GREETINGS 
In presenting our list of Distinctive Glads in new form, we again wish to thank 
our friends for their orders which have made it possible to incur the cost of a more ex¬ 
pensive form of price list. While first orders are important, it is really the repeat 
orders which count in building up a business. The orders which we receive year after 
year, together with letters of commendation, indicate that our bulbs make satisfied 
customers. Since we do but little advertising, for new business we depend, to a large 
extent, on the friends of our customers who have been told of the fine quality of our 
bulbs. So, we thank our friends not only for their orders but also for making known 
to us and to others the splendid results which they obtain with our product. 
FLORA FARMER 
We are introducing no new varieties this year, preferring to wait until we have 
further tried the numerous seedlings which we are growing. However, we desire to 
especially direct your attention to our 1939 introduction, Flora Farmer, which we be¬ 
lieve is worthy to be included in any collection of gladiolus. This is a very beautiful 
radiant, pure pink, with a creamy white throat. The florets are five to six inches in 
diameter and are slightly ruffled. Under ordinary conditions, it opens five or six 
florets at a time. Nearly all of the buds show color by the time the first floret opens, 
which adds greatly to its value for decorative purposes and as a commercial cut flower. 
It makes a strong, straight spike which does not fall over and which carries about 
eighteen or nineteen buds. It is a strong, healthy grower, making plenty of bulblets 
which germinate easily. Bulblets make good growth and sometimes produce blooms. 
As a seedling. Flora Farmer received an award of merit from the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society and a certificate of merit from the Empire State Gladiolus 
Society. In 1939, at the Boston Show of the New England Gladiolus Society, it won 
first in its color class in the advanced amateur section for Mr. Francis Curtin. At 
Algona, Iowa, three spikes entered by Mr. W. W. Gillespie, won first in the color 
class and were also judged the best three spikes in the amateur section. At the New 
York World Fair, it was granted an award of merit in the class for recent intro¬ 
ductions. 
Because of its unusual beauty and its many fine qualities, we believe it will be¬ 
come very popular and will be grown in large quantity for exhibition, for home 
decoration, and for cut flower purposes as soon as stock is available and the price 
gets down. 
VARIETIES 
As usual, we have tried to make our list selective rather than all inclusive. 
However, we have this year included a larger number of the newer varieties than has 
been our custom in the past. Some of these have been grown for too short a period 
to make certain that they will attain the gladiolus ‘‘Hall of Fame”, but we have tried 
to include, of the newer varieties, only those having outstanding qualities which make 
them seem superior to and likely to displace certain other varieties now in common use. 
In our opinion, each variety listed in our catalog has merit and is worthy of your 
consideration. As to whether you will like a particular variety may depend on your 
personal preferences and the purpose for which you wish to use the flowers. Remem¬ 
ber that the price is not an indication of the quality of a variety. Newer varieties 
must of necessity be higher in price because of scarcity of stock. We suggest that 
beginners start with tried and true varieties in order to avoid disappointment. Growers 
with more experience and fanciers will want to try some of the newer ones. To such 
we suggest the following; Abe, Aladdin, Algonquin, American Commander, Black Opal, 
Carillon, Colonial Maid, Conquest, Coral Glow, Flora Farmer, Geheimrat Duisberg, 
Ivory Keys, Jasmine, King Lear, King Midas, Krytberg, Lavender Queen, Margaret 
Beaton, Mrs. C. P. Morley, Myrna, New Era, Peggy Lou, Rima, Surfside, Valeria, 
Vredenburg, Yellow Peril, and Zuni. All of these have much to commend them and 
some of them will doubtless eventually be classed with the great of the gladiolus 
world. 
Paj-'G 2 
