Zorneword 
First, we want to thank our customers for the fine business we enjoyed this past season. We 
appreciate very much all the cards and letters commenting on the service given and the nice 
quality’ of the stock sent out. 
After growing and testing many of the recent introductions, we have selected those with merit 
and have added them to our listing this year. It is an established fact that a variety performs 
differently according to the soil, climate, and weather conditions to which it is exposed. How- 
ever, basing our judgment on growing conditions here in Indiana, we sincerely believe that 
each variety offered in this catalogue is one that is definitely worthwhile, either for exhibition 
or commercial purposes. 
During August it was my privilege to make quite a trip through the East and mid-West visiting 
growers, large and small, in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, 
Minnesota, lowa, Nebraska Illinois and Indiana. Also during this trip I attended the Indiana 
state show at Wabash, the International show at Binghamton, the Wisconsin state show at 
Marinette, the Duluth garden club show at Duluth, the Illinois regional show at Chicago, and the 
Indiana seedling show at La Porte. Again this year the attendance at the shows was remark- 
ably high. In spite of a discouraging spring season and a severe summer drought in most 
sections of the country, the interest was higher than ever. It was interesting to stand back and 
note the remarks of show visitors. In many instances I overheard people, who apparently did 
not grow gladiolus, express complete surprise at the spikes being shown and remarking that 
they were going to start growing ‘'Glads”’ next summer without fail. Certainly a great deal of 
credit is due members of the various societies for the time and effort spent in staging their shows. 
Through the medium of shows, the gladiolus is gaining new admirers and has become America’s 
leading flower. 
Our 1947 growing season was very favorable. Although a cold wet spring delayed our plant- 
ings somewhat, we had no drought, such as many sections of the country did. As a large 
percentage of our planting is bulblet stock, we use an automatic irrigation system in order to 
insure the proper amount of moisture at the needed time. All bulbs which we offer for sale are 
grown from bulblets and planting stock, the larger percentage being from bulblets. Flowers are 
not cut from bulbs which are to be sold. Due to irrigation and quite a long growing season, we 
get an unusually large percentage of plump high-crowned large bulbs from bulblets. Every 
bulb and bulblet was dipped at planting time and our stock has remained green and healthy 
throughout the growing season. Our bulbs are young and vigorous and have the ability to 
produce high quality blooms. They are stored in galvanized screen bottom trays with the bulbs 
not over 32 inches deep in the trays. The trays are then placed in racks which are so con- 
structed as to allow plenty of air circulation around each tray. We dig, clean, and grade all of 
our bulbs by hand and our aim is always to send out bulbs of only the highest quality. 
Although we added many ribbons and rosettes to our collection during the 1947 season, we value 
most the achievement medal that was awarded our bulb entries at the Indiana Gladiolus 
Society bulb show held in Wabash, Indiana. 
We will not attempt to elaborate on varieties in this column. Instead, this will be found under 
the variety name in the regular listings. However, I do want to call to your attention another 
page which contains an evaluation of commercial varieties from a florist’'s viewpoint. Our cut- 
flowers are handled by the firm of A. Rasmussen & Son, a large wholesale florist. Mr. John C. 
Rasmussen very kindly consented to write a few words, giving his views on the value of some 
of the newer varieties of gladiolus. Mr. Rasmussen has for many years handled large shipments 
of “‘Glads’’ and his remarks should be of value to all cut-flower growers. 
It is a pleasure to submit to you our 1948 list and we sincerely wish each and everyone a suc- 
cessful growing season for 1948. 
