Weak or Eccentric Varieties 
I do not like to use the word “weak" in this connection as it does not do justice to 
this subject. I think “eccentric" is the better term to apply to that growing list of new 
varieties that are often called weak growers. Many of them, when placed in their proper 
environment of soil, climate, seed bed and moisture conditions, do give wonderful per¬ 
formance. Many varieties that give A1 performance on the Pacific Coast are a flop here 
and vice versa. Many of these same varieties when grown under irrigation, in rich, sandy 
loam, and given more ideal seed bed conditions, give very satisfactory performance, but 
when you grow them in the east, south or mid-west, under non-irrigation conditions, many 
of them are very unsatisfactory. An eccentric variety under ideal seed bed conditions or 
under irrigation and very good soil conditions, may appear to be a strong plant, some may 
even be inclined to say a vigorous grower, may appear to be a super glad, but the real test 
of this class of glads, comes when they must resist adverse growing conditions, such as is 
found in the east, south and mid-west where glads are grown without irrigation, in many 
kinds of soil, and subject at times to an oversupply of rain, and then again to long dry 
spells, in past years, in many plantings, I have noticed weak varieties turn yellow under 
the same growing conditions, where varieties like Betty Nuthall, would be, dark green 
and growing vigorously, and producing extra fine bloom. The weak varieties that suf¬ 
fered from dry weather conditions, were not diseased, but perfectly healthy, clean stock, 
but they could not resist adverse growing conditions, these are the varieties that do not sur¬ 
vive, under the working of natures law of the “survival of the fittest." There are too many 
new varieties of this type, and the reason is that breeders do not give enough consideration 
to vitality, when breeding new varieties, they can not all be grown in “ideal seed beds”. 
Many are highly exploited by irrigation growers, and others having very ideal growing 
conditions, it is these varieties that require ideal seed bed conditions if you are to make 
any success with them. (Our county, Erie, has 96 different soil types, from U. S. Soil 
Survey just made for New York State). 
This rule does not apply to glads only. It is true of plants as large and hardy as our 
apple trees. If you ever studied fruit growing, you know that even some well known 
apples will perform well only in a limited area; others perform well in nearly all sections. 
So it is with glads, and practically all other plants, trees or shrubs. 
Soil, or more properly, seed bed conditions are a big factor in results with all varieties. 
Two growers may live only a few miles apart, but one may be located in a warm, sandy 
valley, and the other at a very high altitude above the valley and his soil may be distinctly 
different. Two men may live near each other and have very similar soil and climatic en¬ 
vironment, but may fertilize much differently. One may have excellent drainage, the other 
poor drainage; all these factors go to produce results. 
I think it safe to say that more than 75% of all glads grown in this country are grown 
without any kind of artificial irrigation, and must depend on natural rainfall for their 
water supply, hence the importance of the conservation of moisture, proper cultivation, 
mulching, and building good seed beds by incorporating in them such materials as will 
tend to hold the moisture in reserve for the plants, and yet keep the mechanical condition 
of the soil and drainage so perfect, that scab and rot will not menace the plants. This is 
the object and ideal of soil building, soils are not built in a year, it requires careful plan¬ 
ning and systematic building year after year, to raise our soils up to the high ideals we 
have set for them to attain. 
One Hundred Per Cent Seed Beds 
Is there such a thing as a 100% seed bed, and what is meant by this term? When you 
plant very valuable small seeds or seeds difficult to germinate, you make your seed bed 
conditions as ideal as possible. In its preparation, you are guided by the type and kind of 
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