"Whatever success I have been permitted to achieve as the result of 

 my labors, are gains to the world and to civilization ; they are new crea- 

 tions, evolved from nothing; their original parents being simply weeds, 

 in the eyes of the refined admirer of beautiful flowers. And like the 

 product of the miner's toil, they are drafts upon the great treasure 

 house of Nature, wronging and robbing no one; unlike the results of 

 speculative competition, those mere exchanges of wealth too often be- 

 sprinkled with the tears of the widow and the orphan, or even the suc- 

 cesses of legitimate commerce, seldom attained without grinding competi- 

 tion, involving the very life-blood of struggling man." 



' H. H. GROFF, before Provincial Association. 



♦J* $ * * * 



Buffalo, Sept. 25th, 1901. 

 "I have been an interested observer of the work of Mr. Groff during 

 the past ten years, and it is particularly worthy of commendation. His 

 display of hybrid Gladioli at Buffalo' is wonderful, and it is safe to 

 say that the named varieties of five years ago sink into insignificance when 

 placed alongside of his seedlings. Mr. Groff's Gladiolus exhibit is 

 worth a visit to the Pan-American. It is at once an object lesson and an 

 inspiration." 



_PROF. JOHN CRAIG. 



♦ ♦ ♦ * ♦ 



Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. 

 (Extract from personal letter from Superintendent William Scott, De- 

 partment of Floriculture Pan-American Exposition.) 



"And so ends the wonderful exhibit of Gladiolus which you have 

 made for us at the Pan-American Exposition. To say that your dis- 

 play has been a great attraction for the past two months does not begin 

 to express what your display really has been. It has been the star feature 

 of our horticultural exhibits, and from the expressions that I have heard 

 from hundreds of visitors it has been one of the greatest attractions of 

 the whole Exposition." —WILLIAM SCOTT 



* ♦ # * * 



From Luther Burbank, to Mr. H. H. Groff: 



"I have watched your progress with the Gladioli, especially at the 

 Pan-American, etc., and am delighted you have made such a glorious 

 success of it. With the many discouragements of Plant Originators there 

 is plenty of silver lining sooner or later." 



Santa Rosa, Gal., Jan. 2, 1902. 



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