HAROLD B. HIGGINS 
(Originator of Pharoah) 
We thought you might like to know something of Mr. Higgins of Preston, Maryland, 
whose first origination we are introducing this year. He started hybridizing in 1935, and 
was just getting nicely established when the war broke out and he then spent the next 
four years in the army. His home training was with the 13th Armored, then a year in 
North Africa, and then was assigned as technical advisor to the French Reconnaissance 
Regiment in the invasion of southern France and stayed with the French troops to the 
Rhine. He writes “nothing startling happened to me, came thru without a scratch, but 
there were a few calls too close for comfort.” 
He returned home in 1945, but while he was lucky in the service, during his absence 
his home, furnishings, office records and mailing list had burned and he had to start 
in again from the bottom. Still more misfortune was to follow, with the loss of a baby 
daughter in 1946 with expensive hospital treatment. In 1947 he was building a stock 
of his only seedling of real class which he called PHAROAH (we had wondered about 
his choice of the name, but his stay in Africa was probably the reason). That season he 
shipped a quantity of the spikes of this to the Baltimore market where it brought premium 
prices. Since then under the firm name of Glad-Acres he had been increasing his bulb 
supply and enlarging his market for cut flowers, and planning for the formal introduction 
of Pharoah. He had already arranged for many test plantings with various state 
Gladiolus organizations when he happened to read our two page advertisement in the 
Gladiolus Magazine of April 1949, in which we explained very frankly our opposition 
to high prices for Gladiolus introductions and explained the Gladland policy. 
His reaction was favorable and added to this several of his friends suggested 
Gladland Acres as the ideal introducer, providing we would be willing to approve his 
seedling. As a result, following our own growing of a quantity of bulbs this summer 
in all sizes, and with the very detailed reports from trials in 12 states by organizations 
and individuals whom we knew as fully qualified, we concluded an agreement. Thus 
you find Pharoah receiving the headline position in our 1950 catalog and in our current 
advertising program. We believe that Gladland publicity, plus the merit of his seedling 
will give Mr. Higgins a real boost. He deserves a break for the better and Gladland 
Acres will use every effort to obtain for his Pharoah a wide distribution. If you try it and 
like it, tell your friends about it, for we believe in not too long a time it will be a “MUST 
HAVE” in every garden in America where glads are grown. 

JOIN A NATIONAL GLADIOLUS SOCIETY 
If you do not belong to a national organization and if you are really interested in 
the flower, you would find a membership which brings you all of their publications, a 
most profitable investment. The two national organizations are: 
The New England Gladiolus Society, publishers of six magazine issues plus a very 
comprehensive Yearbook of some 240 pages. Without doubt THE GLADIOLUS 1950 will 
be an amateur’s “MUST.” Our early reports of the material received by NEGS and the 
many new but expert contributors, should make it a gardener’s library treasure, and 
Glad enthusiasts couldn’t get along without it. The annual dues are $3.00 for one year, 
or only $7.00 for three years. You may mail your check either to us, for forwarding, or 
direct to N.E.G.S., Horticultural Hall, Boston 15, Mass. 
The North American Gladiolus Council — publishes no Yearbook but issues four 
quarterly bulletins, each of 100 or more pages. Their annual dues are $1.50 per year. 
Send your check to us for forwarding, or direct to A. Bazdorf, Membership Secy., 
N.A.G.C., Lincoln Park, N. J. 
