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MT. KOSCIUSKO 
Bloom from bulblet’ 
Mr. Knierim wants this glad to reach 
the hands of amateur exhibitors like 
himself. These 700 bulbs are price- 
less in a.sense. If instead there were 
70,000 we think they would easily ‘be 
worth $2.00 apiece. But with only 
700 we think they are worth $10.00 
apiece, particularly after looking at 
current high prices on lots of other 
high priced glads, many of which we 
wouldn’t offer our customers at any 
price. 
However, Knierim says $2.00 is all he 
wants an amateur exhibitor to have to 
pay to get a bulb. We have seen 5 
foot spikes, 10 open from bulbs the 
size of large bulblets, carrying wide 
foliage 30 inches high and higher. Any 
size bulb may throw a show quality 
spike. The smaller the bulb the more 
bulblets are likely to be produced. 
But the large bulbs produce bulblets 
well, too. About a fourth of the bulb- 
lets bloomed. 
THE GLADIOLUS FANCIER’S— 
So we absolutly reserve the right to 
limit the quantity of purchase without 
advance notice, not forgetting that 
these 700 bulbs and quart of bulblets 
came from 1 small bulb in 3 years of 
growing (from one tiny seed in 4 years). 
Not more than half of the bulblets will 
be sold. If all our regular customers 
ordered one bulb we could only supply 
one in five. No one or several com- 
mercial grower customers will be 
permitted to corner this stock and 
bids of more than $2.00 per bulb will 
not be considered. If any rationing 
takes place some advantage may 
accrue to the buyer who mentions the 
shows where he exhibited in 1946. The 
rest is up to you. 
See our remarks on Mid-America in 
our pages of ‘‘Newcomers to our 1947. 
List,” 
INVESTMENT 
Buying seemingly expensive bulbs of new 
introductions of proven merit is an invest- 
ment seldom’ given proper consideration. A 
single medium (half size) bulb, an average 
from our list, will normally produce a spike 
approximately 70-80 percent of capability of 
a large bulb (not just 50 percent) and while 
doing it grow into a large bulb and produce 
on an average of 50 sizeable bulblets. In two — 
more years of propagating one may well have 
50 large, 200 medium, 500 small bulbs and 
7500 bulblets. This expectancy has the ear- 
marks of a good investment. But does it? 
Not unless two further facts are present. 
First, if the variety does not prove up to 
expectation and representation, the invest- 
ment could be a loss of time and money. 
Second, and of equal importance, the relation 
of the quantity bought to the whole amount 
extant, or extant in America is vital. When 
you invest $1000 in a newly formed corpora- 
tion you use care to ascertain if your $1000 
will net you 51 percent of the stock, or 10 
percent or just 1-10th of 1 percent. Whale of 
a difference, isn’t it, though costing the same. 
Same way with glads. Some introductions 
have been launched at beginning prices of 
$5 to $10 per bulb with 100,000 or more 
bulbs already propagated. Many more with 
little background of proven merit. What 
chance has your investment to prosper in 
such cases? 
And isn’t it aggravating, when you decide 
to invest $10.00 or so in a dab of stock of 
some new, expensive and likely “high pres- 
sure’ advertised variety to read, as very 
often happens: “Bulblet production is good. 
We have a good stock. Price each Large 
only $10.00. NOBULBLETS.”!: Ofcourse 
you know the cream of bulblet production 
has left the grown up bulb and that in many 
varieties few or no bulblets may be expechen 
from large bulbs, 
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