Veo feat 
Drrowerd 
We wish first of all to thank very sincerely our many customers for their confidence and patronage 
last year and for their patience under the abnormal conditions caused by strikes on land and sea. We 
enjoyed contacts with gardeners from nearly every state and look forward this season with keen 
anticipation to renewed association with old friends and the making of new. 
We find our business most interesting and one in which the whole family likes to take part. We wish 
you could have seen us last fall when a strike-delayed shipment would finally arrive. We all worked 
like beavers along with our faithful helpers, even our two young sons doing their best to help. Leo, 
aged 11, was our mail and errand boy and Michael, aged 8, proved very reliable at counting out 
bulbs. To let you in on a secret, we jokingly tell them that if we are the ‘big’ Importers, they must 
be the Little Imps—for short and other reasons left to the imagination. 
We feel that our business policy has been understood and appreciated. As many of you know, we 
try to give each customer personal, individual attention as well as efficient and courteous service. One 
customer for whom we had secured special information from Holland wrote, ‘| see that you are people ‘ 
who are not finished with a transaction until the customer is satisfied,’ and we were happy to see how DWIGHT LAMBERT BARNES 
exactly he had caught the spirit of our business. 

As most of you are interested in the good Dutch people, perhaps a report on present conditions in 
Holland may not be out of place. Although there is still great privation on account of the strict rationing 
of all foods and the scarcity of clothing there has been some improvement in living conditions. With the 
emphasis still on exports to build up favorable balance of trade with which to purchase goods necessary 
to repair their national economy much must be sacrificed to that end. However, we can safely assume 
that a people of such courage and industry will persevere until they have triumphed over all their 
difficulties. 
Although as we write this the ground is covered with snow, the sun grows brighter and spring 
seems imminent. We contemplate with you the miracle of the flower bud so tightly hugged in the heart 
of each bulb until the sun grows strong enough to draw it forth; and we are impatient, as we know 
you are, to see flower for the first time the many new varieties tucked away last fall. Perhaps, we are 
in the same class as Omar Khyyam’s vintners about whom he wondered what they could buy “‘one-half 
sO precious as the goods they sell.” If any of you should pass this way in April, May or June, won't 
you please stop and see our garden? 
We do so enjoy meeting our customers in person but even by correspondence we feel that we made 
_many new friends last season and hope to make many more this season. One of the most enjoyable 
features of our business is the interesting, friendly letters you write us about your gardens, and we 
hope you keep right on with them. We try to answer them all quite promptly but, if during the rush 
seasons we fall a little behind, we know you will understand. DORIS SHIPPY BARNES 

Good gardening to you all! 
DWIGHT and DORIS BARNES 
An Invitation 
Mr. Thomas Hoog, of the Van Tubergen firm, has asked us to 
convey to all our friends an invitation to visit their flower fields at 
Haarlem, Holland. A warm welcome awaits those fortunate enough to 
be able to visit their nursery at the time of its greatest display in 
April and May next year. 
Quality In Bulbs 
This is dependent on three principal factors—expert growing to 
produce sound healthy stock, proper harvesting and curing and 
careful packing with as little handling as possible. Van Tubergen 
Bulbs meet the requirements of the most exacting in all respects. 
When you are buying just ““bulbs,”’ without any knowledge as to 
the source of supply you may or may not receive good stock. But 
when you purchase Van Tubergen Bulbs you know you will receive 
bulbs of a definite quality grown by a firm of known integrity, with 
a reputation as leading bulb specialists for nearly 80 years. 
There is a considerable price differential between the cheapest 
bulbs and the best bulbs. We make no attempt to skimp on the quality 
of stock or our service to customers in order to quote the lowest 
prices, feeling that our bulbs are well worth the price asked and 
that results determine the value. The fact that blooms from our 
bulbs are consistent prize winners when exhibited by our customers 
is an indication that they agree with us. 
We sincerely appreciate the recommendations of customers and 
we are always pleased to receive names of friends for our mailing list. 

