1951 Introduction 
Columbia (Roberts) 
Formerly seedling 1344-3. Parentage: (Picardy x Puritan) x Myrna x 
Corona. Midseason, class 407. For many years growers have been looking 
for a gladiolus with the color of Corona but without its faults. In Colum- 
bia we believe we have just such a variety. Its color is a clear creamy 
white with a slightly deeper cream center; its distinctive bright rose bord- 
er extending inward from the petal edges a half-inch or more. The rose 
halo is more uniform and more prominent than in Corona as the latter 
grows here. The delicately frilled, rounded florets of Columbia are very 
tightly attached to the graceful, rather slender, always straight stem. It 
grows to a height of 4% feet, with a 24-26 inch flowerhead of 19 to 21 
buds. Six or seven flowers or 4% to 5 inch size are open at once with 5 
more showing color. Columbia is a good healthy grower, making medium 
dark green foliage and sound, firm bulbs. It is an extremely fast propagator 
of large bulblets which nearly all germinate and make fine growth. Sale- 
able spikes can be cut from very small bulbs, and even from bulblets. 
Columbia blooms in midseason or slightly earlier, 85 to 90 days from 
planting. It is most uniform in spike and flower production. Placement of 
florets is usually slightly overlapping, but with sufficient space between 
buds there is no appearance of crowding. Florets are very widely opened, 
in fact usually somewhat recurved. It lasts unusually well after cutting, 
opening slowly and holding its size and color well to the tip. Our tests 
indicate that Columbia will likely be a good shipping variety. We fully 
expect that it will be one of our most popular varieties, and it should 
eventually replace Corona in the cut flower markets of the country. Large 
bulbs, sold out. Medium or Small, $5.00 each. I bulb and 10 selected bulb- 
lets for $10.00. No bulblets sold separately this year. 
1951 Co-Introductions 
The following varieties, Blue Devil from Chas. Larus, and Easter Bon- 
net from Myron G. Lacey were grown by us as seedlings, and we have no 
hesitancy in recommending them as superior new varieties in their respec- 
tive color classes. 
Blue Devil (Larus) 
A very promising new exhibition variety in clear deep blue-violet, or 
“anthracene violet’ as it is listed in Ridgeway color chart. It has white 
midribs and a large white throat on which are centered deep rose blotches. 
Certainly a most showy glad and one that is entirely different than any 
other blue we have seen. It opens seven 4'%-inch florets on 5-foot plants 
with 24-inch flowerheads. A good propagator and germinator, and a strong 
grower for a blue. Blue Devil made a fine show record as a seedling last 
summer, winning an Award of Merit at N.E.G.S.-Boston, an “A” rating 
at Eastern International, and an Award of Merit and “Most Popular Va- 
riety” in the Connecticut show by public vote, receiving as many votes 
as the next three most popular glads combined. Class 479. L $5.00, M $4.00, 
S $3.00, Bulblets $1.00 each. 
Easter Bonnet (Lacey) 
A very nice new light lavender with a clear dark lavender or light 
purple throat. It opens 7 plain petaled or very slightly frilled 5-inch florets 
on 24-inch flowerheads of 19-20 buds; total height 50 to 52 inches. The 
color combination of the two shades of lavender is very pleasing, being 
rather similar to that of Colonial Dame, altho the florets of Easter Bonnet 
are larger and the color perhaps a little lighter. Practically everyone who 
visited our garden when it was in bloom admired it very much; many 
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