We Do Not Guarantee Bulblets To Grow 
Bulblets of most varieties will grow easily but not all bulblets of any variety will grow. 
Some bulblets are harder to germinate than others.If vou keep the bulblets warm for a month 
or so or put them in the sun for a few hours before planting it will help to germinate them. 
As I said above every bulblet will not grow anyway and there are so many conditions which 
can affect them that we do not guarantee them to grow. But you can safely expect a large 
percentage to germinate if conditions are reasonably good. 
Another Thing that J cannot guarantee is that every bulb of varieties that are 
sports will always come true to color. Occasionally varieties that sport will revert to the 
parent color. Sometimes with the whole spike reverting and again with only one flower or 
even a part of a flower and sometimes only a streak of the parent color. One man who has 
watched these sports carefully says that a sport that reverts to the parent color will some- 
times come back to the sport color another year. I haven’t observed this myself but it may 
‘calvew Anyhow on any variety that is a sport you may possibly get an occasional bulb that 
reverts. ; 
Change of Address . 
When moving or changing your address, if you wish to remain on our mailing list, 
just notify us of the change, giving both your old and your new addresses. Even though you 
notify your Post Office of your change of address, they will not forward catalogs. Every 
year we have hundreds of catalogs returned that were addressed to people that have moved 
and didn’t notify us. 
Do Gladiolus Change Color? No. 
I am asked this hundreds of times every year. I want to say positively “‘they do not’ 
except for the occasional sport. What happens when you start in with an assortment of 
colors and they finally simmer down to one or two shades is this: some varieties are strong 
and vigorous and propagate well even sometimes the bulblets blooming, while others are 
inclined to be weak and acquire disease and die. Don’t let anyone tell you that their glads 
’ have changed color because they positively cannot except once in a great while an individual 
plant will sport to another shade. 
A Classic 
The following paragraph describing the various stages of gladiolus growing has at- 
tracted so much attention and been quoted so many times that I am repeating it again: 
“There is a fascination about growing glads that becomes a hobby, then a craze. There 
are five pea: of interest in growing “‘glads.”’ First you just grow them as an amateur, same 
as you would any other flower. Then as your interest in them increases you become a “‘fan,”’ 
then a “‘bug,”’ then a “‘nut,”’ then finally a “‘fiend.”” When you reach this final stage you are 
hopeless. You think of “‘glads’’ all day, dream of them at night, spend every available min- 
ute of your time in the garden, talk of them, visit the shows, read all the catalogs and spend 
all your money on them. You will look lovingly at the last flower in the fall, will handle over 
your bulbs in the wintertime and will hardly be able to wait till you can lovingly plant the 
bulbs in the spring. From then till the first bloom appears is a period of happy anticipation. 
When finally the spikes of bloom begin to appear you are in heaven.”’ 
In which class are you? I have been in the last class for years. 
Have just heard of a still further stage of gladiolus interest. A man writes me that he 
is not a “‘fiend”’ but a “‘damn fool.’’ I think that must be about the last stage. 
CLASSIFICATION 
Last winter a meeting was held in Pittsburgh at which many of the leading gladiolus 
societies around the country were represented. At the conference a new classification was 
set up especially for show purposes and unanimously adopted. Under this classification glad- 
iolus are divided into two types—‘‘SFORMAL (or exhibition) INFORMAL (or decorative)”’ 
Sizes and numbers which designate the sizes are as follows— 
No. 100—Miuiniatures (below 214’’) 
No. 200—Small (2%” thru 314”’) 
No. 300—Medium (above 314” thru 414’’) 
No. 400—Large (above 414” thru 514”) 
No. 500—Giant (above 514’’) 
This classification was unanimously adopted by the conference. However there is some dis- 
satisfaction around the country among people who think glads should be classified only as 
to size as often a variety will produce spikes of both types. This classification may be changed 
later but it is the one that is in use at present and probably will be for two or three years. 
I am using the above classification in my descriptions. 
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