GUIDEBOOK FOR 1953 
Page 17 
OUR 1953 IMPORT RELEASES 
(No Discounts or 10 Rate Unless Indicated) 
470 BISHOP’S SCEPTER (Bischofsstab) 
(Pfitzer) (our 53 import release) E. 
Clean, very blue toned cyclamen 
purple, blending to a lighter tint in 
throat. Small, narrow white dart on 
deeper red purple on lip petal. Color 
has a very velvety shine and 14 or 
more buds may come into color before 
the first opens. 8-8-6-22. Some ruffling 
at edges. 4%2-5-inch florets. Takes hot 
sunshine or rainy weather in stride. 
Tall, wiry spikes, well placed, good 
healthy grower. 
In ’51, firsts by Tom Manley at Bing- 
hamton and Ohio (Worthington). 
Vv rating 86-B-B. 
Each Medium $1.50, Small $1.00. 
Supply limited. 
500 MARIA GORETTI (Salman) (our 
753 import release) E. This is a giant 
very pure white, blending into a very 
slight amount of cream in the throat. 
Color showing in buds is cream. The 
54-inch plants with wiry stems easily 
support good flowerheads with well 
placed, wide open, 6-inch florets. Bal- 
ance is excellent at 6-6-6-18 and occa- 
sionally 20 buds. Good propagator 
(Holland says fast). Good bud separa- 
tion and easy access to stem for low 
cutting. 
Further trials in a more normal pro- 
duction year may well improve the 
commercial rating. 
O.S.G.S. (Ohio-Vt.) ’52 ratings 89-B-B. 
Each L $1.00, M .75, S .50. 
507 MELBOURNE (B & P) (our 753 
import release) M. A very light 
cream, approaching white with a small 
purplish red brush on a deeper cream 
throat. The whole floret has a peculiar 
and unusual orchid overcast which 
gives this variety a distinctive color 
value all its own. The round wide 
petals form giant flaring 6-7-inch 
florets of heavy texture with a slight 
ruffling at edge. The heavy 6-foot 
plants carry immense “whopper type” 
spikes at eye level with up to 8-8-6-22 
buds. 
Vv ratings 85-B-B. 
Each L $1.00, M .60, S .40. 
Propagating unit 3 L, 6 M, 25 S for 
$10.00. 
400 PALACE (K & M) (our ’53 import 
release) M. Clean, ivory tinted white, 
very pale yellow in throat. Slightly 
ruffled. Placement dependably perfect 
on tall wiry stems carrying long last- 
ing spikes of 7-6-7-20. Grown 3 years, 
commercial characteristics, including 
fast propagation, all appear excellent. 
Vv ratings 88-A-A 
Each L $1.00, M .75 Blts .08 (100/5.00). 
570 PASSION (Salman) (our 53 import 
release) M. Giant velvety purple with 
some deeper feathering and ruffling 
at the edges. Petals are wide and 
entirely edged with a whitish line and 
the upper throat is lighter tinted. The 
huge florets are round, flat open, 
6-7 inches and can hold 7-7-6-19 buds. 
Height about 54-56 inches. If slightly 
taller it would be in our list of 
“whopper” spikes. As grown here 
several years, medium propagation 
appears to be all we can say against 
it so we suggest you do not measure 
its worth by comparison of prices with 
other purples we are offering. 
Each L .50, M .35. 
578 SALMAN’S SENSATION (Salman) 
(our ’53 import release) LM. Clean, 
medium-deep blue violet, shaded deeper 
in lower throat and tinted lighter in 
upper throat. The tallest (70 inches) 
and largest (7 inches) blue extant, by 
a wide margin. 
Like the mouse trap story, probably 
you have heard the common advice 
to hybridists: “Grow a giant deep blue 
and quickly retire a multi-millionaire.” 
However, this is not our handiwork 
and we do not control the stock, though 
first to offer it here. 
The plants are heavy, flowerheads 
long, stems wiry and stiff, access to 
cutting, bud separation and placement 
all very good. Opens well and most 
of the spikes we grew held 6-6-6-18 
buds, though one held 8 open. 
One year of evidence indicates good 
propagation. If ’52 performance re- 
peats 2 more years with more sub- 
stantial stocks to study and this 
variety vemains the only “rated” 500 
size deep blue, it could deserve AA AA. 
The variety makes our ‘whopper’ 
spike list with ease. 
O. S. G. S. (Ohio-Vt.) test ratings 
87-A-A. 
Each L $2.50, M $2.00, S $1.50. No dis- 
count, No 10 Rate. 
377 TRADITION (K & M) (our ’53 
import release) M. Medium-light blue 
violet blending a little lighter in upper 
throat and deep blue violet marks on 
lip petals. 4-4%-inch smooth florets 
with good flare and well attached on 
tall spikes with long flowerheads, 
6-6-6-18. Stems are wiry and straight. 
Healthy grower, good cut habits and 
propagation, traits not very common 
among the “blues”. 
A.M. both Haarlem and R.H.S. after 
Wisley trials. 
Each L .75, M .50, S .25, Bits 4/.25. 
