November, 1920 
175 
^3 1)£ Slower (Brower 
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MRS. AUSTIN’S TALKS 
= [ Written expressly for The Flower Grower. ] 
Gladioli that Stand the 
Test of Time. 
HE PAST SEASON 
has brought to my at- 
t e n t i o n an unusual 
number of new seed- 
ling Gladioli, most of which 
were very good and would, 
a few years ago, have been 
pronounced worthy of nam- 
ing. This avalanche of seed- 
lings is only further proof of the in- 
creasing interest in this wonderfully 
responsive flower, and while we should 
in no way check or cool this enthusi- 
asm, it is advisable to urge the im- 
portance of keeping in mind such a 
standard of excellence that the variety 
produced, to be worthy of naming, 
must possess qualities that will fully 
equal or surpass our present standard 
and hold good in the test of time. In 
order to be in a position to judge 
whether one’s own seedling possesses 
real merit, the producer should com- 
pare it with the latest and best new 
productions of the various classes, or 
the one in which he believes his seed- 
ling belongs. It is always advisable to 
attend the exhibitions where compari- 
sons may be made, but as this is not 
always possible, a good way is to grow 
at least a few of the new and desirable 
ones in one’s own garden where com- 
parisons may be made in their various 
stages of growth. 
It has been my pleasure to have a 
trial plot for many years. I first called 
it my “pet plot” because I grew in it 
only varieties that especially pleased 
me. I recollect one by the name of 
African, a very dark red with snow- 
white throat, a small flower but it 
seemed large to me at that time. Here 
also grew Marie Lemoine when I first 
became acquainted with it, which I 
think was 27 or 28 years ago. And 
America, even before its debut as Reu- 
ben H. Warder, for I bought it in mix- 
ture, reigned in my trial plot as Big 
Pink. After that variety was sold to 
John Lewis Childs and the name 
changed, I had two plantings of 
America — bought from different parties 
— one on either side of Big Pink for 
“comparison” and “testing” as to 
whether it really was the great A merica. 
With proof established these were 
thereafter added to our main planting 
of America in the field. 
A bulb or two of Rouge Torch has 
been in my trial plot many years, be- 
cause I not only admire its beautiful 
coloring, but because I find its wide- 
open form and graceful spike generally 
dominant characters in hybridizing. 
Gladiolus Rose Wells, a direct cross of 
Rouge Torch and America, shows these 
traits very distinctly. It having the 
form and marking of Rouge Torch with 
the lavender-pink tinting of America, 
while its tall slender spike is an im- 
provement on that of either parent. 
Augusta, which should have received 
the appellation of, “cut and come 
again,” so prodigal is it with 
its blooming spikes late in 
the fall. May, a good va- 
riety in its day, bloomed 
there. And countless lesser 
stars which have pleased 
us for a while, then been 
forgotten, have passed thro’ 
my trial plot. A few have 
stood the test of time and 
the point that I wish to 
make in this reference to 
my trial plot is the necessity of the 
grower of seedlings subjecting his pets 
to the most rigid comparative test and 
under the same cultural conditions. I 
believe that methods along this line 
would be helpful in preventing inferior 
varieties being placed on the market, 
and in eliminating ordinary varieties 
already under name. All should work 
together for Better Gladioli. 
In the new Gladioli there may be 
many types. While large coarse flow- 
ers do not always appeal to our better 
taste, yet there is a touch of grandeur 
and magnificence about them that 
places them in the novelty class. At 
the S. A. F. O. H. exhibition in Cleve- 
Illustration shows the tall growing spikes of 
Gladiolus Rose Wells. 
land last summer Golden Measure (by 
no means coarse) was exhibited in 
wonderful growth and beauty, and I 
also saw another type in yellow, no 
larger, perhaps not as large, but dif- 
ferent form and possessing merit. If 
there were a similar one having the 
refinement of ruffled petals it would 
have been still another type than either 
of the above mentioned and equally 
desirable. Thus while the new seed- 
ling to be named and introduced may 
not be extreme in any way, still it must 
be different from the ordinary. 
I like to try the varieties of other 
growers’ productions and in order to 
not deceive myself or be influenced by 
great advertising, I grow such varieties 
in my trial plot entirely under number. 
The past season I grew some over fifty 
varieties of other growers’ origination, 
most of them catalogued and well ad- 
vertised. I wrote their names in my 
field book giving each one a number, 
and planted them giving each the num- 
ber only. Not having seen them 
enough to be acquainted with them it 
was impossible for me to know the 
name of the bloom by its number with- 
out reference to my book, and there 
were many surprises in store for me. 
They were all planted the same day 
and received the same culture. Those 
early to bloom were given credit ac- 
cording to the size of the bulb, and the 
others according to their points of 
beauty and my opinion as to their de- 
sirableness. 
Most of them were very attractive, 
but a few stood out from the rest so 
entirely distinctive and superior that 
they caught my eye every time. 
One magnificent variety fairly took 
my breath away one morning. A large 
pure clear lavender measuring strong 
five inches in diameter. This regal 
flower, Louise, was on a spike four feet 
six inches tall and bloomed Sept. 7th. 
I want to try it blooming in the heat of 
August when the hot sun will bring 
out further testing. 
Golden Measure came into bloom the 
same day and was equally attractive 
and a wonderful seed producer. 
I found Nymph, a large ruffled of 
beautiful pink to be exceedingly fine. 
Barronne d’ Ivoley proved especially 
beautiful with its two rows of well 
placed ruffled white flowers on a spike 
four feet in height. The blooms were 
touched with amber in the throat. 
White Giant was noticeable because 
of its great size, but I prefer the round- 
ing petals of Europa when it behaves 
well. White Giant is certainly very 
good. 
Lutetia is another of great size, mod- 
estly catalogued as “ easily opening 
four inches, frequently more,” while 
with me many of them were nearer six 
inches. Another wonderful seed pro- 
ducer and thus of value in hybridizing. 
A variety which I had under the 
name of Jack London proved to be Mr. 
H. A. Hyde according to the descrip- 
tion, and exceedingly lovely. 
My trial plot is of never failing in- 
terest. It is there I find varieties that 
will stand the test of time. 
Mrs. A. H. Austin. 
The Lace Flower. 
In the heart of every flower lies a secret. 
The dainty lavender flower in my garden 
shows that the secret of Queen Anne’s flower 
as some wizard saw the purple spot in her 
white lace and from it bred a flower more 
dainty than that of the wild carrot or Dan- 
cus Carrota, yet retaining its manner of 
growth. 
Last winter this flower was largely cata- 
logued as the blue lace flower. It is not 
blue, but a lavender suggesting stokesia. It 
is better so, for we like to think of old lav- 
ender and lace. 
This is a new flower bred from one which 
came originally from Europe, but which is 
now growing wild among us, making pretty 
birds’ nests as it seeds. Yet as we look at 
this exquisite new flower with the dainty 
sparkle to its bloom we think of ladies of an 
older day when Nathaniel P. Willis and 
Charles Sprague wrote. We will leave the 
rosebuds to the debutantes, the daisies to 
the children, but let the old ladies tuck these 
dainty blooms into their white kerchiefs 
holding them in place by their cameo 
brooches over their black satin gowns. Are 
there any such dear old ladies left ? Re- 
member there is a sparkle to these lavender 
blooms.— M. R. Case in Horticulture. 
