Rare Beauties of the Gladiolus— montague chamberlain cfc; 
AN APPRECIATION OF SOME LEADING NOVELTIES OF STERLING MERIT WHICH WILL BE SEEN IN 
EXCLUSIVE COLLECTIONS AT THIS SUMMER’S SHOWS 
D uring the last few years the 
hybridizers have produced a num- 
ber of grand Gladiolus, flowers 
I that are equal to and in many 
I cases the superior of the finest things that 
are present time favorites. Some of these 
new forms are not yet on the market, the 
producers refusing to dispose of any until 
they can accumulate a substantial stock, 
i There are many, however, that are now 
1 available to those who are willing to pay 
! the price. For the lack of a better name 
we propose to call this group of rare beauties 
the “elite.” 
NEW PINKS PREDOMINATE 
I If we begin with the pinks we must name 
Prince of Wales as the leader, and a noble 
I leader he is. The color of the blossom is a 
sort of salmon, somewhat similar to that 
I described as crushed strawberry; and this 
refined and exquisite tint combined with the 
! graceful form of the flowers and the tall, 
! stately stem upon which they are borne, 
I proclaim this flower a true patrician. And 
here I would enter a protest against the in- 
appropriate names that so many flowers are 
I condemned to bear. These names offend 
[ those who have any regard for the fitness of 
I things, and they jar the sensitiveness of all 
j lovers of flowers. Think of this dainty 
j Gladiolus having to carry to the end the 
I name, “Prince of Wales” which, while a good 
I enough name is surely more suitable for a 
' strong red flower. It sounds like an English 
! I blunder, but the plant was named in Holland, 
I where it was produced. 
Among other, pinks in the ranks of the 
“elite” is Sans Bareil which is probably the 
finest thing yet produced by that eminent 
I French hybridist, Brunelet, and though it 
I has been on the market for several years, is 
I still so extremely rare that probably not 
I more than a hundred bulbs will be grown 
I this season in this entire country. The color 
[ of Sans Pared is salmon pink, of a rich but 
exquisite tone. In the Ridgway Chart the 
color is named “rose doree,” and it is some- 
times described as “orange rose.” The 
throat is creamy white, which contracts 
to a patch on the lowest petal. 
The English growers have given us a few 
j good Gladiolus, but have not as yet produced 
many varieties that are equal in appearance 
I to the best products of Germany, France, 
j Holland or America, though recently they 
have sent us a fine one in Brooklands, with 
] bright rosy pink blossoms of immense size 
I and good fcrm, which are carried on tall, 
j strong stalks. 
1 America has recently added to our wealth 
I in important Gladiolus two pink beauties 
that have been named Evelyn Kirtland and 
' Gretchen Zang. The last named appears 
• I in the bud as a bright salmon, but as the 
■( ! petals open the tone is softened. The inferior 
! petals wear an orange tinted patch; the 
I blossoms are large, well open and of graceful 
U form. Evelyn Kirtland bears blossoms of 
1 1 rich rosy pink, the ideal color of summer time. 
( ! The brighter tone gradually assumes a paler 
1 tone in the centre of the blossom and deepens 
1 j to a scarlet patch on the lower petal. The 
r j flowers are large, wide open and of graceful 
form, and as several are open at one time and 
i are well placed on a tall, straight stalk the 
effect is splendidly decorative. 
RICH AND BRIGHT REDS 
Of rich, bright reds, the color of strength 
and triumph, we find Red Emperor and 
Liebesfeuer both of sterling worth. Clear 
Eye is a splendid red and has in addition a 
patch of white, the contrast producing a 
striking effect. 
A noble plant, bearing a really magnificent 
flower, is Orange Glory, one of the latest and 
best of Kunderd’s ruffled sorts. The hue is 
a clear, bright orange; the flowers are large 
and of graceful form, gaining an added beauty 
from the deep ruffling. As the blossoms are 
well set on a tall, strong stalk, these plants 
dominate their corner of the garden. 
Of rich, blood-red flowers we have three 
admirable specimens. The premier posi- 
tion is usually accorded to Rajah, the color 
being so wonderful, but Amaryllis is very 
The Gladiolus is the most reliable all around midsummer 
flower and with judicious use of feathery foliage is quite 
graceful (Gladiolus Rochester with Adlumia foliage) 
similar and War is a strong rival. Of the 
three. War is the best for garden effect, its 
stem being very tall and strong. For house 
decoration Rajah is superb. All three are 
American productions, and we should be 
proud of them. War came from Mr. Groff’s 
Canadian garden, but it is comforting just 
here to claim him as an American. 
RARE YELLOWS AND PURPLES 
In yellow flowers the “elite” can boast of 
a number of good things. Notable examples 
are Madame Mounet Sully, Glory of Nordzvijk, 
Schzvaben and Golden Measure. The first 
named is extremely rare, and very few have 
been seen in this country. Golden Measure 
is of English origin, and won the distinction 
of selling at twenty-five dollars for each bulb, 
quite a number, at this price, coming to this 
country. Schwaben is a prime favorite. 
The color is a soft sulphur yellow, with a 
patch of red on the lower petal. The flowers 
are very large, wide open and well formed, 
17 
and as six and eight of these beautiful things 
appear at one time on a tall, strong stalk, 
the decorative effect is beautiful. 
There are among the new purple tinted 
flowers several that are well worth growing — 
Violet Perfection, La Nuit, Heliotrope, Marie 
du Ruyter, Goliath, Amethyst and Badenia. 
The latter, when at its best ranks among the 
queens of the garden. The color, is bluish 
lavender of an exquisite tone and the flowers 
are especially graceful. But it is not easily 
induced to produce its best, for if not granted 
its exacting demands it sulks. There are 
several of these exacting sorts that cannot 
be recommended to any but the most ex- 
perienced gardeners or to those who enjoy 
working over a difficult problem. These 
troublesome sorts are not weaklings; they 
are merely exacting, and, unless given the 
exact soil that suits them and are given all 
the sunshine and all the water they demand, 
their flowers will be of poor color and bad form. 
IS THE DESIRED WHITE HERE? 
For a long time there has been a demand 
for a good white Gladiolus and this demand is 
being met. Among the best of the new whites 
is Zeppelin, a German product. This variety 
has been grown in numbers in England, where 
the growers gave it warm praise. The color 
of Zeppelin is the sky white of the French 
chart. The blossoms are five inches in dia- 
meter and the stalk is unusually tall and 
strong. The plant is said to be vigorous and 
easily grown, but the few that I tried last 
season produced rather inferior flowers. 
However, we do not expect these foreign 
born to yield their best until they have been 
grown in this climate for a couple of years or 
more. But there are plenty of other fine 
whites. An English writer calls the new 
white giant Maximus a grand variety, and 
we know that the Deutsche Kaiserin is also 
superb. America has produced the follow- 
ing new whites of really sterling worth; Ber- 
trex. Snowflake, Ivory, and Queen of the 
Whites. Bertrex has much the same general 
appearance as America, but the color is a 
glistening white instead of pink. The flowers 
are large, many in bloom at a time, and 
these are well set on a tall and strong stem. 
Two new sorts of unusual appearance are 
White Glory and Bluvista. In both the 
dominant hue is white, but both are marked 
on the lower petals with broad lines of Ins 
blue, producing an effect of exquisite beauty. 
The petals of White Glory are thick and 
velvety, and are richly ruffled and as the flow- 
ers are large and set upon a tall stalk the 
plants are welcome in the garden. 
A NEW COLOR SHADE 
A new touch of color was added to ou'" 
gardens last summer by the introduction oi 
Hereda, a brilliant mauve that is sure to 
become popular. Another mauve Gladiolus, 
that competes with the dashing Mrs. Frank 
Pendleton for premier consideration as the 
belle of this brilliant throng, is that Frenchiest 
of all the group. La Triomphe, a tall plant 
towering above its neighbors, with a straight, 
strong spike filled with immense flowers whose 
petals areof purplish mauve in two tonesstriped 
with carmine and wearing on the lower .seg- 
ment a patch of exquisite creamy white. If 
ever flowers are proud of their beauty, then this 
brilliant Parisian is surely conscious of it all. 
