A plant thus affected may flower, but after that it should be thrown away without compunction. No one understands the cause of this fell disease, and it is the more mysterious, seeing that from the same root will come a healthy and an unhealthy stem; and when this is the case, at taking-up time cut away the diseased stem right down through the old corm, and there is a strong chance of the healthy one being no worse of its bad company.

Of course every one who grows Gladioli knows that they do not ripen equally; yet, knowing this, many lift their whole stock at the same time. This plan cannot be commended, as it is neither advisable to let those really ready stay too long in the ground, nor to take up the late flowering ones too soon. Early in October the earliest flowered will very likely be ready for taking up. The practised eye knows the exact stage of yellowness in the foliage at which it is safe to lift the bulb. I have seen it recommended, by those who ought to have known better, to take up the bulbs even though the foliage be pretty green. To following this very bad advice, I have no doubt many of the failures of the following season may be attributed. When lifted at the proper time, the bulb remains firm and plump; but if lifted too soon, it becomes softish and shrinks, and it must be impaired in strength. Now, one of the secrets of keeping the bulbs healthy for a long series of years is to let them remain in the ground till the proper stage of ripeness is reached, even though the weather be rough and the season well advanced. Generally speaking, the roots will not take damage though they remain in the ground till the end of November, if they are not ready for taking up sooner.

Place them as taken up, with as much of a ball as possible (if they have not a ball it does not much matter), in some place under cover where there is plenty of air, and no chance of frost reaching them; and when thoroughly dried, take off the old root and the stem, and store away in bags in a cool dry place till planting-time. Any one who wants to amuse himself by growing the spawn, may sow it in boxes or pots when he trims his roots, or let it lie till spring. It will grow at either time, as I have proved. Few people, however, bother themselves growing the spawn.

The points of a Gladiolus are not difficult to determine. The colours should be clean and distinct, the individual flowers well opened, and all looking one way, and the flowers at the base of the spike should measure about 5 inches across. This, with good cultivation, should be a common size, but it is exceeded by some of the new varieties of this year, more especially by Madame Desportes, which, I am inclined to think, has the largest flowers of any variety yet out. There is also an older variety with very large flowers - Velleda; and Shakespeare and Milton stand high in this respect. Apart from mere size of flower, the most desirable varieties are those that open the greatest number of flowers at one time. We have now some excellent specimens of this class, and their number is slowly increasing. In this quality of completeness of spike, not one can match Meyerbeer. Approaching it are Marquise de Pompadour, and one not much grown with us as yet, but destined soon to become a special favourite - Ben-oiton, a flower of a fine shade of yellow. Monsieur A. Brongniart is a Gladiolus which is perfection in the freshness of its colour and in its shape. Its tints are as delicate as those of an ocean-shell. Perhaps its price has kept it from being so extensively grown as its merits deserve.

Our old and cheap favourite, Brenchleyensis, is also notable for having its flowers open nearly from top to bottom at the same time. I do not intend, however, to give any lengthened list of what I consider best worth growing, but may remark, in passing, that the large number of new Gladioli sent out last autumn have proved themselves good, and they will keep their places for many years. Among the new ones to be imported this year, I notice some very desirable colours of the darker hues, which we greatly need; and one of the collection, Armide, of a light colour, is described as having flowers of "long duration." If this is the case, Armide will be popular. In choosing from the descriptive lists sent out by dealers, this fact may be kept in mind, that there are fewer varieties not worth growing among the Gladioli than will be found among any other class of florists' flowers.

When Gladioli are to be competed with, the spikes must be cut and kept in the house in bottles for at least three days before the show. This keeps the lower blooms fresh while more of the upper ones come out, and the spike thus becomes of more value. By keeping them too long in-doors, however, the blooms lose their characteristic colour and their shape.

In conclusion, I would impress upon the growers, and of course the lovers, of Gladioli who wish to keep their stock healthy, to be careful not to grow them two consecutive years in one place, and to take them up at the right time as each grows ready. It is my firm belief that one great cause of the failures complained of is their being taken up too soon (as many of them must inevitably be if taken up in a batch), and not being kept in a proper place during the winter. Damp is fatal to them. If the practice recommended in the present paper has proved so successful for years with me, there is no reason why it should not do equally well with others. There is nothing in the circumstances of my locality more favourable for their growth than in those of others. John Morris.

Mains, near Dundee.