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Show )t (gorscoti (glaDtoltts H ONE of the most decorative flowers in the gardcu and one of the most valuable for cutting is the gladiolus. It is of the easiest culture and will do wdl almost in any soil so long as it has plenij of sun. The bulbs may be planted as otn as the frost is out of the ground an. time up to July. Tile soil should be prepared early in the spung with a good eoating of agricul-luuil agricul-luuil lime and bone meal, thoroughly worked into the soil, but fresh stable manure should not be used except in tho autumn previous to planting, and should then we well worked over in the spring before planting the bulbs. If the gladiolus is planted in a bed by itself magnificent color effects may be obtained. The bulbs should be from four to six inches apart so that tliey may be weeded and hand howl. For cut flowers tho bulbs .should bo planted in rows eighteen inches apart, with bulbs three in lies apart in the row. They should bo covered from four to six inches, according accord-ing to the size, and tho earth pressed firmly around each bulb. Some of the finest flowers come from the sninll bulbs. Tho important thing is tli.it they should be of blooming age. After the spike begins to show all weeds should be removed, and if the soil is kept thoroughly worked watering will hnidly be necessary; they arc great drinkers, however, and respond quickly to water. Always water after sundown, down. Tho bulb planted in the spring dies away and the now one forms on top, so that it is nearer the surface than tho original planting. After the bulbs have dried break off all of the old conn, keeping keep-ing only the good solid bulb. It is for this renson that you should plant deep, i so as to give the bulb plenty of support, H and by so doing you will not have to H There is no finer garden flower, but the IH finest specimens arc shown if the spike is IH cut when the first bud opens and al- H lowed to develop in the house; every bud IH on the stalk will open and the richest col- H orings result; this is also a benefit to tho IH bulb. The flower loving public must be iH educated to a willingness to cut the IH spikes when they have bloomed a little IH while in the garden, then to finish their IH development in the house. Nothing is IH more unsightly Uian a mass of ragged, H bctasscllcd gladioli bending in tho wind, IH when it is so easy to pick off tho with- JH ered blooms, if one docs not wish them IH for house decoration. H In cutting the flower spikc3 it is ruin- IH ous to cut the stilk where the flowers H end. There must be some foliage to lend IH grncc. Cut the spikes so as to leave H two or three leaves on your bulb root. j They look well in tht herbaceous bor- jH dcr, among the porcnnials or planted in IH front of shrubbery. A man who grows IH acres of these beautiful flowers on his jH estate ou the north shore of Massa- IH chusctls grew Pink Perfection last year jH in the border of a large planting of H hardy hydrangea. Tho pink of the gin- IH dioli wns beautiful against tho lux- IH uriant green foliage and the round white H heads of tho hydrangea blossoms. Red IH Emperor was grown with tho Yellow H Niagara, -with a carpeting of white sweet H alyssum boncnth. Hollandia, a soft IH npricot hue, was effective with laveu- H der Buddlcia. Panama and America, jH two of tho most splendid and generally H popular gladioli, grew all around the jH border with inserts of the Primulinus IH hybrids. -: S'. 1. ll- Feature IH |