ABOUT OURSELVES 
Like many other successful enterprises, 
WENTWORTH GARDENS had its beginning 
as the hobby of a very busy man. Merton W. 
Wentworth was the treasurer and business 
manager of the famous Battle Creek Sanitarium, 
largest institution of its kind in the world, and 
he had other extensive business interests calling 
for his supervision. For rest and recreation, 
from these numerous business cares, he turned to 
the cultivation of flowers in the extensive 
grounds about his suburban home. Early in his 
experience as an amateur gardener, he was at¬ 
tracted by the striking beauty of the gladiolus 
and its ease of cultivation. 
Before long he became a gladiolus enthusiast, 
and began experimenting in hybridizing. He 
developed many hybrids of merit, and estab¬ 
lished a national reputation in this field. 
Then he perfected the Mildred Louise, in all 
its outstanding beauty — and named it for his 
only daughter. From the first, this gladiolus 
won instant recognition from Gladiolus fans — 
and immediately took three ribbons at the 
Atlantic City Flower and Garden pageant, and 
won high honors at the Metropolitan Gladiolus 
Society Regional exhibit — and many others. 
And it was given unprecedented favorable pub¬ 
licity and recognition in the flower and garden 
trade publications throughout the country. 
Associated with his father from the very 
beginning of Wentworth Gardens, George Went¬ 
worth worked with him on many of his gla¬ 
diolus developments. George attended Michigan 
State College — formerly Michigan Agricultural 
College — and following the passing of Mr. 
Wentworth, took over the active management 
of Wentworth Gardens, placing the business on 
a commercial basis, improving methods of plant¬ 
ing, sorting, and storing, greatly increasing the 
acreage, and enlarging its scope of usefulness. 
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