Dr. Whitley and Athlone are my choice of new buff or apricot 
shades, though Capistrano makes a rangy spike and attractive wide open 
florets. The older Vassar really outdid itself this season. If this variety 
made longer heads, it would be ina class by itself. However, it is an 
ideal glad for spray work; color and ruffling, exquisite. No new orange 
glads have challenged Diane, Rio Rita and Larime. It is a matter of 
anyone’s taste, my preference being for Diane. The new Grenadier may 
become a valuable addition to this section. ; 
The ever strong pink section is getting stronger, now that Genghis 
Khan is becoming reliable in its performance. The most spectacular 
spikes I saw all season were those of the 1943 release, Bengasi, as 
shown at Wisconsin, Illinois and Boston, and shipped by air express by 
the originator, Mr. F. C. Cave, Vancouver, British Columbia. The spike 
displayed on the cover not only won the grand championship at Illinois 
but also won for longest flower head, largest floret and best spike, re- 
cent introduction. I do not know, nor would I dare to predict, that we 
can ever grow this glad to such perfection of spike and florets, in the 
United States, but with the example of Ethel Cave Cole from the same 
originator, we can have hopes, and it represents an ideal to strive for. 
Connecticut Yankee and Mystery were the two best 1944 pink releases 
I grew. The former has a florescence approaching the ultimate and 
should be a leading contender on the show table. I believe that Mystery 
may be one to reckon.with, as stock becomes acclimated here. Criterion, 
Variation and Ethel Cave Cole, heretofore mentioned, were at their best 
this season. Plant a few large Ethel, July first, and get a thrill in mid- 
September. Ogarita, classed as salmon, has shown it can win champion- 
ships, though having little home decorative value. A new one to appear 
in 1945 is Krueger’s Dream Girl. Some have called it the most beauti- 
ful pink; a strong statement, but one that will bear watching. The ever 
good Miss Wisconsin still leads the rose pinks, and is a florists glad par 
excellence. 
I believe Intruder to be the finest all around red. This variety also 
appears ta be getting better each year. One of the high spots of the 
season was Heaton’s Hawkeye Red. This glad may well become the 
leading commercial light red of the future. Red Charm, Ohio Nonpareil, 
King Click, Southern Drama, Stoplight, Centennial and Gracie Allen all 
repeated their good performance of last season. Stoplight is my choice 
for a medium red commercial, Red Charm in darker reds. In rose reds, 
Burma is still supreme with its heavy ruffling and wide open florets of 
heavy texture. 
Minstrel can well be considered the newest*sensation in lavenders. 
This glad is so large that it can hardly become a commercial but can 
win in its color class, with no apologies. Elizabeth The Queen is still 
my choice for a florists spray, as florets lie close to the stem, it opens 
many and ruffling is superb. Badger Beauty with its taller stem, is the 
ideal lavender for basket work. There are few outstanding lavenders, 
but with a strong trio like the above, we can still call this class strong. 
Blues and purples are not primarily florists shades but can be used 
to advantage if combined with white or pale yellow. At present I list 
no blue glads. The purple varieties, however, appear to be healthy and 
Convoy, Vulcan, Purple Supreme and Parnassus still lead the procession. 
It was not my good fortune to see the new Lancaster; this is said to be 
the best exhibition purple. Caroline Werner Gannett, Tunia’s Mahomet 
and Flying Fortress are all exhibition smoky giants. 
If I were to select the twelve high spots of the season, and endeavor 
to get a cross section of beauty and performance, I would give my prefer- 
ence to Leading Lady, Bengasi, Golden State, Intruder, Genghis Khan, 
Minstrel, Elizabeth The Queen, White Gold, Hawkeye Red, Vangold, 
Ethel Cave Cole and Connecticut Yankee. I do not know which ones of 
the above to omit, in order to include Diane and Criterion in the Best 
Twelve. A rating from a Tennessee exhibitor includes seven of the 
above list: Leading Lady, Golden State, Genghis Khan, Criterion, Min- 
strel, Diane and White Gold. Many other glads wove excellent per- 
formers in 1944 but space prohibits mention of all, though I do believe 
that each and every one catalogued has a place in the glad world today. 
In closing, I wish to take this opportunity to thank each and every one 
of my customers for their splendid business in past years, and to wish 
them every measure of success in their 1945 glad gardens. 
