Greetings From Gladland Gardens 
As we present our list for 1942 our first thought is to sincerely thank our cus- 
tomers, both old and new, for their generous orders of last season. It has been 
especially gratifying to receive so many letters telling us of the fine results obtained 
with our bulbs. To all who have been so kind as to write, we offer a very special 
‘Thank You.”’ 
This year, as never before, we are proud of the list of varieties we have assem- 
bled for your consideration. A few of the older sorts have been dropped, but several 
of the newer introductions have been added, bringing the total up to an even one 
hundred varieties. 
As in past years, we wish to emphasize that we list no new varieties of gladiolus 
merely because they are new. Each year our trial garden contains several hundred 
varieties, very few of which find their way into our catalogue. The one hundred fine 
gladiolus offered this year have all been thoroughly tested, and we offer them with 
full confidence in the ability of every one to produce splendid results under ordinary 
gardening conditions and with only ordinary care. 
Due to uniformly rising costs, and especially labor costs (which is our largest 
item of expense) , we have found it necessary to raise our wholesale prices to slightly 
higher levels on some items. Our retail prices remain substantially the same as last 
year. It will be our policy to maintain these low prices as long as we possibly can 
and still offer the high quality stock to which we feel our customers are entitled. 
Once again we ask that you place your order early. This works out to our 
mutual advantage. Early buyers get first choice of the stock and can be sure of ob- 
taining just what they want, while late buyers are often disappointed in some items 
as certain varieties usually sell out before the season is over. Labor will be scarce this 
Spring and we will appreciate as much time as possible in which to prepare your order. 
We grow gladiolus in commercial quantities, making this our full time occupa- 
tion, and spare no expense in keeping our stock free from diseases and insect pests, 
and in the proper curing and housing of our bulbs. It is our intention to offer a 
personal service and your correspondence will be welcome at all times. All orders 
will likewise have our personal attention and we will do our best to assure your com- 
plete satisfaction. 
In these days of tension and uncertainty it is more than ever important to find 
some refuge from the troublesome times in which we live. We invite you to dis- 
cover what a wealth of beauty and satisfaction can be found in a garden of modern 
gladiolus. 
F. F. & F. O. SHEPARDSON 
(Marshall O. Shepardson) 
eres 
