Gimme the Leavings 
Say, wasn’t the “Depression” awful? I 
thoug-ht a year ago that prosperity had 
started. Now I am sure of it. 
Well, I did not do so badly last year. Did 
not make any profits, and did not get any¬ 
thing for time and labor, but made expenses. 
Maybe you wonder what I am trying to get 
at. Just a minute and I’ll tell you. I’m 
playing a lone hand; do all my own work. 
So can’t raise everything under the sun. You 
may not see anything you want in my lists. 
That’s all right. I don’t want any one to 
buy anything he doesn’t want, but if you see 
only one or two things here that you want, 
don’t keep from sending for them because 
the order is small. Some apologize for send¬ 
ing an order as small as a dollar or two. Of 
course I do get $10 and $25 orders some¬ 
times. When one of those comes it is a great 
event. Some Glad growers used to insist on 
the orders being at least $2.00. I never 
made any such restriction. I’ll fill any 10c or 
25c order, and be glad to get it. These little 
orders will help in meeting the expense of 
printing and sending out several thousand 
circulars. In the words of the old phono¬ 
graph song: 
“Gimme the leavin’s, when you get through; 
Gimme the leavin’s and that’ll do; 
I got so now that I look for no more than 
the leavin’s.” 
Autobiographical 
Perhaps some of my customers would care 
to know more about the man they are doing 
business with. This sketch appeared in my 
1927 circulars, so some of my customers have 
read it. This is for the newer customers. 
Yours truly was born many years ago In 
Lyons, Wis, At the age of 2 he moved to 
Iowa with his parents. We drove through 
in a covered wagon, and were ferried across 
the Mississippi. He was brought up on an 
Iowa farm, where he learned to make vege¬ 
tation grow from the earth. At the age of 
19 he taught country school for six months, 
and at the age of 20 entered the Iowa State 
Normal gchool, which he attended for four 
years. Then a few years of teaching follow¬ 
ed in Iowa, Wyoming and California. In 
California he first saw the California poppies, 
acres of them growing wild; all orange col¬ 
ored. He never dreamed then that there 
would ever be any other color for California 
Poppies, and that sometime he would be 
selling seeds of the Red California Poppy. 
After a few years of teaching, an out-door 
life seemed desirable, and he acquired a farm 
in northern Iowa near Lake Okoboji. From 
his corn field he could look over on the lake 
and see the sailboat races put on by the 
summer colony. 
The next move was to Boulder, Colo., where 
he became interested in growing Glads. He 
is married and has a grown-up daughter 
who writes poetry and stories for various 
periodicals. The wife is an artist, and can 
instruct him about the colors of Glads: or¬ 
chid, royal purple, violet-blue, eosine pink, 
etc. He confesses to a bad habit: Playing 
golf, or trying to. As the man he plays with 
says, “I don’t play golf, but I can’t quit.” 
This can be said in his favor: he has never 
been sued for debt, and has never been in 
Jail. He wishes to give his customers a 
B quare deal. 
Blue Alley 
We think of a town alley as an untidy 
place, often littered with ashes and tin cans. 
The city graveled my alley. Some Anchusa 
seeds were accidentally scattered along the 
edges. Now, in the summer time, the alley 
is a place of beauty, bordered by blue clouds 
of fiowers. Some double Hollyhocks are 
along there too, and flaming Oriental Pop¬ 
pies. I notice people like to take walks 
along this flower-bordered alley, dfist men¬ 
tioned this to remind you I have the Anchusa 
seeds, if you would care to try some in 
your garden, or somewhere in the back¬ 
ground. 
Extracts from Letters 
I used to think the patent medicine testi¬ 
monials were just faked for advertising pur¬ 
poses. Maybe you will think the same about 
these. Well, here are parts of a few letters 
I have received. I could fill pages with simi¬ 
lar testimonials. 
FROM DENVER. Package of bulbs at 
hand in good shape. About the best money's 
worth I ever had. Have never seen better 
bulbs and am much pleased. C. P. W. 
FROM IOWA. I received the bulbs yes¬ 
terday and was certainly well pleased. Never 
saw such clean, healthy, solid bulbs. You 
surely will get my orders for bulbs. E. C. 
FROM ILLINOIS. I received the bulbs I 
ordered from you in good condition. Many 
thanks for the extras. People are lucky to 
trade with men like you. Mrs. W. J. M. 
FROM WISCONSIN. Your bulbs were re¬ 
ceived April 1st, and opening them was sure¬ 
ly a surprise. Reminded me of Christmas 
morning with so many extra ones. They look 
so nice, healthy and clean. Mrs. H. 
FROM MINNESOTA. The glads I ordered 
from you arrived here in good condition, 
and want to thank you very much for the 
extras you sent me. They are fine looking 
bulbs. A. W. S. 
FROM MARYLAND. I am cutting some 
nice Glads, and suppose you are too. Wish to 
thank you for extra count. I am getting 
some dandy ones out of your Radiant Mix¬ 
ture. When I received your bulbs, I showed 
them to a friend who grows Glads, and he 
stated he never saw a bunch so nice and 
clean, and he is ex-greenhouse man and 
florist of 35 years’ experience. I also bought 
some bulbs of -, but they did not 
look anywhere near yours. Also take notice 
they are not putting out like yours. M.M.M. 
FROM SEATTLE. Success must surely at¬ 
tend you for your more than fair, square 
business methods. Mrs. P. H. C. 
FROM TRENTON. All the season I have 
been wanting to write and tell you what 
beautiful spikes of blooms your Gladiolus 
bulbs produced. It was an unfavorable sum¬ 
mer for them—so dry here, but the Glads 
bloomed bravely and gave me no end of joy. 
I was well pleased with your stock, and 
hope to order again from you when I re¬ 
turn from California. Mra. H. K. 
