4 NOWETA GARDENS 


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All in all, the 1947 blooming season was a hectic one. A cold wet spring was followed 
by a summer of heat and drought. There was so much moisture early that the bulbs did 
not have to make much root growth to sustain themselves. Then when the 100°-103° heat 
came the flowers were not able to take it. Fortunately, we had our expensive sorts so 
situated that we could reach them with a hose and soil soakers. It was even drier to the 
south of us. Although we planted about twice as many bulbs for cutting as last year we 
cut about half as many flowers. With our backs to the wall we determined to have an 
irrigation system next year! Watch our smoke! September brought rain and some relief. 
An early freeze, (September 24) which swept clear across the northern tier of states, re- 
sulted in fewer large bulbs and fewer bulblets than a year ago. But we still have a good 
crop. The Lord provides. 
The brightest spot of the summer again was our seedling acre. Judging by perform- 
ances of the past season, we have much of promise from which to choose our future intro- 
ductions. However, we are not offering a seedling collection this year, for with the sum- 
mer’s adversities, there didn’t seem to be any borderline cases. It took a flower with mettle 
to come through this year. Of those offered in the seedling collection last year 79-40, a pale 
orange, was the only one that was deemed worthy of a name. 
The largest glads still walk away with the grand championships. Color and form are 
neglected. Why not bring a roll of figured wallpaper to the show! Size is merely a 
dimension—not an attribute of beauty! The personality and soul of a flower can’t be 
measured by either a ruler or scorecard. 
Far too many varieties are being introduced each year. A comprehensive system of 
trial grounds is sorely needed. We also believe that $2.00 is plenty to ask of any man’s 
money for a single bulb. Why not wait a year and be more democratic in our prices? ! 
$2.00 is too much for a “dud” but by waiting longer more of the duds would be eliminated. 
With the summer’s heat thrips still continued to be a menace. In hot, dry weather 
they are difficult to check. We have found that DDT is wonderfully effective, but don’t 
wait until it is too late. The time to get Mr. Thrip is right after the bulbs are dug. To 
protect our customers every bulb was thoroughly dusted, and we fumigated them in storage 
twice. 
What are the best new glads currently listed? We wish we knew! Each year we 
spend several hundred dollars in an effort to find out so that we can offer our customers 
the best of what is new and old. Varieties perform differently in different sections. More- 
over, one year a variety may do well, and the next year it may be a failure. Tastes vary 
as much as ladies’ ensemble on the street. Some say color is most important, others say 
performance. No one has the complete picture. With this in mind, I will endeavor to 
give you a glimpse of our season’s experiences as they appeared to me. Varieties included 
in our descriptive price list will be omitted in the following paragraph. 
Valuable for its earliness is Early Gold, but it isn’t the sort of thing you care to come 
back to for a second look. It took us three years to warm up to the greenish tones of Babs, 
but this year we fell in love with it. Waxy, round, ruffled. Charming for makeup work. 
Too short for cutting and lacking personality, Donella was a complete disappointment. Fay 
may be described as a larger Margaret Fulton. Leonard Butt’s Radiance, which looks as 
though it might be a cross between Dr. F. E. Bennett and Pfitzer’s Triumph, is a worthy 
addition to the early scarlets. Bright color; heavy substance. Watch for Radiance. June Day 
is similar to Rosa van Lima but with a throat marking. Since we are getting sick and tired 
of Goldstaub, we are looking around for a substitute for an early yellow. Yellow Herald, 
from Holland, may be the answer. Holland’s Glory is a severely plain, coarse salmon. 
Peggy is tall and a very pleasing shade of lavender. Severely plain. Probably too slow a 
propagator to make a commercial—at least in our climate. Makes its bulblets late. A. L. 
Stephen is a tall, dramatically blotched pink. Round florets. I’m enthusiastic about this 
one but haven’t checked its propagating qualities. Lady Boo reminds me of Debonair. 
Martha Deane, tall, fair. Algoma deserves a place as a novelty. Hope it propagates well. 
Arenius’ Topflite almost won a place on our 1947 Honor Roll, but lost out on performance. 
It is a perfectly beautiful shade of rose but the terrific heat burned off the tips, and the 
bulbs were diseased when we came to dig them. Golden Arrow is a beautiful color, but 
this was about all that could be judged. Minstrel came through this year after a two years’ 
vacation. Prosperity is just a ruffled Picardy. With close study it seemed ragged. Berna- 
dette failed to impress. Phantom Beauty opens a lot. Common otherwise. King Alfred 
is a tall deep salmon with a glowing yellow throat. Looked promising but want to see it 
again. Fuchsia Belle gave two grand spikes. Very plain but a beautiful fuchsia color. 
Some report difficulty in germinating the bulblets. Red Rascal was tall and a good color. 
Burned badly in the heat. Imposing a year ago. Kelsey was a washed out Picardy this 
year. Picardy-faced Pink Charm has yet to establish its reputation as an early cutflower 
