DEDICATION 



TO AN UNKNOWN WOMAN 



TO THE PERSEVERING WORKING WOMAN WHO. BY 25 YEARS' 

 PATIENT AND PERSISTENT SELECTION AND LOVING REGARD, 

 WAS THE MEANS OF EXTRACTING FOR THE USE OF SUCCEED- 

 ING FLORISTS, THE EARLY FLOWERING AND BRIGHT AND 

 BEAUTIFUL SWEET PEA. KNOWN AS BLANCHE FERRY. HER 

 NAME IS NOT KNOWN ; WHETHER SHE YET LIVES IS UNKNOWN : 

 BUT SHE WAS THE INSTRUMENT QUITE AS TRULY AS OTHERS 

 WHO HAVE FOLLOWED HER. WHOSE NAMES ARE EMBLAZONED 

 ON THE HORTICULTURAL SCROLL OF FAME. HAVE BEEN IN- 

 STRUMENTAL IN PERFECTING THE PRESENT DAY RACE OF 

 EARLY FLOWERING OR WINTER SWEET PEAS BY PROVIDING TO 

 THE HANDS OF THE HYBRIDIZERS OF MORE RECENT YEARS 

 THE GREAT AMERICAN VARIETY ALREADY MENTIONED, AND 

 MADE IT POSSIBLE TO EXPRESS FROM IT THE WONDERFUL 

 FLOWERS WHOSE COLORS AND FRAGRANCE AND ELEGANCE 

 DELIGHT US AT CHRISTMAS. AND PLEASE US WHEN THE 

 LAKES ARE FROZEN AND THE SNOWS LIE DEEP 



