Letters to the Bulletin 
The plaint of a Garden Club member, that all her pink platycodons 
came blue, only emphasizes the conclusion that most seed catalogue 
swans are geese. One reads glowing and poetic accounts, studies pic- 
tures of large, gay and vigorous specialties, and passes from a hopeful 
spring to a disillusioned summer. 
But even a too vivid imagination is not the worst of the seedsmen's 
sins, and the Garden Club of Ilhnois decided to make a stand against 
substitutions. 
Some thirty protesting letters were written to leading growers, and 
some thirty polite replies were received, each admitting that the prac- 
tice was general and dastardly, and each declaring that the under- 
signed firm was never guilty of it. All announced that the ladies of 
the Garden Club of Illinois should hereafter be their special care. 
The Club was a little nonplussed and much amused, but determined 
to follow up whatever advantage it had gained. To that end it had 
made a rubber stamp, "Member of the Garden Club of lUinois." 
One was presented to each member, with the request that it be used on 
all future orders. 
Since improved service is one of the aims of the Garden Club of 
America, the Garden Club of Illinois begs to suggest that this plan 
be adopted by all member Clubs. The seedsmen would soon discover 
how widespread is the interest in Garden Clubs, and that the good-will 
of their members is worth having. Catalogues might be less thrilling 
reading, but disappointments would be less keen, and increased care 
and interest would compensate for those vanished thrills. 
K. L. B. 
During the season of 1916-1917, I offered for sale, through the 
Bulletin, seeds of the Campanula asiatica. The proceeds were 
given to the Arnold Arboretum. The sales amounted to over $23.00, 
and this gift was made possible by the co-operation of our members. 
Mr. Charles Sargent in thanking me wrote: "You touch and please 
me very much by your interest in the Arboretum. No one has showed 
the interest in it you have by the hard work you have done in helping 
me raise money to support it, that is, real hard, intelhgent and pains- 
taking work. I wish I could make you feel how much I appreciate 
it all." 
This season I have again secured a quantity of this seed and will 
ofifer it for sale for the same purpose. I ask 25 cents a package and 
each package contains more than twenty-five seeds. I hope there 
will be as ready a response as there was in 191 7. 
Virginia E. Verplanck. 
(Mrs. William E. Verplanck, 33 Bank St., Princeton, N. J.) 
57 
