this is that you will find typical Lyondels cropping up among the other fel¬ 
low’s products, or typical Wrexhams, Hoodacres, or Pacific Strain among the 
Lyondels. Therefore you can’t go wrong by purchasing your seed from any 
reliable breeder who has hand pollinated seeds. 
If I expect to sell you anything I must now get busy and spread my own 
line of ballyhoo. Having nothing left to brag about, I must brag about the 
thing that I have and the other don’t — the worse soil and climate for del¬ 
phinium! No, I am not selling you the soil or the climate; wish I could! I 
am merely calling your attention to a very bad drawback that is working for 
you and for me. Here in Morgantown where my seed plants are growing, the 
soil is poor, shallow, heavy. Despite all the sand, ashes, peat moss and things 
that I mix with it, it bakes and cracks open under the scorching sun during 
the rainless weeks which often come just when delphiniums need moisture 
the most. Only plants with a mighty tough constitution can thrive under such 
conditions. And only such plants become the parents of your seeds. Year 
after year this selection goes on. Don’t you think that it is more logical to 
expect resistant plants from such environment, rather than from the pampered 
climates and excellent soil with which other breeders are blessed? 
My selections go still farther. The parents of your seeds must undergo 
not only the conditions of Morgantown, W. Va., but those of Terra Alta, W. 
Va., where an altitude of nearly three thousand feet above sea level insures 
abundant rainfall and cool summers, — ideal for the mildew. Every spring I 
plant several thousand seedlings at Terra Alta. Selections are made after the 
plants bloom late in the summer. All plants susceptible to mildew are dis¬ 
carded regardless of their other qualities. About 75 or 100 of the best plants 
are then selected and brought to Morgantown, away from the heavy snow 
blanket which they would enjoy throughout the winter and into a most change¬ 
able winter when mercury plays its ups and downs between below zero to 50 
degrees above. Some can’t take it and perish; others survive and begin to 
grow in earnest when the spring comes. After they bloom, another selection 
is made and a number of plants are discarded. Those coming up to the 
standard of Lyondel Quality canr the message of Lyondel Gardens to many 
parts of United States and Canada, to Europe, to Australia. Thus, without any 
advertising campaign, and without being written up in national magazines the 
Lyondel Gardens are hard put to meet the demand. The regular season’s crop 
is largely sold out before being harvested, and last year the fall crop was gone 
long before the spring came. There must be a reason! 
AND NOV/ I LEAVE IT TO MY OLD CUSTOMERS 
The enthusiasm of the friends of Lyondel Gardens is unlimited. The fol¬ 
lowing excerpts from unsolicited letters, all written since my last year’s cir¬ 
cular was published, will give you the customer reaction which is more effective 
than all the newspaper publicity in the world. 
“7 have had very good Inch with your delphiniums and think that for the middle- 
west they are the best possible obtainable.” Merle Brush, Chelsea, Iowa. 
“1 took my flowers from your seeds to the best florist in Hollywood; he said 
they are the best he ever saw. He supplies flowers to the movie stars and studios. 
He is talcing all my blossom.” Annie Teske, West Hollywood, Cal. 
“How anyone can say your seeds do not germinate is beyond me for l 
have had some of your seed every year beginning in 1933, and germination has always 
been excellent .... 7 really believe yours ore the best whites, not messed up with 
black as some of the others.” Louise Loverin, Berkeley, Calif. 
“You say in your catalog that you cannot agree with your customers who claim 
that the Lyondels are the best in the country. Well, I do agree with them and 7 am 
afraid, Dr. Leonian, you are just out of step; you better fall in.” Dr. H. A. Kuhl, 
Jersey City, N. J. 
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