158 Cornell Extension Bulletin 9 



of judging on any flower were delighted to know that such progress had 

 been made in the standard of this popular and useful flower." 



The credit for introducing the first American seedling has not been 

 definitely determined, owing to the fact that all available catalog files 

 were incomplete. It is quite certain that some of the producers of the 

 new seedHngs that have been named were the first to introduce their 

 novelties. In the fifteenth edition (1868-69) oi the catalog of Curtis & 

 Cobb, of Boston, Massachusetts, Craft's Elnora, Finette, Imprimis, Lieu- 

 tenant Stearns, and Viola, and McTear's Salmonia, are fully described. 



The bound catalogs of Washburn & Co. for 1868 contain what is prob- 

 ably the first color plate of any variety of gladiolus published by an Amer- 

 ican seedsman. The varieties figured are G. hrenchleyensis and Berthe 

 Rabourdin. The first American variety shown by a color plate, so far 

 as the writer can discover, was Innocence, a variety originated by James 

 Vick and figured in his magazine for February, 1885. The two original 

 varieties of G. Lemoinei were shown by means of an excellent color plate 

 in American Gardening in 1882. 



Although Curtis & Cobb appear to have been the first to. catalog named 

 American seedlings, nevertheless attention should be given to the List 

 of Gladiolus Roots, No. xv, 1870, of George Craft, of Brookline, Massa- 

 chusetts, wherein are described Blythe, Freedman, Gordianus, Grenadier, 

 Jores Morthen Jongman, Lisette, Napoleon I, Theophila, Hesba, Yosemite, 

 Finette, Katarina, Lieutenant Stearns, Lucilla, Mariana, Morningside, 

 Petit Bonnet, Rosalind, Sarah P. Pearce, Scrooby, Statuiskii, Una, and 

 Violenta. It is stated that these are Craft's own seedlings. It is 

 more than probable, therefore, that Craft offered his seedlings prior to 

 the time when the same varieties were offered by Curtis & Cobb. In 187 1 

 Craft offered Alphonso, Ariadne, Leyden, Lucio, Mrs. Westcott, Naseby, 

 Thomas Sheren, Valentine, and Virginie as new, with the following in 

 his general list: Adriana, Blonde, Early, Golden Lily, Orlando. No new 

 varieties appear in the lists for 1874 and 1875, which complete 

 the lists consulted. There was a lessened production of seedlings after 

 1873 until about 1890, and the present interest in gladioli dates from 

 about 1908. 



Meanwhile the interest in the French varieties of Souchet was increasing. 

 Barnes & Washburn, Spooner & Co. (later Strong & Spooner), Henry 

 A. Dreer, Eugene A. Baimiann, George Such, and C. L. Allen had 

 extensive collections of varieties. The last named, in his catalog of 

 spring bulbs for 1869, stated that he had over two hundred varieties, 

 and in 187 1 he announced over three hundred varieties. He was at 

 that time the largest grower of corms. In 1870 he had seven acres, and 

 in 1873 fifteen acres, devoted to growing gladioli. The cut blooms were 



