
Good view of J.R.'s double chin— Mrs. Hopkins 
and Skippy 

OCT? 

SOME GET ACQUAINTED TALK SoD 
As an industrial advertising man whose hobby is ricuatt 
and especially gladiolus I have been growing glads for six 
years and exhibiting them for four years and have decided to 
attempt to make my beloved hobby pay for itself by becoming a 
grower and trying to list some truly good glads. I do no 
breeding myself but have been fortunate enough to have grown 
many seedlings for such outstanding Midwest hybridizers as 
Je Re Almey, of Winnepeg, Canada; Carl Fischer of Ste Charles, 
Minne; Ee He Lins of Cologne, Minne; Walter Miller of Sun Prairie, 
Wise; and Dre George Scheer of Sheboygan, Wise, who is responsi- 
ble for my growing glads as a hobbye 
Up to now I have had only a small garden of around 7,000 
square feet and between 5,000 and 10,000 gladse From the start, 
five years ago, I have attempted to find by growing them myself 
the best glads in each color classe I have grown around 650 
varieties, growing only those that have won blue ribbons at some 
good show, and of these I have discarded around 250 varieties, 
thinking others were better. 
I now grow the 200 I have listed as "best in their color 
classes," see article in the NeEeGeSe annual, and about 80 more 
that I am undecided about and have to grow and judge for another 
yeare I also grow about 60 small decoratives which this last 
year I did not have time to judge and about which I do not really 
know what I think. These, with about 60 seedlings of other grow- 
ers comprise my gardene 
I love to grow big florescent spikes and exhibit them at 
shows and have won around 500 ribbons at State and Midwest shovse 
In my list I am trying to offer only those that can win on the 
show table against stiff competition. I want to say frankly 
that in gladiolus no one grower's opinion is ever 100 percent 
right and what I say is "best" represents my own personal judg- 
ment onlye 
There are at least 40 amateurs--maybe more--in our Midwest 
Group of State Societies who are every bit as good or better 
growers than I am and their judgment does not always agree with 
mine AND they may be the ones who are right, instead of mee Nor 
do I grow them any better than a number of our professionals in 
the Midwest--no one, in my judgement, growing glads better than 
George Scheer, Walter Kreuger, and Al Haugen in Wisconsin; Evans 
and George Wilson in Ohio; Louis Fischer and Baerman in Minnesota; 
Graff in Illinois and some others, to mention only some whose own 
blooms I have seen at the showse 
I intend to "go all out" to make my comments honest and 
frank, telling faults as well as good qualities, as do other good 
catalogers in our Midwest. 
PeTepER A 
RH CE 
South field- our place being isolated and the 
gardens are surrounded by native crab apple trees, 
meadows and woods of rustic but wild beauty. 


iv 
195/7 


epartment of Aguc 



J. R. HOPKINS a eee 
LADIOLUS ? 

Lele Sal OPN BUWestoN TAR, OFDLUcCET imOeNrcs 
ROE CORON TEN DR OSD U-C_TOE 0 NES SAND 
Sc ivA NEDA RD. Vea R Leta Bes 

PRICES 
Color Bers are those of Midwest 
WHITE--~--NANA--Pfitzer, 100 class, the finest white I have ever 
CREAM==---WHITE GOLD--Scheer. 
seen, although in 1942 Edelweis and Materhorn gave 
promise of being in the race. Nana is a clean bright 
white, truly white, a sensation among floristse Grows 
into strong spikes, up to 54" florets--opens 7 to 9. 
Am not anxious to sell any this year and you can buy 
same variety cheaper from Flying Cloud Farms while 
they laste Someone else has it too, I forget who. 
Le-$1.00 M-$.75 S-$.50 
SEPTEMBER WHITE (old name Geheimrat Deusenberg) One 
of the best whites--somewhat late--consistant winner 
at shows. 53" florets--opens 6 to 7. Good idea is to 
grow 6 to 12 whites--then you will always have a good 
one for the shows. A pure white, no markings. 
L-$.10 M-2--$.15 
A truly sensational beauty--the 
best glad, to my thinking, since Picardy. Runs away 
with the 106 cream classe Big florets up 73"=-opens up 
to 7, with strong spikese Very dependable grower from 
all size bulbs--stands heat and drought and gives mar- 
velous bbe increasee On large bulbs will supply my 
largest bulbs to first orders and if you have never 
grown it you can look forward to a real treat and enjoy 
the enthusiasm of everybody who sees your blooms. It 
is a fine commercial as well as tops on exhibition ta- 
blee Petals leathery and color is deep cream with 
lighter cream to almost white heart. 
Le-$1.00. M-$.75 S-$.50 bb.-$6.00 per 100 
HARMONY--Carl Fischere Color not tops--just too cream 
to be white but looks almost white beside White Gold. 
However the performance and makeup of whole spike is so 
good that it is worth growing and will win for you-- 
being able to give Myrna a run for the moneye It does 
not have the ruffling of Myrna but florets up to 6" and 
