THE OLD HOME TOWN 
A PERSONAL LETTER TO YOU 
Dear Floral Friends: 
, “T issuin « «w spring catalog in January, we have had many enthusiastic 
letters fiom you telling ot your gardens, most of them grown partly or wholly 
from our bulbs, and several reports about the hardiness of bulbs in northern 
O vU'Lvb* 
Almost every one was a friendly letter. We have received numerous bulbs 
and seeds tor trial even from as far away as Dominican Republic and Costa 
Lica.' Many times these are sent as gifts tho we always try to return the 
1 3 / v or* 
For these letters, the liberal patronage we have received and the bulbs sent 
tor trial we want to express our deepest appreciation. 
The other day, Mrs. Houclyshel, with a smile in one hand and her broom 
nandle m the other, said, “Why don’t you tell about La Verne some time in vour 
Personal Letter.” 
I am never afraid of her broom handle, for while she can put the Pacific 
breeze in its place and tell it where to blow she does it in a sweet way. But I 
The Herbert Medal. Awarded by American Amaryllis Society. 
think her idea is a good one. So I will tell you about LaVerne. 
It is just the right sized small city of about 3,500 extra select inhabitants. 
It is ideally situated among orange groves, flowers and fine trees, near the 
mountains with the lovely winter vista of snow-capped “Old Baldy” and other 
peaks. 
We have excellent public schools, several churches and a Church College 
that gives a Christian culture to its pupils. 
Our people are church going, honest and thrifty. They all seem to like 
LaVerne very much and very few ever leave. This fact combined with our cli¬ 
mate and beautiful surroundings may be one reason why they usually live to an 
advanced age. 
Indeed it is related that recently one of our preachers asked all of his flock 
who wanted to go to Heaven, to stand. All rose promptly, except 
one. When asked why he did not stand, he replied, “Well of course I want to go 
to Heaven some time, but I sure do hate to leave LaVerne.” 
I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the following rumor. But it is 
said that one of our most respected citizens who had passed on into Heaven 
was observed by St. Peter a few days after his arrival, to be sitting disconso- 
1 
