DEPENDABLE GLADS 
15 
as long as wide, the florets so spaced that they are neither crowded nor show gaps be¬ 
tween them The spike should be slender and graceful and wiry. The florets should 
be well opened, but not too flat, and not too rounded, or too angular, and the petals 
not too pointed or too narrow. The florets can show a fullness without the regular¬ 
ity of a hollyhock, and an openness without the flatness of a pansy. 
There are many v/ays by which the harmony in a spike is spoiled, such as the 
following: florets single file on the stem, or the single row arrangement; only two or 
three open at one time; too many open, causing the spike to appear clubby; a spike 
too thick and heavy for the size of the floret; a flower cluster irregular in outline, or 
tapering; florets that do not face at right angles to the spike. 
According to this principle of harmony too much ruffling would be a fault, also 
the needle-point that is too pronounced, and winged petals, and cup-shaped and lily¬ 
shaped florets, and the hood of the Prim, and decidedly so would be laciniated petals. 
The latter, by the way, is really a reversion. The above types are distortions, and 
their excuse for being is their novelty. They may all occur to a limited extent without 
seriously affecting the harmony of a spike ,but to the degree they are found in some 
varieties they are grotesque violations of the principle of harmony. 
DISTORTED TYPES 
In the ruffled type some kinds are crinkled, even folded and fluted. A slight 
ruffling is attractive, even preferable to absolute plainness- In the needle-point type 
the tips of the petals are as though twisted between thumb and forefinger. Attractive 
if not carried too far, in which case the petals are narrowed too much. In the winged 
type of petals there is a loose, floppy appearance, if the type is too pronounced. In 
the cup-shaped and lily-shaped florets there is too much tendency to point upwards. 
In the Prim type the hood conceals beauty. It also attracts too much attention to 
the form. Form should be an aid in presenting the color beauty, rather than an end 
in itself. In the laciniated types those serrated edges and notches appear as though 
caused by some accident at the time the buds were formed down in the plant. Nar¬ 
rowed and notched petals are decidedly lacking in harmony, just as though the nor¬ 
mal petals had been pared and trimmed with a dull knife. Under no circumstances 
should these various types be used for classifications in the show room or as ideals 
to work towards. 
To be sure, these irregular types have their uses, although with the professional 
florist these uses are very limited indeed. So do other garden flowers have their uses, 
but in nearly all cases these uses are also limited. Only in a very few kinds of flow¬ 
ers, such as the carnation, rose, snapdragon, and a few others of the florist standbys, 
can the desired color effectiveness be obtained in the proper form- The standard 
type of Glad is fast becoming a florist standby for the reason that it has gradually 
adapted itself by discarding all these distortions of type and by developing those 
qualities demanded of a florist flower. In addition to solidness of color, the florist 
wants an economical flower. All the above distortions of type are a waste of ef¬ 
fectiveness. The harmonious spike is the most economical spike because it is the most 
effective. The claim is made that these variations in type are an advance in the di¬ 
rection of artistic and decorative possibilities. The answer to this is that the florist 
is an artist, and he prefers to do his own arranging. He is the master of his own 
artistry, and he wants materials that are the most useful and adaptable to his purpose. 
PRIMS PRO AND CON, MOSTLY CON 
Color beauty, readily available in generous quantities, is the universal conception 
of what a Glad is for. Lots of color beauty is what makes them popular. In other 
words, complete harmony, as outlined above, is the essence of the modern ideal Glad. 
The Prim departs from these essentials in nearly every particular. The form seems 
to be the ideal in a Prim. But, as mentioned previously, form is only a means to an 
end. 
Even he who professes to like the Prims is not content to have just one spike of 
a Prim Glad in the vase on his desk. He places several in that vase. Why? Because 
one is not showy enough. But a completely harmonious standard spike in that vase 
is a show in itself. If he is enchanted by the exquisitely dainty and airily graceful 
poise of that Prim, he is worshiping form rather than the beauty of color which is 
every flower’s crown of loveliness. 
This distinction is sensed in the popular mind, as evidenced by the lack of de¬ 
mand for Prims. In a recent Glad show from among the prizes offered there were 36 
not awarded in the Prim classes, presumably for lack of entries. The phrase, “but 
no Prims”, qualifies most of the orders for Glads in the flower markets. Prims simply 
do not sell, and many growers hesitate to stock up on them. 
