26 
THE FOSS HEATON GLAD GARDENS, CRESTON, IOWA 
Then we have the case of the sport, which is a complete mutation of some 
feature, usually color. In these there remains a close resemblanci in all other features 
except the one that is changed. The form, markings, and habits of growth are re¬ 
tained in the color sport. But the sport is very rare indeed. Last year there were 
none in all my plantings. 
But aside from this, Glads do have more or less of what might be called un¬ 
stableness. We have all felt that certain varieties are not what they once were, and 
this feeling is not entirely due to the superior new varieties, either. This deteriora¬ 
tion, as we might call it, is noticeable in seedlings. A seedling may appear to be a 
world beater the first year or so, but after that a disappointment. This is one of the 
sorrows of the hybridizer. Those seedlings that remain good are rather scarce. 
However, it is from this limited class that we get our standard Glads. Varieties such 
as Bennett, Phipps, and Minuet, and a handfull of others, have not perceptibly chang¬ 
ed through the years. But on the other hand, one cannot say as much for Le Mare- 
chal Foch, for example, and a host of others that might be named, no matter what 
the conditions under which they may be raised. Deterioration in color is not so 
marked as in other qualities, such as length of stem and size of blooms. Some origin¬ 
ally fine Glads have almost degenerated into Cannas as far as the spike is concerned. 
Others have eliminated themselves by gradually losing their ability to reproduce them¬ 
selves. 
The consistent winners at the numerous shows all over the land are remarkably 
few in number, when we consider the thousands of introductions. It is these that 
have been reliable through the yars, and have retained their stamina and consistent 
performance under all sorts of conditions of climate and soil. It is these that we call 
standard Glads. 
ORIGINATING NEW VARIETIES 
Happily this is something that can be done in any back yard with the expenditure 
of a little time and patience. The list of originators who rose to fame on a single 
variety is a long one. It can confidently be predicted that a goodly share of the future 
super-Glads will have first bloomed in some Glad fan’s back yard. 
In general, we will find, as in any other line of breeding, that like breeds like. If 
you want a yellow, cross two yellows, and if you want a blue, cross two blues. If you 
want many open, cross two of this kind, and if you want good keeping qualities, cross 
two good keepers. As in any other line of breeding, we will find quite often a variety 
that is what is called “dominant”, which means that a certain color or a certain qual¬ 
ity it possesses is almost certain to occur in all of its progeny. For example, Jane 
Addams is almost sure to transmit that white blotch. Bad traits of the parents are 
the most likely to be transmitted it seems. But if we get a large quantity of seed¬ 
lings from the same cross, the chances are that among the whole lot there may be 
one or two that inherit the good qualities of both parents without their bad qualities. 
It is worth trying at least. 
Varieties greatly differ in their value as parents. Some, like Betty Nuthall and 
Veilchenblau, seem to be worthless for this purpose, while others, like Marmora, 
Emile Aubrun, Minuet, and Phipps, make very good parents. But I have found that 
the older a variety is the less value it has for crossing. The first few years in the 
life of a new variety seem to be the most potent in the production of fine things. This 
is why the originators of famous varieties have never been able to repeat their won¬ 
derful creations. The originator who confines his crossings to his own seedlings while 
new, and to the best of other new originations, will advance the most rapidly, while the 
originator who keeps on repeating the same old crosses he had such good luck with 
in the past will find himself trailing in the race for finer and finer things. 
Do not be satisfied with just one pod or two of each cross. Get as many as pos¬ 
sible. The greater the number of these strikingly similar seedlings in any certain 
cross, the wider the range of the values obtained. No two of a cross are ever exactly 
alike in color, and they differ also in quality. The more there are the greater your 
chances of finding something really fine- Keep a record of every cross you make. Not 
one cross in a dozen ever amounts to anything, and you want to know which crosses 
are likely to produce things worth while, that you may repeat them on a larger scale 
perhaps. 
It is very unlikely that an inferior variety will ever produce worth-while results. 
As in animals the best individuals are used for breeding purposes, so in Glads only 
those varieties that are good enough to be named and introduced into commerce will 
be worth while as parents for the new Glads of the future. Therefore, any back-yard 
