The Gladiolus: A Practical Treatise on the Culture of the Gladiolus

"The Gladiolus: A Practical Treatise on the Culture of the Gladiolus" by Matthew Crawford is an early 20th-century guide for raising gladiolus flowers. It gives advice to beginners and experienced gardeners, teaching them about things like planting and how to handle diseases, and also looks at the flower’s past. The book starts by explaining that anyone can grow gladiolus, and it talks about how the flower has become more popular over time. Crawford also writes about how the flower's types have changed over time. He talks about how people used to grow it and how it's been changed to create the kinds we have today. This sets the stage for teaching people how to grow gladiolus in the rest of the book.