1951 Descriptive List 13 
Wi ee) 
of all the varieties they tried. It has been used as a cut flower in Salt Lake City for a few years 
where it is difficult to grow good glads because of the high altitude, heat and dryness. 
It has been shown in the color class only twice, at Binghamton and Garfield Park, where it 
won blue ribbons both times. This looks like a very good prospect for the cut flower market 
and also for exhibition. Such a variety should be introduced at a much higher price but because 
of the fair stock available it is being put out at the lowest price a seedling should be introduced 
at. 
Price: large $1.00; medium 75c; small 50c; bbts. 2 for 25c. 
Grower's Unit: 5 large, 5 medium, 5 small and 100 bbts. $12.00. 
FROM LAWRENSON—ODELL 
Marathon (410) (Picardy x Mar. Beaton) Here is a yellow glad that is going to make 
~—— history. It ships and opens at least as well as Picardy. A glad that will do that 
has something that very few have. If Picardy did not have the ability to open well after long 
distance shipping it would be just another very good glad. But having this opening ability it 
made the Florida industry and millions of dollars for the growers. Now we have a fine yellow 
that can take its place alongside Picardy. 
THE COLOR is soft butterscotch yellow with a small reddish throat mark—a color that is not 
so contrasty and harsh as Spotlight and can be used by florists much more freely than that variety. 
THE PLANT grows very strong and healthy often reaching 6 feet and more in height and always 
straight. 
THE PLACEMENT of blooms is just irregular enuf to be artistic and pleasing—not around the 
side or backside of the stem but not in perfectly formal rows. It is not a show flower. 
IT OPENS 7 fully open and opens easily and fairly quickly and keeps the color and most of 
the size to the tip. The tip blooms are as fresh as if just picked in the garden. The head does not 
bend over or break when partly opened up as many varieties do. It stays stiff to the end. 
SIZE | am calling this a 400 tho it does reach 514” under regular field culture. 
SUBSTANCE is very good. The blooms are slightly waved and rolled back and have a very 
definite form—no floppiness or soft appearance. 
GENERAL APPEARANCE It probably is not so beautiful as Lodestar or Gold at their best 
nor does it open so many at a time as Golden Dawn but it will ship and open to the tip. And 
even if it didn’t it is a fine yellow and intrigued me greatly before | learned of its opening ability. 
When | was in Oregon last fall | had some blooms from No. 4's sent me from Southern 
California reaching me on a Thursday morning. On Saturday | took a spike home with me dry 
in my suitcase, reaching home the next afternoon. The following Sunday the tip blooms opened 
up beautifully clean and fresh with all the color and most of the size of the bottom florets. 
' To prove to you what MARATHON is like in the regular cut flower business | am giving 
an excerpt from a letter | received from The United Wholesale Florists of Los Angeles who 
handled what blooms Mr. Lawrenson could furnish. They say! 
“We are only too glad to give you a little background on the ‘Bill’s Butterscotch.’ We 
first handled it last year and were able to sell any amount that Mr. Lawrenson could cut both 
to local florists and shipping concerns who were sending it by air and rail to Texas, Oklahoma, 
Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Washington and even into Wisconsin for a short period of 
time. At all times it commanded a number one price on this market. 
“One of the features of the glad is that it retains full color and quality of the lowest floret 
while opening out to the top. It has quite a long spike with the florets fairly close together, has 
excellent lasting qualities and grew from bulblets to about 48’’ high, the average height of 
first grade gladiolus here. From the jumbos thru 5’s, it produced a 5-7 foot glad. 

“Had 100 bulbs of the No. 3 De Luxe collection this season and we were very much 
pleased with them.” —Fred Sanborn, Montana 
