23 
weeds; lack of cultivation, or cultivating too deep when 
the plant has reached blooming size; or permitting the 
bulbs to become diseased. 
Having once become weakened, I doubt if they will 
ever fully recover even in the hands of the most expert 
grower. I was once informed by a prominent grower 
that he obtained Europa from three different sources. 
Two of these lots were very weak, non-prolific, and in 
spite of his best efforts, were practically worthless; 
but the third lot was very strong and vigorous. I have 
noticed this difference in strain in quite a number of 
varieties. 
We were fortunate in obtaining a start of Golden 
Measure of a very strong strain. One of the bulblets 
threw a bloom spike 41/2 feet tall the first season, as 
may be seen in the picture of little Marion holding the 
two Measures. The strain seems to be improving. It is 
very prolific, some single bulbs producing as many as 
five new bulbs and several hundred bulblets. Quite a 
number of the bulblets are blooming, which is rather 
unusual in this variety. 
A large bulblet production, early blooming of the 
bulblets and a high percentage of bulblet germination 
are indications of health and vigor. It is not enough 
that a variety generally should show this, but the strain 
from which our “start” is secured should show it, other¬ 
wise we cannot compete. 
THE LOCATION 
A friend of ours selected a dry knob of rather heavy 
clay soil with no water available except from a 30 -foot 
