A Review 
M>a,ny of our customers have dealt with us 
for so many years that they seem to us like 
old neighbors. It may not be out of place at 
this time to include a short Chronological 
Review of our past 80 years. The following 
are extracts from an article written by Chas. 
E. F. Gersdorff of Washington, D. G. and 
printed in the Dec. 1931 issue of the Glad¬ 
iolus Review: “Mr. G. D. Black, one of the 
charter members of the society was born in 
Ohio in 1858 and taken to Iowa in infancy 
before the advent of the railroads there. 
Among his early recollections were bands 
of roving Indians and wide prairie covered 
with beautiful wild flowers. 
It was necessary for him to work his way 
through school to secure an education fol¬ 
lowing which he taught during the winter 
terms. 
His first endeavors at breeding were with 
long tongued Italian Queen bees and for im¬ 
proved varieties of vegetables. 
He began experimenting with Gladiolus 
when there were but a few named varieties. 
Later he began collecting and testing as 
many of the named varieties of Gladiolus as 
he could acquire in America and Europe. 
At the permanent organization of the Iowa 
Gladiolus Society he was elected president 
