Crewe ae bells TIN CrioNn 4) 
made up of KING DAVID and BRIDAL ORCHID, a perfect blending color combination. 
STERLING fits in somewhere between the lavenders and purples. Color is somewhat 
reminiscent of KING ARTHUR. SHERWOOD is beautifully ruffled, shaded to a deeper 
throat. In the slightly smaller floret size) DOROTHY ARMSTRONG is a self colored bright 
purple, grows tall and propagates well. LANCASTER can now be grown in quantity and 
surely rates as the best in its price class. 
If I were limited to growing but one red gladiolus, the choice would fall to RED WING. 
Rangy spikes, abundance of buds, consistency, propagation and health are all qualities of 
this truly great glad. BONFIRE and FLAME GIRL excell in brilliance; the former opens 
up 8 well rounded florets and rates high in Symposiums. RHETT BUTLER continues 
to excell all others in earliness. RED CHERRY follows about a week later. I know of no 
varieties to surpass these two for early commercial planting. LEAH GORMAN is light red 
with a clean white throat, performing well from smaller sizes. ESQUIRE, one of the newer 
scarlets, is a tall strong grower, opening 7 to 9 large florets. BIG JOE, a high ruffled red, 
has championships to its credit in its native Canada, a great addition to the reds. Two 
newcomers are POINSETTIA and TOMAHAWK. Having observed field growth of both 
these past two seasons, I can recommend their purchase, both being available at modest 
introductory prices. Form of spike and florets of POINSETTIA closely approach the per- 
fection of SPIC AND SPAN; the introducer of TOMAHAWK considers it one of his best. 
VELVET MANTLE, REGAL RED and MID AMERICA grow to eye level height. My 
favorite black red, BLACK CHERRY, has a rival in ACE OF SPADES, as regards intensity 
of depth of coloring. Limited experience growing the latter only tends to encourage a 
wider planting. Can you imagine the contrast in a basket of the ACE combined with the 
snowiness of NEWPORT WHITE? BIRCH RED is of the deeper shade of red, but is 
sparkling, with just a hint of burnished sheen. ROYAL FLUSH is outstanding, also deep 
red, carrying the ruffling so prominent in the BARRETT varieties, certainly one of his best. 
In rose reds, I can see nothing in sight to replace BURMA. It merits a high place in any- 
one’s list of favorites. 
A selection of 10 best varieties would hardly coincide with that of any other grower, 
conditions as well as tastes being too wide for even a wise man to attempt assembling such 
a list. Enumeration of personal favorites, however, is everyone’s privilege, BRIDAL 
ORCHID, FRIENDSHIP, HONEY, SPIC AND SPAN, MISS WISCONSIN, RED WING, 
KING DAVID, FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, CYNTHIA, LEADING LADY, WEDGWOOD, 
and BURMA sharing this distinction. 
Another glad season has passed into history, bringing its fulfillment of dreams as well 
as its disallusionments, and the beautiful visions that cheered us in a most wondrous 
season will soon exist in memory only. But the mysteries contained in the bulbs we are 
now harvesting will be unfolded, once Winter passes and Springtime again greets us. 
May your 1952 gladiolus garden surpass even your fondest dreams. 
