INTRODUCTION 
As this price list is being' mailed to several thou¬ 
sand new friends—those who signed our registers at 
the various gladiolus and flower shows where we 
exhibited, those who visited our gardens and dis¬ 
plays at our warehouse during the last season, and 
the many who saw our display bed at the World’s 
Fair in Chicago—a few words giving some of our 
history may be proper. 
The Waterloo Bulb Farms were started fifteen 
years ago by Mr. T. D. Smedley and throughout that 
time no effort has been spared in improving the 
methods of growing, curing, and handling gladiolus 
bulbs. Everything necessary for raising and han¬ 
dling bulbs has been provided. A warehouse with 
over 90,000 cubic meet of storage was erected for the 
especial purpose of storing, curing, and shipping 
gladiolus bulbs. We know of no larger nor better 
equipped building being used for the storage of bulbs 
in the United States. Improved and special ma¬ 
chinery for planting, cultivating, fertilizing, and 
grading bulbs has been utilized to the fullest extent. 
Being located centrally in the United States, we 
are so situated as to be able to serve all parts of the 
country. Our growing season is ideally adapted for 
the culture and maturing of bulbs so that they will 
give satisfaction everywhere. 
Our bulbs are sold to wholesale florists, seedsmen, 
greenhouse owners, and flower growers all over the 
United States and other countries. 
DIRECT TO YOU FROM OUR FARMS 
For the past five years we have also sold direct to 
the home flower growers. Each year more people are 
being told of the fine quality of our bulbs and we 
have customers in every state of the Union and in 
many foreign countries. We could fill many pam¬ 
phlets the size of this with the fine testimonials we 
have in our files. 
Before last season we were satisfied that the re¬ 
sults of others in growing and showing the gladiolus 
raised from our bulbs would bring us more and bet¬ 
ter orders. While this has resulted as expected, we 
believed that by showing and exhibiting our flowers 
at shows ourselves we would acquaint many more 
with our service. The results have been far beyond 
our expectations — both in prizes won and new 
friends added to our list of pleased customers. 
OUR GLADS WIN AT SHOWS 
We were very glad to exhibit our glads at the 
Iowa State Glad Show at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this 
year and at the Midwest Gladiolus Show held in 
