the year without the aid of glass. The
blossoms are beautiful in form, and include a wonderful range of colors,
with almost innumerable combinations. Its general habit of bearing two
rows of flowers facing the same way makes it easy to arrange so as to
show all to the best advantage. It has a capacity for taking up water
which enables it to go on blooming to the very tip of the spike after
being cut, lasting a week in the hottest weather, and twice that time
when cooler. The ease with which the stem can be divested of its faded
flowers, leaving it as fresh as though just brought from the garden, is
also a great recommendation. Some years ago, I expressed a quantity of
the spikes from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, to Butte, Montana. They were in
bud when started, and when they arrived, had bloomed half way up the
stalks, and the lower flowers had faded. These were taken off, the stems
placed in water, and the buds went on opening to the last, unaffected by
the journey of two thousand miles.

Another merit of the gladiolus, which might not seem a merit at first
thought, is its lack of perfume. An agreeable fragrance is desirable in
flowers that are used in moderate quantities, but in banks and masses,
as this is often arranged, a sweet odor would be overpowering.

Its Uses.

For decorative purposes the gladiolus is fast becoming indispensable.
The demand has grown from tens to hundreds within the last few years,
and probably it will increase from hundreds to thousands in the near
future, for it is a flower for all people and all places. It is suitable
for the home, and from midsummer until November is a constant
dependence. For stores and offices its bright and lasting bloom makes it
very desirable. It is in great demand for ornamenting churches, halls,
schoolrooms, and, in fact, all places where people come together for
almost any purpose. It is popular for weddings, and great quantities are
often used on such occasions, a single order sometimes calling for
thousands of spikes. Last of all, it is seen in the house of mourning,
and at the graves of the dead, where its sweet cheerfulness seems to
speak a message of comfort to the living.

[Illustration: SCHWABEN]

CHAPTER II.

Habits of Growth.

The gladiolus is a bulbous plant that grows only in the warm season of
the year. It may be grown from bulbs, bulblets, or seeds. Amateurs have
to do mainly with bulbs, as their chief object is to produce flowers.
The bu