FOREWORD 
I take this opportunity to extend greetings to all my customers and 
friends in this, my first full year peace time catalog since 1940. {fn 
peace, as well as war, the garden will continue to be a source of relaxe- 
tion and a treasure chest of beauty, as it has been since the beginning 
of man, and a tribute to the indivdual’s stability and sanity in, a world 
which threatens to destroy itself unless the knowlege released by scien- 
tists is tempered with the simple wisdom of a man in his garden. 
The present season has not been ideal from the standpoint of the 
cut flower grower and exhibitor, at least here in the Middle West where 
rainfall was sparse and several weeks intervened between showers. 
However, looking back in retrospect, two facts stand out. First the 
varieties that consistently produced representative spikes under these 
unfavorable conditions are entitled to more than usual consideration. 
Second, even though the season was not too favorable for blooms, the 
resultant bulb crop should be of better quality than those harvesetd in 
the cold, wet season of 1945, when digging and curing were! carried on 
under most unfavorable conditions. 
It was my privilege during July to make an extended motor trip 
East visiting growers in Michigan, Ontario, New York and New Eng- 
land, and viewing many large plantings enroute, though too early for 
blooms. My only regret is that the time element prevented me from 
seeing more. However in August I returned to attend the Triple Cities 
Gladiolus Show at Binghamton, N. Y., renewing old acquaintances, mak- 
ing new ones, and having the opportunity of viewing the finest aggre- 
gation of blooms I have ever seen staged under one roof. Many outstand- 
ing seedlings were on display, some of these will be offered currently, 
others will await sufficient stocks. At our own state show held at 
Wausau, Wisconsin was host to several growers from our neighboring 
states of Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. The many friendships made 
at our shows are not the least of the benefits derived thereof and the 
increased attendance give testimony that the gladiolus is rapidly taking 
its place as the foremost American flower. 
The standards of our hybridizers have been raised to such an ex- 
tent that any new variety should not only be outstanding in its color, 
but distinctive as well. I am ai firm believer in truth in advertising, as 
false and exaggerated claims are a detriment to both buyer and seller. 
My appraisals are based on the blooms seen in my own planting and 
those at the shows, though occasionally a variety has to be cataloged on 
the originator’s description alone. Faults of varieties are given as seen, 
as well as their virtues, even at the risk of offending the originator. My 
opinions are in no ways to be considered final, as glads are so variabl« 
in different soils and climates and many times I see better blooms of a 
variety elsewhere than in my own field. I do not believe any hybridizer 
would wilfully foster an unworthy introduction on the public, but therc 
is always the possibility that h's origination will perform better at 
home than in distant states. Trial gardens, which test out varieties in 
widely distributed localities will help remedy this situation. The all im- 
portant requisite of a glad in my estimation is color. Placement, num- 
ber open, etc. are also to be desired, though I sometimes think too much 
emphasis is placed on these, particularly from a florist’s standpoint. 
For the exhibitor, they are all important. Each type of spike has its 
place in the floral world, varieties such as Lantana and Autumn Gold 
though not tall, still have such beauty of ruffling and color that they 
lend themselves perfectly in vase, spray and corsage use. The individual 
florets of Exclusive have such immaculate beauty that though it only 
opens up 3 or 4 at one time, still has a place in the fancier’s garden. 
The white section vies with the pinks for supremacy and I believe 
that in any commercial planting at least 40% may well be made of this 
popular florist’s color. Two newcomers this season will add strength to 
this already strong class, Alcan and White Challenger. The frilled ruffl- 
ing.of the snow white Alcan makes it one of the most beautiful of all 
