Division of Agricultural Sciences CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL Experiment Station Extension Service MANUAL 14 LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of California, Davis Libraries http://archive.org/details/gladiolushowtogr14butt HOW TO GROW THEM IN THE HOME GARDEN H. M. BUTTERFIELD CONTENTS Plant requirements 1 Cultural practices 2 Greenhouse culture and forcing 3 Harvesting and storing 4 Propagating 7 Flower judging 10 Diseases 13 Insects and other pests 15 Selecting the planting stock 18 Organizations 25 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA • COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Service This flower spike shows satisfactory facing and spacing of its large-sized florets. The tip of the flower spike may become crooked unless it re- mains upright during growth and after cutting. HOW TO GROW THEM IN THE HOME GARDEN H. M. BUTTERFIELD PLANT REQUIREMENTS . . . Gladiolus thrive in any soil containing plenty of organic matter, in any part of California where summer temperatures are not too high and where irrigation is possible. Soils. Sandy loams and soils contain- ing abundant organic matter are best for gladiolus. Soils which are not satisfactory are: 1) those deficient in organic matter; 2) those tending to become very com- pact; 3) those that are very coarse and sandy (hard to keep moist; usually low in organic matter) ; 4) those under- laid with hardpan within a few feet of the surface; 5) those containing exces- sive amounts of alkali salts; and 6) those contaminated by diseased gladiolus. Good drainage is very important. It is found on soils of moderate slope. Very steep slopes are hard to irrigate without eroding the soil, which makes the grow- ing of gladiolus more costly than on mod- erate slopes. In the autumn, spade the bed to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. Work organic matter into the soil; barnyard manure is excellent or, if manure is unavailable, use leaf mold and peat moss. About two weeks before planting rework the soil and pulverize it thoroughly. Climate. In the cooler coastal areas the gladiolus is very satisfactory as a cut flower. In the hotter sections the flowers bloom out too fast to reach perfection, although they may still be appreciated in the home garden. The gladiolus thrips also causes more damage in hot weather. Planting time. Bulbs are planted when danger of frost is past. In many parts of the state, where winter weather is mild and the soil is in good condition for planting, the first bulbs can be planted in December. Near the coast in the central part of the state planting for production of corms is usually started in January and completed by March. Where cut flowers are desired, planting may con- tinue until at least mid-July. In the mild parts of the cool coastal area bulbs for cut flowers are planted practically every month of the year. How- ever, bulbs may not sprout well, except during the normal planting months, un- less treated in some way. In the southern district of San Diego County it is cus- tomary to break the rest period by hold- ing the corms in cold storage (40° F) for about two months before planting in the out-of-season months. Planting depth. The general rule is to plant bulbs about four times their depth. They may be set 3 to 4 inches deep in heavy soils and 4 to 6 inches deep in The Author: H. M. Butterfield is Agriculturist in Agricultural Extension, Berkeley. JANUARY, 1954 light or sandy soils. Smaller bulbs and bulblets will probably do best when planted only about 1 inch deep, provided the soil is kept properly moistened. In all planting, depth should be measured from the surface of the ground to the bottom of the furrow after the soil has been filled in. Beginners are likely to measure depth from the top of the soil on the furrow rather than from ground surface. Distance apart. The fertility of the soil and its condition at planting time are factors to consider when spacing the bulbs. Large bulbs are usually planted 4 to 6 inches apart in the row. If double rows are used, the bulbs are planted only 3 to 4 inches apart, staggered or spaced alter- nately in the double row. For small plant- ings, the bulbs are often placed in groups of six or more of a variety or in any harmonious color group, rather than in individual rows. Small bulbs are usually spaced not more than 3 or 4 inches apart in the row. It is unwise to plant them too close, however, because the grower always hopes that the smaller-sized bulbs will reach full size in a single growing sea- son ; therefore, if plenty of space is avail- able, allow the full distance normally used for large bulbs. CULTURAL PRACTICES These include fertilizing, irrigating, tilling, and supporting the flower spikes. Fertilizers. The fertilizer most fre- quently needed in California soils is ni- trogen. Well in advance of the regular planting season a dressing of barnyard manure or of other organic fertilizer will help to produce satisfactory flower size and spike length. Fertilizers high in nitrogen are rarely used in planting. Instead, a fertilizer with moderate nitrogen content is used. This is given as a side dressing where the soil fertility is naturally low. Many gar- deners apply a small quantity of bone meal for this purpose, because the nitro- gen becomes available to the plant very slowly. At the beginning of the growing sea- son, when the plant's need of nitrogen is greatest, a small amount of commercial fertilizer is applied. Not too much should be used at this time. An excessive amount may injure the quality of the bulbs for Gladiolus corms are planted, flat side down, in shallow furrows at a depth of about 3 inches. A 3- or 4-inch space is left between the corms. it another season and may cause the flower spikes of some varieties to become crooked. Nitrogen should not come into direct contact with the bulbs. The mixed commercial fertilizers con- taining about 6 per cent nitrogen are used occasionally but they may be expensive in terms of nitrogen. In fact, fertilizer containing 8 per cent nitrogen may not cost any more than one containing 6 per cent. Manure is used by some gardeners almost entirely to meet nitrogen needs, but it is known to favor diseases. California soils are not deficient in potassium; therefore, a mixed fertilizer with high potassium content is not neces- sary. Both the phosphorus and potassium remain in the soil until used by the plants, but the soluble nitrogen may be leached beyond the reach of the feeding roots if rainfall is heavy or if a great amount of irrigation water is applied. Irrigation. Gladiolus need a fairly moist but well-drained soil for satisfac- tory growth and flowering. The soil should be kept moist (but not continu- ously saturated) until the plants come into bloom. Frequent irrigation is neces- sary in most parts of California until the flowers are mature, especially if the plants are nearing maturity in hot, dry weather. During spells of cool or cloudy weather the interval between irrigations should be longer. Furrow irrigation is sometimes easier and less expensive than other types. If it is used, leave enough space between the rows for the furrows. Sometimes the grower may wish to plant two rows fairly close together and leave every alternate space wider for easier cultivation and ir- rigation. Overhead sprinkling gives excellent re- sults on sandy soils in a hot, dry climate. These soils retain less moisture than do heavy loam soils and therefore require more frequent irrigation. Tillage and weed control. Turning under a crop of green weeds around the plants will furnish additional organic matter. This practice also helps to con- trol certain insects that overwinter in the soil. Excessive or very deep cultivation is usually not advisable. Supporting flower spikes. Most va- rieties of gladiolus will not need support unless the district is windy or the soil is very wet. However, some amateur garden- ers provide support for all tall flower stems, using individual stakes or no. 18 gauge galvanized wire stretched tightly along one side of the row and supported by stakes. Some gardeners believe that shallow planting causes plants to fall, and that careless planting causes spikes to grow at an angle. If possible, plant the bulbs flat in the bottom of the furrow. Discard any variety that tends to have crooked stems, such as Shirley Temple which is especially affected by hot weather, and use only straight-growing varieties. GREENHOUSE CULTURE AND FORCING . . . Occasionally during the early season gladiolus are flowered in a green- house by forcing. Both electric heat and ethylene gas are used. Greenhouse culture. Not many va- rieties of gladiolus bloom well before December, although the earlier varieties bloom satisfactorily from December on. Eastern growers often recommend Cali- fornia stock for forcing because it comes early enough to mature properly and re- sponds to forcing. Corms are planted in beds, benches, or pots in the greenhouse, and the crop may be rotated with other kinds of flowers. The bed rows are spaced 12 inches apart. The temperatures of most greenhouses vary between night and day. A range of 50° to 55° at night, up to 50° to 70° during the day is reasonable for forcing. [3] Forcing by electric heat. Bottom heat is sometimes provided by electric heating cable. Occasionally greenhouses are lighted by 100 watt Mazda lights, but use of electric lights is expensive. Forcing by ethylene gas. Experi- ments have been made to determine the value of treating the corms with ethylene gas to break the rest period and encour- age earlier sprouting. Ethylene chlor- hydrin, 40 per cent strength, has been used at the rate of 4 cc (about 1.57 cu in) per liter (0.908 qt) air space, and the corms were stored for four days. Treat- ment with ethylene chlorhydrin alone does not usually increase earliness or number of flowers sufficiently to justify the expense. On the other hand, accord- ing to experiments reported by the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, heat alone in the greenhouse has ad- vanced the germination of the corms about six days ahead of untreated corms. Exposing bulblets or cormels to ethy- lene chlorhydrin does bring about earlier germination. When the cormels are ex- posed for three to five days to ethylene chlorhydrin, used at the rate of 3 to 5 cc per liter air space, the cormels germi- nated in 60 to 90 days ahead of the un- treated bulblets of certain varieties. This indicates a very positive benefit from treating the bulblets where early germi- nation is desired. HARVESTING AND STORING . . . There are special techniques for cutting the flowers, digging the corms, and, finally, for storing the bulbs. Cutting the flowers. As soon as the first two or three florets are open they are cut late in the day. It is best to leave at least five leaves on the plant to help ma- ture the bulb. A sharp knife is used to cut through the stem, and by cutting up- ward with one hand while pulling the spike with the other hand, it is easy to remove the bloom spike without injuring the remaining leaves. The spike should not be cut down to the ground if the bulb is to be grown another season. Cutting too low may so greatly weaken the bulb that it will not flower satisfactorily the next season. Exhibitors with a limited number of flowers may find that some specimens mature a little too early for the show. It is possible to cut and hold specimen spikes for a time in cold storage, at about At harvest, the flower stem is cut with the tip of a sharp knife at the point where the third and fourth leaves cross the stem. Enough leaves are left to mature the corm properly. The corm is ready to dig when the leaves begin to die and the new corm is fully developed. A shovel or spade is used to lift the corm. 40°, while other spikes in the garden are reaching show condition. The stored spikes may not last so well on display as those freshly cut, but the practice may allow the amateur to enter more classes and possibly to win more prizes. Digging the corms. Bulbs must be dug before rainy weather sets in so that they can be sun-dried quickly and cured for storage. The correct time is at the end of the flowering season when the leaves are turning yellow, or if the plants are exposed to frosty weather when the tops are killed by the cold. Sometimes it may be necessary to dig late plantings a little early in order to harvest the crop before the ground becomes too wet. The bulblet stock should be harvested before the leaves have died because the leaves are an aid in lifting the bulbs out of the soil. At times a grower may be tempted to leave some of the bulbs in the ground from one season to another. It may be difficult to get all of the corms dug before the rains begin or the varieties may be of little value. This unwise practice will re- sult in a heavy increase in gladiolus thrips. Dig the bulbs each year, even though certain varieties may have to be discarded. Only in this way can gladiolus thrips be kept from spreading. Within a specific area all residents growing gladiolus should be encouraged to dig their bulbs each year so that the bulbs may be treated in storage for con- trol of gladiolus thrips. Failure of one grower to harvest all of his crop may result in the gladiolus thrips being blown over a considerable area. Storing the bulbs. Most gardeners have a well-ventilated basement or shed in which the sun-dried bulbs can be stored. The bulbs must be kept cool and dry and away from the light during the winter. Storage temperatures range from Before the bulb is stored, the old, dried stem is cut away with pruning shears or a sharp knife. When the new gladiolus corm has dried off, the shriveled mother bulb, along with the bulblets, is separated. The bulblets are kept by themselves and later, if they are to be used to increase the variety, are cleaned before planting. 40° to 50° F. Bulbs to be used for forcing are stored at about 5° to 10° C or at about 41° to 50° F. A few weeks after severing the top (two weeks may be long enough) , remove the old, withered mother bulb just be- low the new corm, along with the dried roots. In most instances the mother bulb can be pulled readily away from the new corm. After separating the adhering bulb- lets from the mother bulb, discard the bulb. Some growers place in boxes all of the bulblets, with adhering soil, and clean the bulbs during the winter. The clean bulbs are placed in open trays which are not more than two or three inches deep to insure good ventila- tion. When bulbs are piled too deeply in a tray without proper aeration they will sweat; this is a condition which favors certain diseases as well as premature sprouting. After the bulbs are thoroughly dry, they are stored in a shallow carton or box, such as a shoe box. The bulbs are dusted with DDT dust to control any thrips that may overwinter on the corms. PROPAGATING . . . This is done by seed and by corms and bulblets. By seed is a slow and laborious process, requiring patience and a sound understanding of the techniques of breeding. Inheritance. Many gladiolus fanciers begin to grow seedlings in the hope of producing something new or better. Very few realize the difficulties ahead, because few are aware of the laws of inheritance or the need to line-breed until the nature of the hybrid parent plants is understood. For instance, one example will illus- trate the problem of inheritance. The variety Gladiolus tristis — with some of its hybrids — is fragrant at night, yet its fragrance has not been bred into com- mercial varieties. Possibly this factor for fragrance is recessive or may have been lost in most crosses with large-flowered kinds. Once a breeder learns which fac- tors in a parent are pure and which are dominant, it may then be possible to plan a breeding program which will pro- duce the desired seedling in a minimum length of time. Breeders should be familiar with varie- ties already introduced. They must not make any false assumptions regarding the merits of a seedling. Unless the seed- ling is distinct and superior in one or more factors it should not be named or introduced. Beginning breeders should talk over common problems with one another, such as the different lines of inheritance to learn, so far as possible, which parents make good seed parents. Any weakness likely to be inherited can then be avoided when selecting the seed parents. More than 12 different species of glad- iolus have been used in breeding the mod- ern specimen (chart 1). Breeders may still find species that will transmit inter- esting characteristics. However, the best of the modern varieties should be used as foundation stock in the hope that the better characteristics can be preserved and that a few new important factors might be bred in to increase popular in- terest. There seems to be no good reason for returning to the species used exten- sively for hybridizing in earlier days. Breeding techniques. These include removing stamens from the florets before the pollen is shed, and bagging the flowers in small cellophane or plastic bags to prevent outside pollination. Seed germination. Actual germina- tion of the seed is not difficult if the soil about the seed is kept fairly moist throughout the germination period. Seeds saved from the previous year's crop should be planted in the early spring in beds, either under cloth protection or in the open if climate permits. The seeds germinate within three or four weeks. Each cross should be care- fully labeled to indicate seed parent and pollen parent. Numbers may be listed on the labels to indicate the parents used, and a record entered in a notebook to indicate what the numbers represent. The small seedlings are usually left in the seedbed during the first year, where they can be given water and pest control. Propagation by corms and bulb- lets. When planted, a gladiolus corm begins to sprout from one or more buds or eyes on top of the corm. Each sprout that continues to develop forms a new corm at the base of the new shoot, resting on top of the mother corm. As the sub- stance of the mother corm is gradually depleted the corm will begin to shrivel until at the end of the growing season it will be a flattened mummy. There will be a new corm for each bud that sprouts (see page 9) . Between the base of the new corm and the mother corm small sprouts will ap- pear, and at the end of these what are known as bulblets, bulbels, or cormlets [7] FLOWER JUDGING . . . This is based on color, form, arrangement of florets, substance, texture, and calyx attachment. Color. Intensity and purity of color, as well as saturation, are most impor- tant in judging the merits of a flower, but some consideration is also given to color harmony, beauty, and general ap- peal. Certain novel colorations, as those found in Chamouny, may not have gen- eral appeal and in such instances the cus- tomer will have to decide between beauty and appeal. A color classification for gladiolus varieties is given in chart 2. The North American Gladiolus Coun- cil has classified most popular varieties by color, and to make comparison easier has designated the color classes by numbers. Form. Both the spike and the floret are considered in classifying gladiolus. Lack of size for type, placement of florets on the stem, and general refinement and bal- ance of the whole spike are considered. The distance from the bottom floret to the ground should be about 60 per cent of the total length of the spike. If a Chart 2 Color Classification for Glad iolus Varieties.* 1. White or white and cream 2. Light yellow, deep yellow, buff 3. Orange 4. Light salmon, deep salmon, scarlel • 5. Light pink or deep pink, shading or w ith 6. Light red, deep red, or black red 7. Light rose, deep rose, lavender, or lavender with shading 8. Purple, light violet, deep violet 9. Smoky shades 10 Any other color referred * Flowers with one color are to as self-colored, but many varieties ma y have throat spots, or fl ecks, or shading from one color to anoth er. grower finds a specimen with a flower spike too short to be pleasing he usually rogues out the plant. Arrangement of florets. Facing and spacing are both considered. Florets should face one way; they should not be arranged around the stem. They should not be spaced too far apart nor too close together. (See page 12 for arrangement in the two different types — exhibition and decorative.) Substance, texture, and calyx at- tachment. The flower should have good substance and texture, with the calyx pleasingly attached to the spike. Occa- sionally the calyx is much too slender, or the flower curves down too far to be seen clearly. Poor substance is indicated by poor keeping qualities. The surface cov- ering of the floret, which may be pleasing or faulty, comes under the heading of texture. Some florets are readily at- tacked by flower thrips which leave a very poor throat texture. Insect injury of any kind, as well as injury from dis- ease, may affect the texture of the flower as well as its color, size, and shape. Point score for appraising. A point score to be used in appraising cut gladi- olus blooms in the various types is given in chart 3. Actual experience among ex- hibitors of gladiolus gives a further index of the most promising varieties to grow for exhibition as well as for garden pleasure. Varieties that have won more than a thousand blue ribbons at major gladiolus shows in the United States during the past few years are included in table 1. Fanciers usually demand that florets face forward on the flower stem. The florets at the left bloom around the stem. Those at the right fail to face fully forward, although they are plentiful, with good spacing and many buds. [10] TYPES OF GLADIOLUS BLOOMS showing pattern for floret spacing EXHIBITION Formal type LARGE MEDIUM SMALL Decorative or Decorative or Decorative or informal informal informal Chart 3 Point Score for Various Types of Gladiolus Blooms Mammoth Individual florets f yP e Color 22 Form 6 Size 20 Substance 7 Entire spike Arrangement 9 Inflorescence 9 Harmony 9 Length of flower head 9 Foliage 3 Length of stem below flower head 6 Vigor Condition 100 Decorative Exhibition (small to type large) 15 30 5 5 15 3 5 10 10 10 20 8 15 15 • • 3 4 7 5 . . 5 5 5 100 100 [12 J Others no doubt will win acclaim as their merits become better known. Influences upon appraisal. Prefer- ences of growers and home owners and the contrasting characteristics of certain varieties influence appraisal. For in- stance, a grower may prefer slow propa- gators, such as Beautiful Lady, Pink Princess, and Tip Top, whereas other growers may prefer such rapid propa- gators as Aladdin, Black Opal, Candy Heart, Greta Garbo, Lady Jane, Leading Lady, New Europe, Red Charm, Silver Wings, and White Gold. A grower may prefer varieties with long, straight flower stalks which do not crook, such as Bea- con, Beautiful Lady, Casa Blanca, Mam- moth White, Maya Maid, Minuet, Orinda, and Snow Princess. Home owners and exhibitors like a flower that opens well after being cut, such as Grenadier, Pink Princess, Straw- berry Peach, and Vagabond Prince. A few people want an early variety, such as Early Rose and Minuet. Many of the standard varieties, however, do well al- most any month in the year, such as Picardy, which has produced matured blooms by January. Under favorable cli- matic conditions, it should be possible to grow a large number of popular gladi- olus for early blooms. DISEASES . . . Gladiolus are subject to a number of bacterial, fungus, and virus diseases. Perhaps the most important diseases of gladiolus are those affecting the corm, several of which cause neck rots in the field. Various types of corm rots and lesions are caused by several bacteria and fungi. At least one disease — Penicillium rot — is known only as a storage problem, but other diseases are found in the field, both as corm rots and neck rots. Losses from these troubles can usually be avoided by reasonably good manage- ment. The suggestions offered here on curing, storage, chemical treatment, and rotation are based on experimental work in spe- cial situations where severe losses were encountered. Each step need not be fully carried out by the amateur. The sug- gestions are simply a guide to good prac- tices that will be helpful in preventing serious losses. Fungus leafspots. Under California conditions, fungus leafspots are rarely a problem, unless for some special purpose gladiolus are grown during the rainy season or in humid areas if sprinklers are used. This is why fungicidal foliage sprays are seldom necessary. Virus diseases. Many varieties of gladiolus apparently are entirely infected with a mild mosaic which produces a slight foliage mottling and some color variegation in the flowers. This mild mosaic is often considered normal, as it produces no measurable decline in the plant. Another virus disease — white break — is quite serious because it pro- duces white blotches and distorted petals. In one type of white break the foliage is strongly mottled, with dead spots appear- ing in the corms. Full details on white break have not been worked out. Certain basic information on virus dis- eases is available. Virus diseases are per- petuated in corms and cormlets but not in seeds. No known treatment will elimi- nate a virus disease from plants or corms. These diseases are not spread through cultural operations or by handling corms. Gladiolus seedlings are always virus free. Seedlings acquire mild mosaic through the feeding of aphids which have come from diseased gladiolus or certain legumes, particularly clover and beans. Seedling blocks should be kept This section on diseases was prepared by C. E. Scott, Extension Plant Pathologist. [13] The incurable mottle virus causes a breaking in normal color. Thrips may also accompany this virus and cause further damage. isolated from such sources. It is seldom possible to protect plants with an insecti- cide so thoroughly or continuously that aphids or other insect vectors of virus diseases are effectively eliminated. Gladi- olus stocks grown for increase in isolated mother blocks should be rogued for white break. Treatment, These suggestions may not be easy for the amateur to follow, but they indicate the general directions to take. Where disease is severe, improve- ments in several procedures are often necessary. For example, it is seldom pos- sible to eliminate a disease by chemical treatment alone. 1 . Curing and storage. Dig corms promptly when foliage is mature; remove tops and place corms in shallow, venti- lated trays. Cure for seven days (air temperature of 80° or above is pre- ferred), using fans if necessary to im- prove air circulation. After curing, clean corms and discard any defective ones. Dust corms with 5 per cent DDT dust to control thrips. Store in shallow, ventilated trays. Best storage conditions are a low tempera- ture — minimum 40° — and low humidity. Do not store in a damp basement. Trays can be disinfected with Clorox diluted 1 to 10. 2. Corm treatments before planting. These treatments may be used where corm rots have been severe: a) New Improved Ceresan: 1 pound in 50 gal- lons of water, plus a spreader (Dreft). Sub- merge 15 minutes. b) Calomel: 1 pound in 5 gallons of water plus spreader (Dreft). Dip to wet thoroughly; stir frequently. c) Arasan dust: Dust corms and shake off excess. 3. Rotation and field sanitation. Burn or plow in deeply all gladiolus debris — stalks, flower spikes, and discarded corms. Provide good soil drainage and avoid standing water. Plant gladiolus in the same soil only once in three to five I 14] years to avoid soil build-up of corm- rotting fungi. 4. Cultural operations. Do not plant in the rainy season, and do not use over- head sprinklers, particularly in humid areas. If wet weather fungus diseases of the foliage appear, spray with Parzate or Dithane Z-78 — 2 pounds in 100 gallons of water plus spreader (Dreft). Rogue out seriously diseased plants, particularly those with white break. INSECTS AND OTHER PESTS The more important include gladiolus thrips, flower thrips, aphids, mealy- bugs, and bulb mites. Slugs and snails may attack young foliage. Thrips. The gladiolus thrips, Taenio- thrips simplex (Morison), reached Cali- fornia about 1931. Since then it has spread rapidly and can now be found in all important gladiolus-growing districts of California. Some infested corms may be distributed without proper treatment. Because the gladiolus thrips overwinters in the corms, treatment of the corms be- fore shipment is the only way in which to prevent the insect's being carried from one district to another. The six stages in the development of the gladiolus thrips are: the egg, two larval stages, two pupal stages, and the adult. The larvae are only about 1/50 inch long. They are found most fre- quently at the base of the leaves, congre- gated beneath the part wrapped around the central portion of the flower spike or beneath the bracts around the indi- vidual flower buds. The adult thrips emerge milky white and soon turn dark brown. For a short time the younger thrips are light orange. The insects are very slender, with their lacy wings folded back over the abdomen. The adult female is about 1.6 to 1.7 mm long (less than 1/16 inch) , the male 1.1 to 1.3 mm long. The insects are large enough to be seen crawling about when shaken on the palm of the hand. The duration of the adult stage is influenced by temperature. When the summer tem- perature ranges from 80° to 85° F, the adult female lives little longer than two weeks, during which short period she deposits a small number of eggs. With somewhat cooler temperatures, ranging from 60° to 65° the adult female lives longer, sometimes over two months. With temperatures ranging from 55° to 65° the female may live from 35 to 50 days. Another important fact in the building up of a population is the ability of the unmated females to lay eggs which hatch into males. The females may live long enough, under favorable conditions, to mate with their own male progeny, so that it is possible for a single female gladiolus thrips to start an infestation. Normally the males and females are present in about equal numbers. Since thrips like to hide in a narrow space, it has been suggested that when the time of blossoming approaches, mas- saging the flower spikes may kill any thrips found beneath the leaves or bracts. Naturally such a method is too slow to be of practical value except on a limited scale in a small, home garden. Only spraying will be feasible on a large scale. Some home gardeners leave the bulbs in the ground from one year to the next. These untreated bulbs will always be host to a population of gladiolus thrips which can spread 300 to 400 feet. [15] In an area where all neighbors grow gladiolus a plan of treating the bulbs yearly should be followed, with no corms left in the ground from one year to the next. If these precautions are taken, the problem of controlling the gladiolus thrips will be greatly simplified. The gladiolus thrips feed on such host plants as the iris, calendula, lily, dian- thus, sweet pea, potato, cucumber, dahlia, aster, delphinium, hollyhock, and white clover. The presence of these other host plants nearby will complicate control. Control starts by treating the bulbs in storage, after curing. All corms should be treated with a dust containing 5 per cent DDT; about 1 ounce to 100 large corms. The corms may then be stored in a cardboard box or a shallow tray while exposed to the DDT dust. The corms do not need to be separated from the DDT dust, as was necessary when naphthalene flakes were used for fumigation in stor- age. Good ventilation during storage is necessary to help avoid certain storage diseases (see p. 6) . Trouble with gladiolus thrips is much less serious when bulbs are planted early than late. Where thrips cause injury, a spray program should be started when the plants are 4 or 5 inches out of the ground. A 5 per cent DDT dust is applied once every week to 10 days. Many of the DDT sprays on the market are used at the rate of about l 1 /^ teaspoons per gal- lon of water. Lindane sprays are effective against thrips and are readily available to the amateur. Start spraying before the thrips have caused any serious damage and continue until the blooms begin to open. Control is hardly possible after the plants are badly infested. Other kinds of thrips, including the flower thrips (Frankliniella fusca) , the greenhouse thrips {Heliothrips haemor- rhoidalis) , and the onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) , occasionally attack gladiolus in California. These are controlled by avoiding the areas of their normal host plants and by spraying as outlined above. Aphids. The aphid that attacks the gladiolus most frequently is the tulip- bulb aphid, Aphis tulipae, brought into The gladiolus thrips burn the edges of the petals and silver the leaves. this country on bulbs from Europe. It is usually found throughout California, as well as in other states. This insect is essentially a pest on bulbs in storage. It also attacks bulbous iris, and may work on certain other plants nearby, including carrots. The adult insects are a dirty, yellowish white, sometimes tinged with pink. The winter is passed on the stored bulbs or corms. Any considerable num- ber of these aphids on the corms in stor- age results in stunted plants. Where only this aphid is present, very good control can be secured by dusting the corms fre- quently with 10 per cent nicotine dust. Mealybug. Grape mealybug, Pseudo- coccus maritirnus, has at times proved very troublesome on gladiolus bulbs in storage. These insects tend to congregate on the base of the bulb where the mother bulb was attached, and may also hide beneath the bulb scales. Unless mealy- [16 1 bugs are killed before planting time they may continue to live on the planted bulbs and to stunt the plants very noticeably. Under most conditions, the hot-water treatment satisfactorily destroys this in- sect, as well as any others present. Water is heated to 125° and the bulbs are left in the hot water for about five minutes — or long enough for the insects to be killed. Removing the bulb's scales before dip- ping will insure better results. Forty per cent nicotine sulfate may be added to the dipping water at the rate of 1 part to 800 parts of water, or about an even teaspoon to each gallon, or 1 pint to 100 gallons. Where facilities for fumigation are avail- able, calcium cyanide or methyl bromide is most effective. These poisonous chem- icals should be handled with care. Mealybugs are normally covered with a white, waxy powder. They resemble the sow bug, except for their mealy covering, although they are much smaller, only about Ys inch in length. Since mealybugs live on several other plants, bulbs should not be stored near an infested plant. Tarnished plant bug. This insect, also called the lygus bug, may suck out the plant juice. DDT sprays used for gladiolus-thrips control are also effective for control of lygus bugs. Allow about 1% teaspoons per gallon of water. Western spotted cucumber beetle. This insect eats holes in the petals. Occa- sionally other insect pests appear, but they are rarely serious. As a spray for such insects, 50 per cent wettable DDT may be used at the rate of % ounce to the gallon of water, or about 1 table- spoon per gallon. Bulb mite. The bulb mite Rhizogly- phus echinopus attacks bulbs of narcis- sus, hyacinth, tulip, crocus, amaryllis, Easter lily, and gladiolus. It is reared on onions and potatoes. The mites congre- gate beneath the scales of the gladiolus, but are not considered a major pest. They may hasten decay where other troubles start. The usual dipping of bulbs in cor- rosive sublimate or in hot water for the control of mealybugs or fumigation with methyl bromide will kill these mites. Slugs and snails. These are trouble- some only for small gardens, usually under city conditions. There should be no trouble with such pests under field conditions where clean cultivation is possible. Poison baits containing metal- dehyde are recommended wherever slugs and snails are attacking the leaves of young gladiolus plants. Root-knot nematode. The knots which this wormlike pest cause to form on the roots interfere with the absorp- tion of moisture and plant food. Avoid infested soil if possible. Treating the soil with DD a month or six weeks in advance of planting will help to reduce the nema- tode population. [17] SELECTING THE PLANTING STOCK . . . Corms are usually sold in any quantity according to six grades or sizes; bulblets or cormels are sold by the hundred, the thousand, or by the quart. Corms and bulblets. These grades and sizes are: Grade 1 2 3 4 5 6 Size (diameter, in inches) 1% or more i i / 4 -i i / 2 i -i% %-i %- % less than M> In addition to these grades are the bulb- lets or cormels, which may be sold by the hundred, by the thousand, or by the quart. Bulblets of a new variety some- times sell at a high price. There is con- siderable variation in the size of the bulblets for the different varieties. Those of many of the popular kinds average from 5,000 to 7,000 per quart. The large-sized corms, ranging from no. 1 to no. 3 grade, will usually bloom the first year, and some varieties may bloom even when the corms are as small as no. 4 to no. 5 grade in size (see the diagram on page 19). As a general rule the smallest-sized bulbs and bulblets do not bloom the first year, or if they do, the flowers are of no importance. The small- est sizes of corms are called "planting stock." Most gardeners prefer the high- crowned corms to the large, flat bulbs, although no experimental evidence shows that these high-crowned corms are really superior in flowering. Flower bud development. The gladiolus corm differs essentially from the scaly bulb, such as the daffodil, in the time the flower buds begin to form. With the daffodil bulb, the rudimentary flowers are formed between the time the bulbs flower in the spring and about August of the same year, or in the season before the bulbs are dug. The gladiolus corm does not form any flower bud with- in; instead, the flower spikes develop after growth has started during the cur- rent growing season. Blooming requirements. Some va- rieties require much less time to bloom than do others. This period has ranged from less than 100 days up to as many as 135 days or more from the time the bulbs were planted. With some of the very early gladiolus in the Gladiolus primulinus hybrid group, flower spikes may start to form in about 23 days after growth has begun, but the average is nearer to 30 days, or longer, for the majority of the main-season varieties. Any serious neglect during the fourth, fifth, or sixth week after growth starts can very adversely affect the flower spikes of the gladiolus, because it is during this period that the flowers begin to form. Insufficient light and very high tempera- tures have reduced the number of florets on good varieties. The first flower differentiation has been found four weeks after planting. Grades of Gladiolus Corms There are five grades of gladiolus corms. Grades 1 to 3 should bloom under normal conditions, and grades 1 and 2 should produce very good cut spikes. Grades 4 to 6 either do not bloom or, in most varieties, their flowers are of little value. I [18] Grade 1 corm is more than IV2 inches v Grade 2, VA to IV2 inches Grade 3, 1 to VA inches Grade 4, 3 A to 1 inch Grade 5, V2 to 3 A inch X l.'jf, V'/r'i '\ /: Grade 6, less than V2 inch z o < Q UJ ui Ik ik o < > en Q < -J o a. in 5 UI z eft - e S3 o O o be o o3 bo 03 ft o CO eg bo d O 09 O d ;d • CD *-" **-t ** •^ CO bo CO I S ! +s O 45 O o3 43 .3 42 O *» ° CO •« o *o g 9 o s 45 »-, ^j p ft I co O o d 03 45 N • t-t CO -d o o bo o o d 4) -d 45 • t-t Sh o3 > •pH o >-l 4) bO | 45 j-, CC cu d 1 2 +5 d • ~ o CD £ IE d o CD -. .. CD CD £ ft © 8 I o > 45 bo .d >-< •5 co ^ -d d O cd bo 8 a CD ,£ d ft «d cd 5 a •* M d O « ■+* *d CD o CD o lO ... O to CO O S O CD bo +» TH co > a Sm i-i o J-l CD 45 O Sh y 03 CD a o d O o q3 bo d CO o3 bo +3 d T3 d TJ i 03 •rH CO ••H 3 ■4-a CO a d o u t-i ft o ft CO CD O d cd M bo 03 h <4-l o3 O 43 3 o 45 d >> .- bo >-. •S ® •3 -c d p3 +i CO d d *rt o ."S *■ -2 S 2 d x d CD CO d O (-• M CD ° tt bo g '? ed bo a .a § g S '43 O « h h to g & t2 *■ S ^ §1 O ft -u oo d CO J3 03 I CO 00 I CO •d rn ^ a o -° T-l ^1 -is I d N oo oo o d cjftoo HHoooown^oH&d I CO I O O *» I © I t>CO 00 ^ CO CO CO 10 ^ 0,00 o oo o3 eS ^ H o «£ ° 2 n o 02 d o CO o3 CD CO >, id -a a cd d d d d o o o o CO CQ CO CO o3 o3 o3 o3 CD CD CD CD CO CO CO CO *CJ T3 'G ^ d d o o CO CO o3 o3 CD cd co co CD "d T3 a s a a s a a d d d w o o o £? CO CO CO (h o3 o3 o3 o3 CD CD CD CD CO CO CO w a a a g d CO o3 CD CO >> T3 i_i 45 •rH a 03 CD d o CO o3 CO >> 'S3 cd a cd o o 2 O to J2 o3 O >-, a rd a £ * I o3 13 ft - -43 ft 03 « s p rQ j-. CD 03 O H CD +-> CD CD bO o3 o3 co O ft rd <» -3 bo OT 3 .rr co CD C 3 >» rQ d o CD >» a a CD CO O CD rd & S« r« T3 W CD d9S •a g CD CD O bo 03 «g o3 o3 bO 3 45 -d CD d o3 O Mm ~ d • ft •"=1 ? o3 co !* 0. ■^ TJ a ^ ® -d V»a CD S ® "S 'C "3 p »1 rt ? « bO a 45 Kii ^ 45 cd d .S iJ d *d ft ft o ft 05 (4 > d CD S •c pq •d | ■ d -d g d 45 b t 1 5 •c Cfl ureole en j ami irch Re ridal O 5 45 1 r> •a 03 < < pq pq pq pq CD O CD d .d 45 bo d o3 > "o3 bO -d d o3 CD M CD tt O I CD CO *d W 05 rd __ 45 d 0> bo 5 d S m O •£ CD O 5A r 03 o 3 H be 03 C d o 03 03 ^ •r< +3 * > £ F 03 O 2 £ » as s 9 ?, 2 ■u 43 d ... 03 03 is O 'O 4> — o3 © 9 * « a .s a it « 03 <*-> bo •d d 03 03 "o ft "o o 03 03 -3 1 "2 efl 03 c9 03 d 03 o bo 0> e« * a £■ d "S °J K 5 »- o d ► S'-S O bO -rt eg J -g ■p "9 ^h d d « o 3 » -d "5 -o o d o bo o bo bo 03 d »d «8 "d .d 2 ** •a • 03 -u» 03 03 5 JS -S .-a M ,_ bO ^ »— < >FH * d 03 o «a | Cd 03 d 03 03 d 3 I +3 O 03 d S9 - n d M 03 o +* IS 03 CS •d Q) 03 03 tc ° S cd » --j 03 d 03 -d d o 03 T3 03 O N O C bo p, .- >» oj d 03 efl o 03 | A 03 03 a 03 S-4 03 O cd d 03 03 d o 03 M 03 03 -d 2 s d "° «> 00 9« oo +» ^ o » S? 00 CP o 7 00 I (N M 03 13 -d O ^2 Op i T d *■ o "d C7J 00 ^ t> CO 03 o a •- Pi O d 00 d o 03 cS 03 03 •d d d o o 03 03 03 03 03 03 >> •d T3 -S •it -fi 2 d d d d d o o o o o 03 03 03 03 03 08 o8 cQ cQ c€ 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 ^3 ^w ^3 ^3 ^0 aas aaaaa d o 03 Cfl 03 03 •d 03 C* '■ _l ** in a^ e 03 d d o o 03 03 eg cd 03 03 03 03 -d -d a a d d d w o o o J5* 03 03 03 Sm eg cd eg eg 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 |^ ■d "d -d £» a a a 5 d o 03 c« 03 03 -d a d o 03 03 03 •d 03 (H P. 03 03 •d 03 bo -d 03 d "d • in d • o3 > -d c ^ 03 >» ill O h 03 tt '~ > ° > , 03 .^ > ■d © J3 ^3 g< 03 w S d la* 03 o i d o o — • •—I 03 - 03 Qi 03 03 T3 « ^ 03 03 Ci r/1 0) A O bo >» M •d 03 03 > l-H 0) O o £ d A Xi e« 33 o -d A bo d o ■a 03 O o It bo^ H O 0)03 03 >d s| ■a « ^ o 03 o3 c* 03 O 03 d 03 2 o S is fe PL, d 03 n a o d 03 o3 03 03 d •"H o bo d -d 03 03 T3 OT ° ^ O hJ •d Jh 03 03 03 > o ^ a P5 02 c/2 d 03 03 03 bo d * *? S; 6 "S K ® 03 5 "^ 03 *2 S ce 03 w '5? > 03 03 03 X) -d o O 03 -i-» • it ,d 03 i d "03 ti 00 -u •ti 1 O ti § O 02 s o 02 M 02 O ti o Ih Pi i-T ■*» o •ti 02 a 02 ■+» 02 CO 02 c8 02 Ih 1 B» •ti o Xi " ■• o CO M a a ■a bo .2 "02 Oh a er producer wer e ruffled ; about fi time 02 02 >H *o o tH 02 43 eg 02 O O bo •ti ti a Ih 02 J* O Ih variable; gaudy medium in size Ih *o O 02 •|H ti •FH bo ■xi 02 44 02 02 02 •ti 02 B arent for breeding k florets ; slow t arce & o 8 **> ti o 4h bo 02 ti o Ih o bo V 02 02 X3 ti ti Eh >» ca 02 02 « *3 44 *H 02 43 bo bo o is •c * > * e8 ti Pi O 02 ti a 49 02 J2? tig i— i <*H o 02 ti 02 02 O X P. o o o o CO y Ih 02 02 Xi bo 02 ««H Pi 02 Pi o 02 43 bo > to n iH O P © ^ qj w .^h ca D o a -j o 1 o +* •£! -r» ■"Ow ° 02 ti 02 O ti ♦a So 68 •ti .-43 < Ih o o bo Ih 03 «*.2 ■a 02 •ti ti O o O fa 02 02 O 02 £h 02 02 02 Ih 02 02 02 02 £5 02 •ti o 0) 02 2 o 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 ti 02 o u. >» t» a o >> >» >» > >» >» >» e-. o >> bo o v/> ti ti ti i _>» ti ti ti 1 ti ti ti o ■j o O O a o O O o 2 « 3 ° ti 02 o o o UJ 02 02 02 "S 02 02 02 02 02 02 ^m efl ea cd ca ca ca ca ca ca ca K- a 0) 02 02 £>,* ^> 02 Ih 02 02 02 02 02 4h © Ih 02 02 02 02 LU • j*> j>> 02 >> 02 02 >> >> Ih 02 02 02 02 02 02 oa (H Th "2 "S •o •ti Ih •ti •ti •ti •ti •ti •ti < > 02 c8 "3 * c a> a a eel 02 eS 02 02 > a •l—l a '§ ca 02 a •fH a '§ 02 a ti < eg ■4-3 •PH a >» Ih 43 o —J 02 Ih 02 a a. O Q. • CM o> ti i -♦* *o •iH > •♦■» 02 o 02 ■t-> d n blue, lower p 3d maroon 02 eg ti O Ih 43 •ti 02 Ih 02 02 44 ti •rH Pi l nk with soft ca hes on throat 02 2 erise-rose edged silv rose •ti -** ca o Ih Xi ■*» •ti 02 Ih ,c -** vender with to le in throat ti •"H Pi i 4*J ti • »H Pi H >> 02 > ti a dark re mediur strip* -ti 02 •ti 02 O IH Pi 02 02 ■a efl Ih 02 as 02 ,Q 02 Ih ca ^02 02 frH P 02 02 4h ti •IH ca © 3*8 4h •a ca Ih 02 •ti 02 1 > 43 M *ti bo q^ "o o •ti Pi "o bo Ih 'p. fi P! c ti ti 02 > 02 > '43^ 1 ca ti ti ti 02 • rH o O o o O Ih o o o '43 •*H •tH «fH -4-» •+» •"H -tH 43 ••H O O '43 •fH — H 43 •FH C/3 i >° 2 43 43 43 S « o^ 02 Xi 43 43 ° a to 1 1— 1 1 2 3 3 ti O 43 •*— 1 a X q ^s ° ti ? a » 3 •ti •tH Xi X ti O "43 •!H ti o •fH 2 X 3 U a> > ti ti o a Jti 02 O Ih 02 •ti 02 02 4t{ ti ca >« •♦* =s o ti 02 02 ti a 02 43 43 9 02 43 ca ti 02 02 ti ti ca 43 ca Ih 02 P. in ■J l a p cr d o bo lack Op lue Bea 02 >> 02 44 c3 •a o ««H HI >> •ti .ca 3 ca ti ca •43 o 02 ti ca > •rH 02 43 bo O •ti ti 1 3 o (_ ^j: ti ■ ca P3 ti M 02 ti ca 4= ti ti e« ca ca Xi O O •xi 02 02 Ih 1 < < W pq pq M O o o o o O H h O O c o '43 cd •pH X a o o M Cj *© o bo S3 •|H) cd co - CO O S3 TJ O (-i A 13 ••■h A ed Jh co* o t-l o bo co ~ a a S3 ed X -f» l-l o Sh bo (- CO co X a S3 A -t-> co X a -~ eg •c a -f» S3 co -f» CO •-H CO O o •O CO 44 o o -f3 co & -a o o bo a> to 1 I- X S3 X >> -fa ed «fH -f» n a co xl CO o a ej CO CO X >> eg a co H CO S3 A. '-t-H s3 o 3 co CO o S3 3 CO x S3 CO TJ o o bo 53 a. o a >» CO > o o co co 2 xi ed ■*» S3 X M O O Eh 2s 1* 5a CO ^ CO ■*"* -f» CO CO v nd O M A ■8 o -f» co CO CO 13 CO Sh o 1-1 bo CO A p* o CQ H bo CO S3 CO S3 bo O O G M — o O o M bo bo a 13 O O bo co S3 O - o bo co 13 O o bo S3 CO co CO CO M CO •- l-l CO eo CO o o co CO >> CO M CO p* o S3 o 13 o o bo 13 O O bo co CO H-» CO co CO p* limit flow u « -f» S3 5 5 o CO CO S3 o » CO > CO p* o ■** S3 13 •*h 13 S3 CO - "o o cK o 13 CO ■a. i a to 13 O O bo >. CO CO M CO CO CO >» >» > S3 o co CO CO CO 13 S3 O co CO CO CO 13 S3 o co CO CO CO S3 O co CO CO CO 13 S3 O CO CO CO CO 13 a s a a S3 O co CO CO CO 13 S3 O co CO CO CQ 13 S3 O co CO CO CO 13 *H CO CO Jh & *S co a <3 CO S3 O co CO CO CO T3 S3 O co CO CO CO 13 -g o 'S3 w a * CO S3 O co CO CO CO 13 S3 O CO CO CO CO u S3 O CO CO OJ CO 13 a a a a a o 1—1 "co >> X! co S3 • rH CL CO •4-S CO CO CO 13 13 co S S3 S3 CO CO H bo XI bo S3 Xt >> CO O CO bo CO > o A co CO o •-S3 98 coa l-l o CO •a 1 .a s " i 13 13 S3 <0 co M *a >> O ■** o CO •e ^ A CO eo > S3 O CO CO 13 CO CO t-l o o CO CO O >H S3. O CO CO I co S3 *a> |.S a S -if *» P* o © S co CO S "Pi M S3 Q. A CO CO 13 CO •♦a • l-l a CO CO CO ■fa •FH a CO CO (-1 CO CO s* CO t-l S3 A I H eo ■33 -~ A4 rtfj S3 CO co •** 2 -*» o © A S3 with rletb "co a CO CO M ■** o CO 2 W -fa CO s* p* CO o l-l O bo^j coiJ •a a S3 S > ft CO CO CO O •S | p* "co >> a S3 •rt 13 CO a CO CO S3 o Xi •■H X CO co bo — CO co > CO l-l o o CO U CO bo CO CO > •1-H -f» CO t-l o o CO 13 S3 ® •° CO fe XI fl « X co ® CO 45 13 CO 5 CO tU) A ^ l-l eo t-i co S3 O S3 +3 PS CD CO 45 bo3 t-i CO S3 o Xi X CO CO bo tH CO % .-a O -2 •a CO CO CO bo bo l-l t-l co cd S3 O Xi X CO CO bo CO > •1-H cd ti o o CO 13 CO bo t-i CO S3 O XI X CO co bo l-l cd i cd t-i o o CO 13 •5 .2 o -^ S? xi « X 13 CO CO CO bo bo f-4 l-l xi x\ a .2 • 13 > co 43 bo S3 CO CO t-l o o xi l-H cd o co i- O 13 CO CO >■- CO p* cd W o o S3 CO "co l-l cd co bo S3 • fH CO cd co tj-i O bo S3 CO cd ■♦» CO -S co | £ cd cd t-4 CO >» 13 cd bo cd co 13 S3 cd cd CO CO S3 cd co o 13 cd co -fa •i-J X! E +» o a a cd S3 O -f» cd co M u co l-l cd bo t-i cd co co S3 bo tH cd cd S-i O a cd cd co •ih t-i CO a < CO 13 cd 2 M i-i co X CO CQ *? • it ■— o s s s s "8 O D C • — C o u wo D Q < O o < > < D Q. o Q. J) bo p u T3 cO «*H (-4 CD O CO tO O P -a o E CO CO O o 4a hH S 4a "cO • VH o CP •fH T3 •3 a Pi 73 O 1-4 (H CD 4a 4a p cO 43 CD ♦a eO s bo Pi S M O lis O o CO CD 4a 4a 1 « CP p O CO a E CO CO o 73 CO i bo 73 P 1-4 eO I-H P CO 4a •iH P ■F41 ce P P. P CO O P P P CO 4a O XL >» T3 M CO O Ph M cO (-4 CD T3 P P -P CD +1 4a 4a 4a .JH d) ■-H 43 cO TJP S4-> a E O >> 4a CD • 1-1 E eO > bo >» 4a •43 cO P P >» +a C CO 73 Pi CD Pi p »-. >» —• CO Pi O Pi >» Pi O Pi >> 4a .P bo J3 CO •p p °T3 O O bo >» >H '^ CD T3 ••H CO CO P cO CD IH 4a O CD <4-4 p • «H CO •lH a 43 CO 73 'S3 o o E i-4 -p CO 4a *H p -H E O ■a CD CD CD Pi CD CD Ih O 73 73 CO > > (H CO CO > Pi Pi bo n © 73 Pi 0> CO 4a M 2 CO -H CD O 49 o Pi 4-J iH CD CD 43 cO P O q3. o he 4a o CO 4a O ■P O q3 4a P O CD 4a O iH >H CD 3 o M O fa p 42 efl a (0 o CO is b p P o eOq-, CO P CD "cD o CO O p o S bo O >H CO 03 CO CO CO CD P O CO a a 4a P O 73 O 1 CO CO X CD CD P CD CD CD CD CD CD O CO "# 43 >> to >> > cp >» >» >. >» >> >> bo Pi p p P P p P P p P p o CO o o O o O O O o O 73 a CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO «3 ca efl efl eO eo CO cO cO cO s cO ta CD CO CO CD CD to CD CD CD CD " cO CD 01 CD V CO CO CO CO CO CO ^ CO CO CO CO ^>» co CO 73 to 73 73 73 CD T3 •P t_, T3 T3 73 73 ^_! 73 •fH 4a •iH •IH 4a • l-l •ii CO CD • c-H •lH •lH •■H cO CD •FH 9 .-3 H Pi a eg I-H B B a a a a a 73 p 4a CD CO t-i to bo P ce •p CD iH ■a CO T3 o CO a •3 o p cO CO 43 4a 73 CD M 1 >> CO o bo s o 73 1 -»a • »4 4a cO O •lH P CO "eO M 73 O CD bo Pi o 73 to f-4 o "o o i *4H CO p ce W P o o •fi 1-4 eO a 4a efl o p ^ CD N P o (-4 >» 4a •45 P «a CD 4a CD > p •rH Pi i CD P •lH Pi I >-. CD 73 P CD CD 4a a a c0 0+3 a^ eO "53 CD 4a 73 CD P E M ? -ta O CD P3 P« CD s-4 >> CD II 73« P cO cP P 42 *■• CD 2 ^ ■2 fi a p— 1 CO 4a p CO CO > CD CD aj p CD u M O M to o Pi •fH P CD o ^eO (H lH •lH a Pi o CO SH efl Pi (-4 > S-4 O O Pi efl > • •H i 42 CO > • r— t p o CD > P O CD > CO CD > • ^ P O P O P 4Va eO M o u d> 73 ■ptf 4a eB 4a •■H 4a efl •l-H 4a 4* CO •43 ••H "P^ •43 •r* •13 X M X> (-4 £> (-4 M £} CD 43 43 CO CO CD a 2 c 73 ..H 0) +a a O O to 73 1 CO O u CD 73 P o • 1-1 4a 2 X CD o o CD -P P O ••H 4-* •^4] O O CD T3 2 CD 4a P CD 4a p •43 ••H 43 X! CD p •43 •■H 43 X CD c3 1 6 CO CO bo 1-4 CD bo H Jh CD bo (-4 Xi CD CD bo CD bo 1-4 CO •— 1 X* CD CD bo 1-4 i2 CD bo H ^eO cO 43 ■a CD CD bo H 43 •s CD CD bo 4h t» T3 i-, CO 2 CO P cO e 1 3 73 CD a o E CO co CD § "o CO O S 3 o bo p T3 eO u p PC to fe 1 w o CD H p CO p t>» E CO p > cO CO CO fa o cO • *-< 43 ^cO •rl E Ph 73 P 4a 43 bo 4a O Pi bo 1 bo Pi eO o bo 0) 4a O 73 E CO o • p4 PQ 73 CD cO O CO O • P4) •43 4a CO P M 1-4 1-4 efl CD O *c0 • — * P Pi Pi P 1 o o o Ph Ph tf Ph Ph in in tva to CO CO CO CD o p> O Q. O CD >» M > d a o o o bo 3 o C (U 43 i* to a -■ co i* o T3 co O 03 ■♦a CO e3 T3 bo 3 (3 •o •^3 O O bo a (3 a3 "33 T3 O O O c3 o o bo CO • - > >> 4a U CO co e€ |H CO O CO to co CO 3 >» >» > >» ti t=! 3 o O o CO CO CO e3 ed eg V CO CO CO CO CO J5> T> 0) T3 7=1 f_l •*H *J •r-t •ix CO s i— i B a co (3 CO -w» *E 2 eS rt O o "o (H CO bo 43 -*a 43 4» - — v 43 h *c? >» •rt CD *3 !* 43 a o CD bo ■*3 ■ l-H 43 o «. 4h 43 CD (-1 42 ,£3 i*~ CO .'„ W cd >» 5 O 2 o CO as •d ■*a <4-H s- 42 e€43 CD +* CD O e9 O h (X CO (30 CO U Pi o G O o (3 O 13 O ■a CO 43 X CD 43 X CD ■a co 43 X CD O H CO a 13 ■B O 42 ed H > 43 O •3 O CO O fc-c CD CD — 43 e3 > ^ ORGANIZATIONS Gladiolus fanciers have formed various societies to further their interests. The American Gladiolus Society was organized in 1910 and has greatly helped American growers by publishing articles on common problems. Articles on new pests and diseases are published and the organization registers new varieties. Growers may also organize on a local district basis, as has been done in several parts of California. THIS MANUAL is one of a series published by the University of California College of Agri- culture and sold for a charge which is based upon returning only a portion of the produc- tion cost. By this means it is possible to make available publications which due to relatively high cost of production or limited audience would otherwise be beyond the scope of the College publishing program. Co-operatlvi Bxlifislon work, in Agriculture nn.l iln in,. Economic!, College <>f Agriculture, University o( California, and United states Department ,>f Igriculture co-operating Distributed m furthei met ol the Acta ••( Congreu »( May 8, and June 80, 1914, J, K.iri Coke, Director. California Agricultural Extension Berrice. LOw I.'-"- 1 (9978 i II M THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW N GROWING GLADIOLUS, either for the sheer pleasure of having flowers for the house or for competing at flower shows, there is a satisfaction in producing top-quality blooms. This manual gives directions for obtaining good results with gladiolus ... it also tells how to judge your blooms. Manuals on other garden flowers are also available, as listed below. They may be obtained by writing to the Office of Agricultural Publications, 22 Giannini Hall, Univer- sity of California, Berkeley 4. A check or money order payable to the Regents of the University of California should accompany all orders. Prices quoted are net. OTHER FLORICULTURE MANUALS Manual 4. Chrysanthemum Culture in California 25c Manual 5. Camellia Culture for the Home Gardener 25c Manual 8. Fuchsia Culture in the Home Garden 25c Manual 10. Planning the Garden $1.00 Manual 12. Geraniums and Pelargoniums in the Home Garden 25c Manual 13. Amateur Rose Culture in California 25c Net price 25c