A good spike of PARTHIENA- will go-a long way: -on.the ‘Show: table and its unusual color is 
very pleasing. PATRICIAN doesn't have the stretchy flower-head that we like but its smooth 
shade of lavender is very nice. RUTH ANN just doesn't grow as tall as we like. It's very 
nice as far as color is concerned. SIBONEY is capable of making superh .spikes although 
most of them have a short stem. We like the lavender-rose of SUNDAY BEST. It seems to do 
well’ from any: size bulb and is’ an excellent ‘grower... A’very charming variety. is WEDG- 
WOOD. “‘Listed as an 80 day variety; it blooms much earlier for us. : . a 
PURPLE—70 
EUNICE EWING is a very good seller and has a color combination not found in other varieties. 
MARGARET WOOD seems to be getting better each year. There is nothing quite like its deep 
wine color. On the red side of purple is SHERWOOD. This is much better than the older 
King Lear and is very attractive. 
LIGHT VIOLET—76 | 
Garden visitors were fascinated with BLUE BONNET. It has such pure, clear color tones. 
DEEP VIOLET—78 
BLUE LAGOON is very tall and healthy. While it doesn't open more than 5 or 6 it fills the 
bill for a good “blue.” Darker than Blue Beauty, it is a better grower than that variety. 
SMOKY ‘SHADES—80 
STORMY WEATHER is appropriately named. The soft, attractive colors are lighter than in 
most smokies. DUSTY MILLER is a very strong grower and makes fine formal spikes. INDIAN 
SUMMER is unusual even for a smoky. OPECHEE is more refined and is even acceptable as a 
florist variety. PERSIAN RUG is very showy with its plum, rose, and light yellow colors. 
- These comments are based upon the 1950 growing season here. This year- was one of 
the most favorable for growing both flowers. and bulbs that I can remember in a long while. 
One grower in the mid-West reports “Finest Glads in 20 years!’’ We had a cool summer and 
plenty of moisture. 
.. This year I am not selecting a list of favorites but:instead I am listing the top 15 varieties 
as they bloomed for us. This list will be found elsewhere in the catalogue. 
Many: fine looking seedlings were observed at the shows this year—more than I have 
noted for some time. Probably a good many of these will not put in their appearance next 
year but from the ones I saw both on the show table and in the field I am sure we have some 
nice new ones to look forward to. It was our pleasure to grow quite a few seedlings for 
other hybridizers and the best of these have been noted for future purchasing. We were 
quite enthused about some of our own seedlings too, especially the lavenders. Then too there 
is a rose-pink sport of Burma which we have been propagating for two years. This is a 
beautiful light rose and the fine color combined with the other well known qualities of Burma 
should make it outstanding. We hope to be able to release it in another year or so.. - 
_ In concluding: this Color Class Comment I would like to mention one other point and. that 
is the releasing of so many new varieties every year. We have made it a rule not to list a 
variety until we have grown “t ourselves. In this way we feel certain that the varieties’ we 
do offer our customers are quite worth while. This helps in telling of the good and bad points 
of a flower too as it enables us to describe the variety aS we saw it in our own field. I don't 
mean to belittle the widely advertised Glads that are not found in our list as there are many 
that we do not grow and it is impossible for one to grow all the new ones. We do, however, 
feel that our customers can buy from our list with the utmost confidence. 
7 
