JD Sez, Sez ’e 
Customers write: “Why don’t you list this Glad?” 
“What’s become of one of my favorite Glads ?’’ And 
so on. 
The answer can’t be given in a “coupla nut shells,” 
but Til touch on some reasons. 
As you have seen, every year we add a good many 
new Glads to our list. Note the newcomers in this cat¬ 
alogue. There’s a limit to the number of varieties we 
can handle in our bulb house and order filling depart¬ 
ment, without danger of messing things up, getting 
varieties mixed, and losing much efficiency in handling 
the crop and filling orders. 
So you see, as we add new varieties, we must drop 
some of the older ones. Thus we weed out kinds that 
have not proven so good as others, and some that we 
have sold out and think better drop instead of start all 
over again, since the total number of varieties must be 
held down to what we can handle to best advantage 
for us and our customers. 
I don’t like those long sentences any more than you 
do, but the printer says he needs some more copy to 
fill up space, and wants it right now. 
Let’s see—where was I? Oh, yes, I was going to 
say that in fairness to varieties we drop and to other 
growers who still list them, it does not always mean 
that a Glad we discontinue is not still one of merit. 
Why, I even drop some because I can never learn to 
spell or pronounce their names! Neither can our cus¬ 
tomers. Sometimes I think there ought to be an open 
season for going after introducers who are guilty of 
this crime I 
No, after all, I wouldn’t purge the well-meaning in¬ 
troducers. But I’m for purging a lot of their introduc¬ 
tions. Too many are trying to cash in on none-too-good 
new kinds, on reputations gained when they did create 
and offer a few really top notchers. Others are jump¬ 
ing in with “Marvelous Creations” for which there is 
no crying need whatever. Some don’t know any better. 
Sometimes there is so much wailing and weeping 
that in order to keep peace in our Glad family, we go 
back and pick up a few of the old-time favorites. Sev¬ 
eral are found again in this our 1938 fall list. 
Mrs. Frank Pendleton made more money for com¬ 
mercial growers than almost any other Glad—maybe 
more than any other. The Glad fraternity has A. E. 
Kunderd to thank for this contribution, and many oth¬ 
ers, to the favorites of long ago. I would not advise 
buying much of it now, with so many finer kinds to 
be had. But some will want to see this again, “just 
for old times’ sake.” 
Evelyn Kirtland. Stand up, all you Glad fans and 
commercial growers who grew and loved this splendid 
Glad. Sit down. Too many to count. I thank you, 
however. Mrs. A. E. Austin rates high indeed as a 
pioneer originator and writer in Madison Cooper’s 
“MODERN GLADIOLUS GROWER,” later changed to 
THE FLOWER GROWER. I think her masterpiece 
was and is Evelyn Kirtland. If introduced today with 
all the ballyhoo given some modem seedlings, this 
Glad would go over in a big way. 
Mr. Madison Cooper, who has done so much to 
create interest in Glads and other flowers, now owns 
and edits Madison Cooper’s Gardening Magazine, at 
Calcium, N. Y. 
As I write this. Sept. 13, 1938, both Mr. Kunderd 
and Mrs. Austin are living. I’m happy to pay them 
this tribute. 
Mrs. Leon Douglas, along with Mr. W. H. Phipps, 
and others, made Richard Diener famous. I’ve tried 
several times to discontinue Mrs. Douglas, but many 
customers keep asking for it. So last spring I 
bought some small bulbs of this favorite to plant. 
Now have large and medium sizes, as listed. 
It was with deep regret that I learned just a few 
da 3 ^ ago that our old Glad friend. Richard Diener, 
passed away at his home, Oxnard, California, last 
August. In writing this tribute to him, I feel as I 
have felt many times, when I failed to send flowers 
to people while they were alive. 
I knew Richard Diener well. Visited him at his 
gardens, was on judging teams with him at Glad 
shows. Spent a lot of money with him ($400.00 for my 
start of Mr. W. H. Phipps, for one thing), and had 
many interesting and helpful letters from him. 
His Mr. W. H. Phipps was in its day what Picardy 
is today in the Glad world. Hybridizers would swell up 
and “point with pride,” saying this and that were 
Phipps seedlings, as they do now when they offer a 
Picardy seedling. 
Diener was way ahead of his time when he origi¬ 
nated a Glad that could be grown to show 16, 18, 20 
and even 22 large, fine blooms open at once. That 
was the famous “Phipps” for short. It is still good. 
but for some unknown reason the spikes vary a good 
bit, some with short or somewhat stubby flower heads. 
Even at that, the shorts are beautiful and the better 
spikes are grand. 
I’m a poor salesman. I don’t have much stock of 
any of these old-time Glads. According to all the rules, 
I should use this space telling more about some of the 
later and splendid Glad creations of which I now have 
large stocks and am offering at “Practically Painless 
Prices.” 
But I just sorta got to dreaming when I sat down 
to write this, which, by the way, was at 4:16 this 
morning. And I do feel that many of you like to know 
some of the things I’ve mentioned. I wish space would 
permit mentioning more of the pioneer Glad folks, and 
their originations, Mrs. Elizabeth Briggs, for instance. 
But you can read a fine story about her and “I^cl 
Phipps,” by looking up Country Gentleman magazine 
of June, 1938. 
Joe Coleman is one more I want to take my hat off 
to. (Yes, I know that’s no way to end a sentence.) 
But my hat’s off to Joe. All I need to say is, MINUET. 
This is only one of a number of fine Glads Joe gave us. 
Well, he didn’t exactly give them to us. I paid him 
$100.00 each for a bulb of Minuet and Mrs. Sisson. 
Never made a better investment. Mrs. Sisson hasn’t 
done so well of late, so I no longer grow it. But 
MINUET 1 Years ago, I wrote in my catalogue, “Other 
lavenders may come and go, but Minuet will be among 
those present for years to come.” Few prophets ever 
beat that. 
Joe is still in the Glad game, but I am not sure of 
his present address. Ever so often I look him up and 
write him my appreciation of what he did for us Glad 
folks. I think he grows commercially now, at Atlanta, 
Ga., and does not advertise nationally. Joe still knows 
good Glads. 
Speaking of $100.00 Glads. Or any others introduced 
at what seems high prices, contrary to what many 
believe and to what seems probable, the originators 
seldom cash in worth while. It’s too long a story to 
relate here, but is of interest. Also regrettable. So 
don’t begrudge a really good hybridizer what may 
seem a fabulous profit. 
Sure, if I were a good salesman, I’d be talking more 
about our gardens and what we are doing (will the 
gent in the brown derby please lay off wise cracking. 
I didn’t say whom we are doing) in preparing a feast 
of good things in Iris, Glads and other items in this 
32-page bill of fare. 
That’s where Everett shines. As most of you know, 
son Everett came into this business after graduation 
from our state university a few years ago. He is tak¬ 
ing over a good bit of the office work (and am I glad 1) 
and practically all the handling of the fields and gar¬ 
dens. If I wanted to put on the dog. I’d say he is 
“production manager,” which is what it really 
amounts to. 
Everett gave me a jolt this season. I’ve been grow¬ 
ing Glads since before he was bom, and used to get 
pretty chesty about results at times. But Ev was 
either smart or lucky, or both, for he got the best 
stand of bulblets we ever had, and the growth has been 
wonderful. Bulbs looking great also. Thanks to man¬ 
ual training. Boy Scout work, and a natural “bent” 
along that line, when Ev needs something in tools for 
field or equipment for bulb house—if he can’t buv 
what he wants, he just gets busy and invents and 
makes it. 
A glance at that picture on page 2 will assure you 
that Ev not only likes his Glads, but is daffy about 
Iris also, especially the dandy newer kinds. And I 
don’t blame him. I’m that wav myself. And I’d like 
to see the color of any real flower lover’s hair who 
wouldn’t go into raptures over such glorious Iris and 
Glads as are now available. 
Watch out—the Iris bug will get you, just as th" 
Glad bug did. Get your Iris into the ground this fall 
yet if possible. My leaflet, sent with each order. t“lls 
how to protect late plantings for winter. Tells lots 
more, too. 
Speaking of hats off to originators of new and 
noteworthy Glads and Iris, the trouble is, no matter 
how many are mentioned, others will be left out, since 
space is so limited. So don’t think for a minute I do 
not appreciate the good work of many more. 
My hat’s not only off, but tossed high in the air in 
appreciation of E. F. Palmer’s Picardy and other 
super originations. Just think what it will mean when 
we get the Picardy type in many other colors 1 They’ll 
be seeing us. Takes time, though. 
Well, Folks, guess I’d better sign off before I get 
the gong. “Cheerio !” — JD. 
31 
