Many of these varieties are undoubtedly influenced by locality, climate and soil and may grow better and show more delicate and attractive colorings than I have observed. AURORA — A fair scarlet but nothing to get excited over. BLUE JAY — ^Blue with red blotch; a pretty flower, but Mr. Mark ic almost as pretty and has more backbone under the hot sun. CATHARINE — Fair blue, but too gray to be pretty. CONSPICUOUS Good blue. GLORY OF NOORDWYK— An overrated yellow; not yellow, either, but cream. GOLIATH — A fair wine color. 37 HUBERTUS— A fair blue. LA GRANDESSE— Fair white. LIEBESFEUER — ^Too short a spike, but a wonderful glowing red. LISS — Apple blossom pink, but flower is too small. MAJESTIC — Beautiful orange salmon; entirely new shade. My ex- perience has been that it did not propagate well, but this is far from final. MASTER WIEBERTUS — A poor mauve and white. MR. THEODORE— A fair red. MRS. VELTHUYS— Here is a fine red color, but the stalk flops. MURIEL — Good blue, but nothing to brag about. NORA — Ditto. PROSERPINE — Fair rose color. PRIDE OF HILLEGOM — Fine bright red color, but spike has no backbone. PRINCIPINE — Extremely strong contrast of red and white; too strong a contrast to make a popular cut flower. RED EMPEROR or DOMINION — Fine red color; immense size, but a shy multiplier. REV. EWBANK— Here is a good Hght blue. ROEM VAN KENNERMERLAND— Good pink. ELECTRIC — Fair lilac blue. KUNDERDI GLORY— The FIRST RUFFLED GLADIOLUS, and produced by that master hybridizer, A. E. Kunderd. This is the parent of ALL the rufflled varieties now in commerce. I should say great g^randparent. Later ruffled varieties are hybridizations of Kunderdi strain with large flowered, plain petalled varieties. Glory color is cream and not a very good one at that, but its value lies in the ruffled petals. NIAGARA — A good yellow in its day, but surpassed now by Schwa- ben and others. , CINNABAR— A good red. A. B. KUNDERD — Cream and light pink; a beautiful ruffled variety. E. J. SHAYLOR — Very good dark violet rose. ELEGANCE — Light yellow very good. MONA LISA — A beauty, but such a delicate lavender flushed white that it is not appreciated except at close range. PASTELLA — Good light cream. PRIDE OF LANCASTER— Fine orange on tall spike, but flower is not as open as one would wish. ROSE GLORY — R. rose pink; very good. SNOW GLORY — R. white. In three years' trial I have been unable to bring, out the snowy white that I looked for. RED, WHITE AND GOLD — Odd, but pretty; very vigorous VIOLET BEAUTY— Pretty violet. WHITE GLORY — A trifle too muddy a white. BLUE ORCHID — An odd but attractive blue. BLUE IRIS — A poor color combination. BLUE ISLE — Almost as poor as above. 38 CHIFFONETTE — A fair American Beauty shade. CIRCE — A wonderful dark mahogany or blackish red, easily the best real dark red. Better than Empress of India. A tall grower and does not flop. DAISY RAND — Mottled strawberry pink, pretty. ElARLY PENDLETON — Like Pendleton but earlier and thus may be of value for forcing, when cheaper. FIRE RIBBON — Not near as good as expected. Good color, but flower is too small. GOV. HANLEY — Fair red but surpassed by many. IDA VAN — ^Fair salnion red, but not much demand any more. MAGEINTA — A poor color combination of magenta and white. MRS. GEORGE MOULTON — ^A good shade of cerise if you like this color. MAGIC — I think this is a poor blue. MARY PICKFORD — Pretty white with soft yellow throat but not extra large or strong. (|^