cultivate between rows to keep the weeds out. Keep 
out all weeds and have a garden free from weeds. It 
gives you more pleasure in your garden if this is done. 
When glads are 24 inches high you can stop all culti- 
vating and just pull up weeds for rest of season. The 
cultivating is always done shallow - not over 14 in. - 
to allow air to get into ground and to provide a soft 
mulch surface to retain moisture better in hot sun. 
Every fall glad bulbs must be dug and stored in the 
basement as they will not live through temperature be- 
low 32 degrees. When you dig be careful to keep all 
the bulblets as that is the way you increase your stock. 
Cut the spike off close to the bulb ~ do not leave over 
+ inch of spike on the bulb. Spread bulbs so they will 
dry out. When thoroughly dry ~ two to three weeks does 
it - then "clean" the bulb which means snap off the 
old dried up worn out bulb and roots. 
As you clean the bulbs whenever you find an old 
bulb attached to the new bulb that is black, or rotted, 
throw away the new buib and bulblets no matter how 
clean and healthy the new bulb may look. This used to 
fool me until the Indiana boys set me right and I am 
indebted to them. 
If you have sprayed regularly you should have no 
thrip. If you have no thrip that is all you have to 
do. If you don't see any you are safe until next 
spring when you must dip your glads in corrosive sub- 
limate - formula: 1 ounce of corrosive sublimate to 
7 gallons of water - let them soak 12 to 17 hours. Do 
not get your hands in this highly poisonous mixture 
and use a stone crock as it eats metal. 
Digging 

THE BEST GLADIOLUS IN EACH OF TOP THREE 
SIZE CLASSES AND IN EACH COLOR CLASS. 
EIGHTH ANNUAL RATING LIST - by J.R. HOPKINS 



From last years rating list 82 varieties have been crowded 
off and 58 new ones added. This list totals but 219 varieties 
and are the tested best out of thousands of named varieties - 
the Iowa Society listing over 3,000 varieties ~ if I am cor- 
rectly informed - and the national classification list having 
over 1,800 - or more. 
Of these 219 varieties, rated as best in size and color, 60 
varieties are in the 500 class - florets over 5s inches wide 
unstretched - and 34 varieties are in the under 4; inches wide 
florets class - the 300 class. The other 125 are in the middle 
class. Too many in the middle class? Yes there are but the 
classification committee has it under advisement and some action 
will be forthcoming to tend to make number of varieties in each 
size class more equal. 

dig Je BE) 32 00 Ie RS 1945-<+46 
3 GeirADOminOM Ee Us Smmtrse tal NeGics 
In the 200,400 and 500 sizes classes these are the 
best gladiolus. 
These ratings have been printed in the N.E.G.S. year book, 
The Gladiolus, for six years and in the yearbook of the Canad- 
ian Gladiolus Society - in part - for three or four years - I 
forget which. 
Please understand that these are all my personal ratings 
with the flower in front of me - none of them heresay or second 
hand opinions. So far show tables have substantiated these 
lists - and only one or two of the over 800 varieties crowded 
out of these lists since they were started have proved bad 
judgement. Yet my fingers are crossed - as I expect to make 
mistakes - tho I certainly hope I won't and do everything I can 
to be accurate. Some dozen - or so - new ones that should be 
on this list are not here every year - high priced ones that I 
have not yet purchased or that have not been sent me for test. 
Doing these ratings, keeping the records, and checking them 
at shows takes a lot of time and costs considerable money. I 
aim to grow every variety tops and be able to judge only top 
grown specimens. So here we are again - the ratings for season 
of 1945. 
WHITE 0O 
500 P39 - - - - - - 84 Madonna - - - - - 81 Exclusive - - - 80 
400 Mary Kathleen - 83 #Margaret Beaton - 82 White Eagle - - 8 
#Margarett Heavenly White- - 81 Amamae- - - - - 80 
Barrett - - ~ 81 Vredenberg- - - - 80 Myrna - - - - - 80 
#Caribou - - - - 80 
500) Alpine" == 79 White Hope- - - - 81 String of 
Pearls- - - - 80 
P39 finest white, cream tinge, but definitely a white. Ma- 
donna - 53" florets, flower head not very long. Exclusive a 
model formal spike. Mary Kathleen best pure white. White 
Eagle not new, very fine, ruffled. Margarett Barrett like Bea- 
ton but worth while and looks good. Heavenly white is the sport 
of Rosa Van Lima and like parent except pure white. Myrna loses 
4 points by being bad performer half the time. 
CREAM 06 
506 White Gold - - -~85 Leading Lady - - -85 Oriental Pearl- 8&0 
406 Lady Jane- - - -82 Winston- - - - - - 80 
306 Gardenia - - - ~80 
Oriental Pearl has nothing but great size and lacks beauty. 
Has no business being in same class with White Gold and Leading 
Lady, each of which are exquisitely beautiful as well as big. 
Lady Jane a grand flower. Gardenia one of most reliable flo- 
wers in glads. Winston has lovely ruffling. 
LIGHT YELLOW 10 
510 Crinkle Cream- -82 Sir Galahad- ~ - -82 Vee Cream- - - -80 
410 Rahlahnehka- - -82 Golden Galleon - -82 Golden Gate- - -81 
Yangtse- - - - -80 Harvest Moon - - -81 Golden Chimes- -80 
Royal Gold - ~ -80 
310 Elizabeth Maier-82 Sunny Day- - - - - 81 Mother Kadel - -80 
Miss Blooming- 
ton- - - - - - 80 
Crinkle Cream, 53" ruffled light yellow is best. Red center. 
Galahad and Vee Cream next but not strictly yellows - at least 
not for make up work. Tahlahnehka - with 3 h's - and Golden 
Galleon are best yellows in 410 class. Others need only size to 
be right in there. We need 54" spectrum yellow. Elizabeth 
Maier had bad year but is good - very good. 
DEEP YELLOW 
412 Van Gold ~ - - -80 Golden State - - -80 
312 Golden Goddess -82 
Van Gold is late ~ Golden Gate not deep enough in color and 
substance doubtful. Golden Goddess is great - easily the best. 
Deep yellow but florets not big enough. 
BUFF 16 
516 King William- - 82 Helen of Troy - - 80 
416 Susquehana- - - 84 Sunspot - - - - - 81 Criterion - - - 81 
Donna - - - - - 82 
316 Mayling - - - - 80 Grenadier - - - ~- 80 Alsace- - - - - 80 
King William one of most beautiful of all glads. Helen of 
Troy, fine spike and great heighth - is not pretty. Susquehanna 
was exquisite combination of light colors - and so was Donna. 
Sunspot is buff with lovely yellow center. Criterion is model 
spike - light in color. Grenadier is lovlier than Dr. Whitely 
and promising. Alsace has beauty of floret spade that is simply 
exquisite. 
ORANGE '20 
520 Aleta- - - - - - 81 Marqueeta- - - - 81 Palermo- - - - - 80 
Lantana- - = —- — 79 
420 Delilah- - - - - 83 Jay's Joy- -.- - 82 Hurricane- - - -8l 
Rio Rita - - - - 81 Halloween- - - - 80 Diane- - - - - - 80 
300 Bit O Heaven - - 
Aleta is a big, good self of fine color. Palermo, new but 
low priced is also a nice self. Lantana is a novelty - opens 
only 4-5. Delilah best of orange glads - is light orange - 
whitish center, ruffled - 8 open - 5" florets. Jay's Joy a 
decorative orange with white center is fine flower and good 
grower. Others all good. Orange is a well filled color in 
glads. 
LIGHT SALMON 30 
530 King of Hearts - 81 lLaddie - - - - - 80 
430 H. B. Pitts- - - 80 Fortune- - - - - 80 Conquest - - - -80 
Grace Estella- - 83 Avalon - - - - - 80 
330 Lady Luck- - - - 83 Beauty Clynic- - 80 
Two new good ones improve this class. Grace Estella is fine 
spike of light salmon pink and cream combination that is love- 
lier than Conquest and a better spike. Lady Luck a Picardy 
sport, is a 4" floret but an exciting new glad with fine future 
- a real beauty and grand florists flower. The others you know. 
