tt ies dot [954 
- « (440) (Fischer, 1954) (70 
Pink Diamond days) (White Christmas 
x Friendship) (Seedling No. 76-47) 
A glance at the names of our 1954 introductions 
might give one the idea that we've been sashaying 
through Tiffany’s or Cartier’s, but the truth is more 
modest. We have a jeweler friend in a large Mid- 
western city, a registered gemologist, who specializes 
in rare and unusual gems. Once, on a visit, he said 
to us, “I have a ring here so beautiful I’d just as soon 
not sell it.” Intrigued, we asked to see it. It consisted 
of a large and perfect natural pearl of a shimmering 
light pink color flanked by glittering triangular-cut 
light pink diamonds, the rarest of gems—the whole as- 
sembled in stark simplicity in a white gold mount. 
Truly it was a supreme creation of the jeweler’s art. 
“Pink Diamond” seemed a fitting name for a gladio- 
lus of the self-same exquisite pink hue of these lovely 
gems and with the authentic sparkle of the glittering 
pink diamonds. Indeed, I cannot recall any glad in 
my experience that equals this one in frostiness of 
sheen, in overlay of diamond dust. 
Pink Diamond grew uniformly 59 inches tall for us 
last summer with nearly every spike in bloom at once. 
Its 30-inch, spire-like flowerhead is beautifully pro- 
portioned, holding 8 heavily ruffled, heavy-textured 
round florets open at once in formal yet graceful array. 
Twenty-four buds is almost customary. Viewing a 
stereo picture taken last summer looking down two 
fairly long rows, we can see but a single crook and not 
a single short. 
C. D. Fortnam, oft the victor as the most beautiful 
glad at the Eastern International show at Binghamton, 
N. Y., comes closest to Pink Diamond in perfection of 
beauty but Pink Diamond is much rounder in the floret 
as well as purer and deeper in tint and longer in 
flowerhead. Here truly is a gem of purest ray serene 
—a supreme product of Nature’s art. 
The Starker arrangement of Pink Diamond shown 
on page 5 was the most ethereally beautiful flower 
composition we have ever seen, but unfortunately 
sheen and delicacy of tint seem to elude the engraver 
so we'll have to ask you to believe that Pink Diamond 
is far more beautiful than printer’s ink can portray. 
(Incidentally, it is much larger than the spike shown 
on the back cover which was grown from a No. 4 bulb.) 
The halftone on page 6 reveals its perfection of form. 
Fink Diamond was one of six glads to win top rating 
out of 70 seedlings tested under code numbers in 1953 
by the North American Gladiolus Council Test Gar- 
dens. It has won the seedling championship at show 
after show and when first exhibited at the Central 
International show at Madison, Wisconsin, in 1950 it 
won the three-spike grandchampionship. We honestly 
believe it to be of All-America calibre but kept it for 
our 1954 leader instead of entering it in the trials. 
(Our first All-America trial entries will be made this 
coming summer.) 
“There is a crack in everything God has made,” 
wrote Emerson, but you'll have a hard time finding it 
in this seemingly heaven-perfect glad. 
For scintillating beauty in your garden, for a garden 
gem that will evoke a chorus of admiration, plant Pink 
Diamond! 
“After very careful consideration we have come to 
the conclusion that 76-47 (Pink Diamond), which we 
now have in the house with 9 open florets, is the most 
beautiful gladiolus that we have ever seen anytime, 
any place. It seems to be a color break—a livelier 
tint of orchid pink than other glads, even more so than 
Pink Chiffon, which is a great favorite of ours. The 
throat of near chartreuse is really something. The 
extreme ruffling alone of this glad would put it over 
in any color, but with its coloring plus its ruffling it is 
in a class by itself. I believe this glad will be your 
greatest introduction to date.” 
—J. P. Wood, Floralwood Gardens, Washington. 
“76-47 (Pink Diamond) took all honors at the Wa- 
satch glad show at Provo, Utah, winning not only a 
blue ribbon in its color class but also a Champion 
Seedling ribbon, Division Champion ribbon, and Queen 
of the Show ribbon.” —Frank J. Contratto, Utah. 
Any size, each, $2; 6 for $10; 12 for $20. 
1L, 1M, 1S, 10 Blbts. for $6. 
5L, 5M, 15S, 100 Blbts. for $40. 
1% pint bulblets for $120. 
* (422) (Fischer, 1954) (75 days) 
Fire Opal (Gratitude X (Arethusa x White 
Gold)) (Seedling No. 318-47) 
Our aforementioned jeweler friend is also a specialist 
in rare opals, with a collection which inspired us to 
name this vibrant golden-throated orange glad after 
the unique fire opal of Mexico with its flashing, flame- 
like colors. 
Fire Opal grows to a height of 54 inches with six 
very large round florets open at a time on a spike of 
about 17 buds. The heavy florets are well attached 
and sumptuously ruffled. It cuts quite low, making it 
an ideal commercial type, with floret quality far su- 
perior to that of any other commercial orange of my 
acquaintance. 
The Starker arrangement of Fire Opal on page 41 
was incandescent in its brilliance in its original 3-D 
beauty. This variety looks especially rich in copper 
containers and against a turquoise background. Fire 
Opal is also shown in color on the back cover. 
Purchasers of the back cover collection last year 
received Fire Opal as a bonus for trial. Tll now turn 
the mike over to those who have tested it: 
“TI had good luck again with your seedlings at the 
Mid-West Society show at Beatrice, winning best 
3-spike seedling with your 318-47 (Fire Opal), which 
went on to be 3-spike GRAND CHAMPION of the 
show, surpassing some very good Spic & Span, Cotil- 
lion, Florence Nightingale, and Noweta Rose. 
“318-47 did it again at the Omaha show and also 
went on to be GRAND CHAMP in 1952 at both Omaha 
and Beatrice and at both shows again in 1953.” 
—M. J. Hegarty, Nebraska. 
“918-47 (Fire Opal) I like even bettereth an eee 
All tall spikes with a beautiful contrast of colors.” 
—John Majeski (Redwood Gardens), Oregon. 
“18-47 (Fire Opal) is deep orange with canary yel- 
low throat and midribs, is ruffled, has good placement, 
a nice straight spike and a very pleasing color. A very 
fine glad.” 
__F. C. Wolfe (Dahlia Gardens), Indiana. 
Any size, each, $2; 6 for $10; 12 for $20. 
1L, 1M, 1S, 10 Blbts. for $6. 
5L, 5M, 15S, 100 Blbts. for $40. 
1 pint bulblets for $120, 
es 
