color is not so pleasing as the color of Maid of Orleans, which has a touch of 
creamy white in the throat to brighten it a bit. For a commercial white Maid of 
Orleans heads the list of newer white ones, as it is rather early to bloom, does well 
from the small sized bulbs, is a straight, strong grower and rapid increaser, 
leaving little to be desired in a white Glad. The newer Star of Bethlehem and 
lesser known Polar Ice are certainly good whites, possibly will equal Maid of 
Orleans after longer trial; Star of Bethlehem has larger blooms than Maid of 
Orleans, and may be better as an exhibition flower, but it does not seem as good 
for a commercial white. Jonkheer Van Tets is another great white, which has 
become very popular, but stocks are slower to increase than is the stock of Maid 
of Orleans. 
Commander Koehl is one of the greatest pure reds, because of its size of both 
flowers and spike, coupled with its easy growing habits, is has become very popu¬ 
lar; Allemania introduced last spring is rather similar to Com. Kochi except the 
color is a bright scarlet; however, one season is not sufficient to form a very accu¬ 
rate opinion. Arabella is a very dark color and an improvement on Moorish 
King. Joh. S. Bach is a great exhibition variety as it easily opens ten or twelve 
flowers at once on a well placed spike; the color is orange salmon, going lighter 
with slight red markings in the throat, and white lines in petals. 
Gate of Heaven is a good yellow color but rather coarse and did not seem 
outstanding; Tip-Top a good red with Pfitzer’s Triumph type blooms but opens 
too few for exhibition, and is not a good increaser to date for us. Rosemarie 
Pfitzer is the last of Pfitzer’s to be mentioned but is one of the best; in fact it has 
been rumored that the originator said it makes the finest spikes of any of his 
originations; the color is a clear cream going to pink at the ruffled edges of the 
petals; the strength of the pink varies very much, depending upon the climatic 
conditions, with blooms sometimes almost a pure cream, yet again very pink from 
bulbs under the same soil conditions, but flowering a month later. 
The list of good ones from the newer German hybridizer, Barth, is shorter. 
Tosca, a fine dark pure velvety red, flecked a very dark black red, with large 
open flowers, six or seven of which open at once on a nice spike, is a very worthy 
variety. Artemis is a beautiful color, possibly best described to those that know 
Jenny Lind, as along similar color lines; the spikes are well built with eight or 
nine open flowers on an eighteen bud spike. La Paloma (do not confuse with the 
orange La Paloma, of Dusinberre) is a delicate light pink, with a slight red line 
on the lower petals; seven or eight flowers open on a nice spike. These last two 
have attracted much attention here in my garden for the past three seasons. One 
more of Barth’s that gave as fine show spikes as any red the past year was Anne 
Rahmstorff; it had everything needed for a good exhibition variety. 
While Holland is one of the greatest bulb-growing countries, and sends to 
the United States millions of spring-flowering bulbs, her contribution to the list 
of outstanding Gladiolus is comparatively small. Ivonynenburg & Mark, in Hol¬ 
land, propagate and introduce Pfitzer’s originations to this country, and so set a 
high local standard for the Dutch growers. Of these growers, Alkemade is 
probably best known here; while many of the varieties are more of the decorative 
commercial type, several are good exhibition varieties. Beat All is a rose 
salmon of nice shade, the flowers are large, and it is a good propagator; 
Impressive, a light rose pink with enormous blooms; Professor Von Slogteren 
seems to be one of the best of Alkemade’s; it is early, and this quality is much 
sought for in a new commercial variety; the color is a beautiful, soft pink, grows 
very straight, blooms well from small sizes, fast increaser, and will open eight 
well-placed flowers on an 18-bud spike; when F. 0. Shepardson puts his 0. K. on 
it, as he did, it must be a real commercial. 
