HORNBERGER’S GARDEN SERVICE) - BAMBURG, NOY. 9 
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THE EVALUATION OF NEW GLADIOLUS VARIETIES 
_ After nearly thirty years of testing new varieties of gladiolus, I am still of the 
opinion that we cannot give, much definite information, about any new variety, until 
it has been widely grown and tested, in the many sections of our country where 
glads are grown, extensively, under many and varied conditions of soil, and climate 
and all other factors that go to produce growing environments, for the commercial 
culture of our favorite flower. 
Different soil types have much to do with performance, as has moisture, feed- 
ing, under drainage, and many other things that enter into good cultural methods. 
A new variety may give exceptional performance, when grown in one type soil, and 
produce negative results in another soil, in the same section of the country, I re- 
member, one of our best known growers telling me a few years ago, something along 
this line, he said he knew two well known west coast glad. growers, both highly 
exporienced, and having ideal soil and climate for glads, one of them had excep- 
tional results with the variety ‘Beacon’ while the other never did have satisfactory 
results with the same variety. 
We have found this to be true, as we have used a very wide range of soil, not 
only in one state, but in a number of states, and I know from long experience that 
no matter, how sincere we may be in reporting a new variety, all such reports are 
subject jo greatly altered views, after several more years of growing and of wider 
dissemination and larger available stocks. 
Outside of the ‘average’ comments, we make in catalog, which are not en- 
tirely our own, but also the ideas of others, we will not stress the value of any new 
variety too much, until we have much more definite information about such a 
variety, and this all sums up, until there is considerable increase, some years after 
intrcduction, your best bet, now as in the past, is to do your own testing. This 
may be accomplished, by buying small quantities, of medium sized, new varieties, each 
year, and growing them under your own conditions, I say medium sizes because if 
any commercial will not produce in a satisfactory manner from good medium bulbs, 
it should be regarded with some doubts. You also get your best idea of bulblet 
production, from the use of medium bulbs, for if they are ‘young’ stock they were 
likely grown from bulblets or very smal! planters, so will average the best in bulblet 
production, as well as in good average performance as ‘cutters.’ 
We are now growing bulbs both in the north and the deep south, so I will be 
in a much more favorabie position, to make “COMPARATIVE REPORTS” by an- 
other year, as we will test many varieties, both in western New York, where we 
have been in production for about thirty years, and here in Central Florida, where 
' TI have been arranging, proper locations for several years past. - 
A new variety that is highly ‘toted’ in the north, may prove a dismal flop here 
in the south, from where I am preparing this copy. It will be,my aim and object 
to give very careful, consideration to each and every test, of course here in Florida 
most glads, grown in the fall and early winter are grown under irrigation, and 
largely in warm sandy soils, so much different than many soil types used in the 
north, and where conditions are radically different than here. 
In the north a very wide range of soil types are used, in particular in the 
northeast, which is hill country, some gladiolus varieties, can be grown for many 
years in pure muck soils that are well drained, and properly fertilized, but there 
are other varieties, that would result in failure of crops if they were propagated 
any length of time in the same soil conditions, some varieties, can be subjected to 
much ‘wetter’ soil conditions than can another variety, it is all these local factors, 
on each farm, that largely determine, what new variety will perform in a satisfactory 
manner for you, if you grow the new variety, under much the same conditions, 
under which it has so far given its most promising results, than perhaps you will 
experience similar results. 
I expect to have much to report for north and south, performance by next year. 
NURSERY INSPECTION IS THE GROWERS’ PROTECTION 
NURSERY INSPECTION IS BOTH BUYER AND GROWER PROTECTION. 
Bulb Buyer’s; Our Nursery inspection label is No. 2654. STATH OF NEW YORK, 
the bulbs we offer are grown in western New York. | ag 
Every bulb buyer, should demand, the publication of the grower’s Nursery or 
(Bulb) Blanket Inspection label, or at least the number as we have given, if he does 
so, he gives PROOF that stock has been inspected by state authorized inspection, 
(to print without inspection is mail fraud.) 
