DEPENDABLE GLADS 
13 
chrysanthemums “mums”, or snapdragons “snaps”. The latter terms are really cant 
terms, short names for lazy convenience. The Glad really has no name other than 
“Glad”, and therefore such a name has a proper dignity in itself, such as would not 
be the case otherwise. Let us all courageously take the situation in hand, regardless 
of the die-hard purists, and call them “Glads”, and nothing else, whether orally or on 
paper. We are not slaves to etymology or tradition. It is no sin to adopt a name, 
especially such a happy name as this one. The word “Glad” describes the flower per¬ 
fectly. Lifting its bright face to the blue of the morning sky, in all the hues of the 
rainbow, with a poise and dignity, and yet with a graceful airiness, just as though the 
flower were really a living happy being. 
JUST WHY ARE GLADS SO POPULAR 
One big reason is their colors. Pure colors are very rare in Nature. They are 
what are known as the spectrum colors, with the different hues, together with their 
tints and shades. By far the more numerous colors in Nature are the dull, or neutral, 
colors, technically known as broken colors, with infinite variations produced by ad¬ 
mixtures in varying proportions of neutral gray, or both black and white. Glads car¬ 
ry a very large proportion of the pure colors in the different hues, probably more so 
than any other flower. The dull, or broken, colors are not very common in Glads. 
This explains their brightness. It also explains their power to attract. 
Another big reason is their adaptability to various uses. They can be put to 
about every use for which any flower is ever called on to supply. The single floret 
is a beauty in itself, as witness its use in the corsage or wreath. The spike is a handy 
thing, holding the blooms in any required position, whether in vase, basket, or spray. 
The blooms hold up well under trying conditions. They have the colors for any con¬ 
ceivable color scheme. 
The third big reason is that anybody can have them. Ridiculously easy to raise 
and low in price, it is the poor man’s flower. Perfect in their regal beauty, the rich 
man does not disdain them. They are dependable in most any soil and most any cli¬ 
mate. If you are a flower, to be popular you must be fool-proof, and Glads fill the 
bill. 
Probably the biggest reason is their color beauty and charm. This explains their 
extremely rapid increase in popularity in recent years. Folks are finding them out. 
This also explains the rapid increase in the population of nuts and bugs. 
THE A. G. S. JUDGING SCALE 
At exhibitions of cut blooms judges arrive at their decisions by comparing one 
entry with another, except with seedlings, or with close decisions to make, in which 
case the following percentage table should be used: 
FLOWER: Color, 20 points; substance, 10 points; size, 12 points; form, 5 points; 
condition, 5 points. 
SPIKE: Length, 5 points; florescence, 15 points; arrangement, 10 points; har¬ 
mony, 15 points; foliage, 3 points. TOTAL: 100 points. 
Color must be pleasing, distinct, and clear. Penalize for unattractive and in¬ 
harmonious colors, also flecking and spotting. Substance is ability to withstand 
warm temperatures and reasonable handling, and to keep well, and is indicated by 
the thickness, firmness, or texture of the petals. The size may be up to six inches, 
or more, for the Grandiflorus types, and as low as three inches for the Prim types. 
Form should be pleasing according to type, with penalties for faults not inherent in 
the type. The condition is considered as at time of judging, with penalties for dam¬ 
aged, faded, or wilted florets, and the removal of more than three v/ilted blooms. 
Stem should be slightly longer than the length of the flower head. In florescence 
consider the number of buds, number showing color, and number open. Arrangement 
includes both facing and spacing. Penalizing for irregular placement, also over¬ 
crowding, and spaces between blooms. Under harmony consider proper proportions 
of the flower and stem. Foliage should be healthy. 
THE A. G. S. SYMPOSIUM 
Each year for the past several years the American Gladiolus Society has taken 
a vote of its members on the best varieties. When the annual dues of the members are 
sent to the Secretary, on the back of the membership application blank space is pro¬ 
vided for the names of ten varieties which the member regards as his favorites for 
the year. Sometime during the summer these votes are counted, and the varieties re¬ 
ceiving votes are then ranked according to the number of votes each receives, and 
the fifty highest are published. 
