OUR 1953 INTRODUCTIONS 
Note: Hyphens used between ratings are mere separations. 
No ratings are plus or minus. 
A. B. COUTTS 
516 A. B. COUTTS (R. D. Coutts) 
(Coutts- Evans 753 co - introduction) 
M-LM. At last we have a good exhibi- 
tion-commercial glad in the giant buff 
classification. By the reliable Cana- 
dian hybridist R. D. Coutts, whose 
infrequent introductions are issued 
only after years of study and adequate 
periods of testing by competent test 
gardens. When Mr. Coutts issues a 
variety there are three quality charac- 
teristics of which you may be sure— 
unbounded health, high quality color 
value and genuine ability to stand up. 
Those who have purchased his Cather- 
ine Beath know what we are talk- 
ing about. 
This glad, A. B. Coutts, named in 
memory of his brother, is a huge 
peachy to apricot buff, blending fur- 
ther into deep yellow in the throat. 
Has an overall frosty appearance. 
Clean, smooth florets are almost en- 
tirely of the much desired inverted 
type (single lip, top petal to rear). 
The spikes all have long flowerheads 
with perfect form and placement that 
seem to be accomplished with geo- 
metric precision. The facing and spac- 
ing are just never faulty. The bulblet 
increase is very good even from large 
bulbs and they germinate 100% with 
ease, followed by very vigorous growth. 
In 3 long rows of bloom at Mr. Coutts’ 
home at Barrie, Ontario, (see illustra- 
tion of Mr. Coutts who stands almost 
6 ft. 4 in. alongside a row), the plants 
had heavy foliage, 30-40 inches, with 
dozens of spikes, all straight, carry- 
ing 8 open florets, 8 in color and 8 
buds, 24 total or better. A few ran 
to 9 open, 26-27 buds. Moreover, 
spikes cut tight develop perfectly in 
water and with more experience and 
another testing we predict a AA com- 
mercial! rating will follow. 
Culminating 3 years of testing by the 
Canadian Gladiolus Growers Club 
(G.G.C.), A. B. Coutts received their 
Gold Medal Award in ’51. Trials in 
Ohio and Vermont by the O.S.G.S. 
(as successor to Valleevue) ’52 test 
gardens it received the ratings 90 for 
color, A exhibition and A commercial. 
We are sole distributor in U. S. and 
Mrs jaCoutts? is vrsolesedistributoriain 
Canada this first year due to the fact 
that he will donate one half of his 
Canadian sales to the Canadian Red 
Cross. 
Some growers and catalogers failed to 
get the significance of the $1.00 intro- 
ductory rate on Catherine Beath. Had 
it been issued at $5.00 each and they 
were permitted to purchase at $2.50 
to $3.00 each, these very complainers 
would have scrambled for some stocks, 
gladly paying twice as much. A lesson 
much needed in the gladiolus industry. 
We purchase foreign varieties in their 
year of introduction, as close to their 
seed stage as possible to obtain healthy 
stocks before incursion of soil diseases 
and further hazards of variety mix- 
tures. And often at the each rate, with 
the result that, without heavy invest- 
ment, frequently we are first in U. S. 
with sufficient propagation to list the 
best items. 
Prices on A. B. Coutts will remain firm 
in its second year and, being a very 
good propagator, growers making pur- 
chases in its first year will be way 
out in front, dollar for dollar, with 
vastly more stock than the same in- 
vestment will buy when a break in 
price occurs in its third year. 
Prices: No Discount. No 10 Rate. 
Each, your choice, L or M, $1.00. 
