Headliner Glads for 1954 
74 Critical Selection of the World's Finest Glad Varieties 
Glad fans generally want to know three things about 
a variety which they have not yet had a chance to try 
out for themselves: 1. How beautiful is it? 2. How 
valuable is it as a cut-flower? (i.e., how does it rate 
in performance?) and 3. How large is it? 
The generally adopted 500, 400, 300, 200, 100 size 
classification, explained on colored sheet, accurately 
describes the floret size. To assist in respect to beauty 
and cut-flower value, we devised the following rating 
system and inaugurated it four years ago as an ex- 
periment. Customer-reaction has been so favorable 
that we plan to continue it. In preparing the ratings, 
I have again sent out questionnaires to a number of 
persons of my acquaintance whom I feel to be among 
the best glad judges in the country, including both 
fanciers and growers. Also, as in previous years, I 
have refrained from rating my own varieties, leaving 
it to the friends with whom I consulted to do this for 
me. 
Because glads often vary in performance from place 
to place and from year to year, especially when not 
acclimated, I want it to be clear that I am not present- 
ing these ratings in a dogmatic spirit. Others are fully 
as much entitled to their opinions of varieties as we 
are. However, I think that these ratings, based in 
most cases on rather extensive growing experience and 
representing a consensus (and not solely my own 
opinion) will give a pretty good average picture of the 
merit of each variety and thus prove helpful to our 
customers. 
KEY 
moderately beautiful 
beautiful 
* 
x * very beautiful 
*& *& * supremely beautiful 
+ + & 
suitable for home garden only 
° good local cut-flower 
very good cut-flower type 
e e e excellent commercial type 
Nae we Wa) mS eel ee Le 
Abu Hassan >) $516) (80 days 
(Pelegrina x Amur) If you know and love the glossy, 
deep blue-violet petunia, Elk’s Pride, you will also 
love this unique gladiolus which shares both the color 
and the sheen of this unusual petunia. If you do not 
already grow Abu Hassan, you will undoubtedly want 
to add this glorious deep blue-violet color to the rain- 
bow in your glad garden. Its color is not only rare 
among glads but rare among flowers of any kind. 
(L 2-.25; 10-1.00) (M 10-.70) 
(S 10-.40) (Blbts. Pkg. .25) 
zw * *& «6(454) = (Sisson, 
Ace of Spades 7. 1950) (85 davs) 
(King Lear x Preussen’s Gloria) This rich-toned deep 
maroon is the nearest to black of any glad in our list. 
Its large, plain-petalled florets have a triangular form 
and a glistening black-silk sheen. A rangy grower. 
Stands heat better than most maroons. 
(L 1-.50; 10-4.00) (M 1-.35; 10-2.80) 
(S 1-.25; 10-2.00) (Blbts. 8-.25; 100-2.50) 
¢ kt kk (400) (Palmer, 1951) (95 
Albion eee days) ((Trylon x Seed- 
ling) X (Picardy x Wasaga)) This may be Prof. Palm- 
er’s best white. With us it grew arrow-straight and 
trylon-tall. Florets are chalky white with just a faint 
touch of cream in the throat. Albion should be a 
splendid cutter. 
(L 1-.40; 10-3.20) (M 1-.30; 10-2.40) 
(S 1-.20; 10-1.60) (Blbts. 10-.25; 100-2.00) 
wk _* *& (433) (Winsor, 1942) 
A. L. Stephen one (85 days) (Alpheus 
Seedling x Picardy) We'll leave it to the engraver to 
describe this nicely-blotched salmon-pink (see illus- 
tration on page 25.) 
(L 1-.25; 10-2.00) (M 2-.25; 10-1.00) 
(S 10-.60) (Blbts. 10-.25; 100-1.00) 
*& * * (406) (Armstrong, 1950) (85 
Andrena e e e days) ((Elizabeth the Queen 
x Allecta) X (Rosewings x Picardy)) A delightfully 
ruffled pale rose-pink with creamy throat, it has round 
florets of fine substance and waxy sheen. One of the 
loveliest of the cool pastels. 
(L 1-.40; 10-3.20) (M 1-.30; 10-2.40) 
(S 1-.20; 10-1.60) (Blbts. 10-.25; 100-2.00) 
x * * * (410) (R. Pruitt, 1948) 
Aureole eee (80 days) This magni- 
ficent yellow, of unknown origin, remains one of our 
top-favorite glads of all time. Its exuberant ruffling, 
lavishly broad-petalled round florets, and satisfyingly 
stretchy spikes have everything a fancier craves in a 
glad and far more than a florist has a right to expect 
in a fine commercial. Aureole rivals Gold in beauty 
but is a lighter, softer yellow with heavy, translucent 
substance and a sparkling waxy sheen. A must-have 
in every glad-garden. Pictured on pages 24 and 25. 
(L 2-.25; 10-1.00) (CM 10-.70) 
(S 10-.40) (Blbts. Pkg. .25) 
x *& * (510) (Fischer, 
Autumn Moon == 1951) (75 days) 
(White Gold X (Autumn Gold x Cream Seedling of 
Gloaming)) If you’ve been looking for a yellow Pic- 
ardy, here it is! The enormous saucer-like florets of 
this clean light yellow yield nothing to Picardy in 
respect to size. Many garden visitors have held this 
variety in high esteem and several fine testimonials 
have been sent to us regarding it. 
(L 2-.25; 10-1.00) (M 10-.70) 
(S 10-.35) (Blbts. Pkg. .25) 
Babs x * * (210) (R. Pruitt, 1945) (65 days) 
ee Babs may be described as a midget 
Aureole. Its trim little spikes of ruffled light yellow 
are delightful for make-up work. A valuable extra- 
early cutter. One of the finest small-flowered glads. 
We rate it two dots for commercial value only because 
eet florists realize the value of small-flowered 
glads. 
CL 1-.25; 10-2.00) CM 2-.25; 10-1.00) 
(S 10-.60) (Blbts. 10-.25; 100-2.00) 
“May I congratulate you on your beautiful and 
valuable catalog. It is a real service to glad growers 
to find honest ratings .. .” 
—Mary C. Seckman, West Virginia. 
Shige 
