: 
j . ~ COLOR CLASS TABULATION OF 1946 WINNERS 
This tabulation of 1946 winners, coupled with like tabulations in our Guidebooks of 
recent years and those to follow, presents the best bird’s eye view possible of the development 
and ebb of popularity of varieties. The listing includes every variety winning 3 or more first 
prize or special awards in 10 major gladiolus shows, mostly in central U. S. and Canada, 
namely: Canadian National, Simcoe G. S. host, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Empire State at 
Cortland, N. Y., Indiana State, Ohio State (two shows) Pa. G. S. at Greenville, S. E. Mich. 
at Detroit, Triple Cities at Binghampton, N. Y. and Tri State at Wellsville. We also worked 
into our tabulation the special awards at the Mich. State show at Ann Arbor and then 
discovered we had mislaid a booklet wherein we had recorded every first prize award as well. 
Up to mid-January we have received no Bulletin from the society setting them forth so these 
are not included in the tabulation. 
These shows are highly competitive. The inclusion of less competitive shows would 
‘uncover a’much higher proportion of first prizes by the common standard varieties, not to 
mention some rather antiquated. It is our purpose in this tabulation to seek out those glads 
destined to be glads of tomorrow. . 
February, 1944, representatives of about 20 states (N. E. G. S. host) met at Pittsburgh 
to attempt restandardization of gladiolus classification which was rapidly disintegrating due 
to various and sundry efforts to improve upon the size classification first adopted by the Ohio 
society eleven years ago and shortly followed by the then existing National Commercial 
Growers Association, the American Gladiolus Society and most of the U. S., Australian and 
Canadian societies with minor variations. At that time the A. G. S. and N. E. G. S. policies 
were formed largely by commercial growers attentive to the needs of the gladiolus industry 
as a whole and the 3‘size classification was adopted as simple and understandable. 
_ At the moment we have a 5 size classification adopted by this group and reversing the 
direction of standard numbering series to ‘500 Giant, 400 Large, 300 Medium, 200 Small 
and 100 Miniature’. The Ohio society (yours truly delegate) did not vote in favor of the 
change from 3 to 5“sizes. Why the delegates didn’t take a fling at reversing the size of bulbs 
to number 6 for the largest size bulbs, etc., for good measure we wouldn't know. But we do 
know from 18 years of selling experience that our customers will not buy from us varieties 
under 3 inches so the added effort of tabulating the new 100 and 200 series will not be here 
undertaken. And we feel that long after our time people will still be calling glads “‘large, 
medium, and small”’. | 
; At a further similar conference meeting at Detroit in 1945, the new North American 
Gladiolus Council was organized with 18 state societies participating. This Council is issuing 
an interesting Quarterly Bulletin (see ‘“‘Society Page’’, page 34) and a selected list of about 
2200 gladiolus varieties classified for show prize schedule purposes. 
We have undertaken here to correct some apparent size and color errors but we cannot 
guarantee that the corrections will be “officially”? adopted. 
Varieties are listed within their classification in the order of OUR preference, reflecting 
OUR opinion of their relative worth. The first number after variety name indicates the 
number of 1st prize awards. The second number indicates the number of special awards, 
section, division and grand champs and Awards of Merit. Those varieties showing no 
awards in this area in 1946 and those with less than 3 awards, it is necessary to include in 
order to reflect our opinion of their relative worth. As these are further propagated and 
become more widely disseminated we expect them to win their share of the awards. 
The varieties listed in capital letters, in our opinion, are of most outstanding quality, 
judging them by standards more severe than would cause us to vote them ‘‘A”’ for the Cana- 
dian Symposium. , 
This whole tabulation is literally packed with information. Incidentally, it has taken 
more time to prepare it than the entire balance of the Guidebook. Tabulation of special 
prizes that entries went on to win beyond their blue ribbons offers a preview of what varieties 
now in scarce supply may be expected to do a few years hence when more blooms may be 
brought to the shows. Illustration: 
Most exhibitors now grow Leading Lady and in the 10 shows reported probably more than 
100 entries of it were made. Of these 23 entries got first prizes but among them they gathered 
14 further special awards. However, only in Binghampton was it able to rate Grand 
Champion. In other shows not here tabulated it had a much easier task, gathering some 8 
to 10 grand championships. Note also that Spitfire, a variety in very minute world supply, 
comparatively, only received 7 blue ribbons, but out of possibly only 7 to 10 entries, yet went 
on and won 14 special awards including 2 grand championships, and two Awards of Merit, 
as many specials as Leading Lady with over 3 times as many blue ribbon winners and prob- 
ably over 10 times as many total entries. 
To satisfy your curiosity further, as to why many currently acclaimed “world beaters’’ 
get so far down the list—more often than not the offense is lack of color value or a good 
general color badly marred by scratchy feathering. Good judges can overlook minor infrac- 
tions, habit, growth, placement, substance, crooking, productivity, etc:, but if a glad does 
not have attractive color then exceptionally long spikes, great size, many open and good 
habits elsewhere can never make it a true, lasting ‘‘world beater’’. 
We have starting stocks of the few new varieties listed in caps in the 500 and 400 Series 
but not appearing in our sales offerings (see index, page 39). These stocks are too small 
currently to warrant listing and we do not solicit inquiries for prices this year. 
