veetings 
Again to my thousands of customers and friends. | want to thank you again 
for the fine business you have given me the past year. And if requests for catalogs 
and enquiries about bulbs are any 
indication the coming season is going 
to be a record breaker. 
| think the main reasons for the 
growing popularity of gladiolus is 
that the public is learning how easy 
it is to grow good flowers and. that 
thrips are easily controlled now; and 
then the growing desire for more 
beauty around the home. Also the 
remarkable improvement of the mo- 
dern varieties over the older ones. 
The weather is always a popular 
topic especially at shows. It is always 
too hot or too cold or too wet or too 
dry. However in spite of the weather 
which is always bad in some places 
and good in others there were plenty 
of fine blooms raised and just as nice 
ones brought to the shows as ever this 
past year. But due to weather condi- 
tions in some parts of the country No. 1 bulbs are scarce in many varieties. 
This year | am listing a greater number of varieties than ever before—in fact 
too many. Not that they are not good but it is difficult to handle so many and 
take the care of them as | should. Every year new ones are being introduced which 
as an up-to-date grower | have to add to my list if they are an improvement over 
previous varieties and | have to drop some. | promise you that next year | shall 
not have so large a list as this year. Some that are still good but for some reason 
don't sell too well will have to go. So you better stock up with the old varieties 
this season and not wait till next year when many will be missing. 
| think | have rounded up some remarkably fine new introductions for this 
year. If some of these do not become extremely popular in the years to come | 
shall be very much surprised. The yellows are coming into their own now and 
there are beautiful new colors and improvements all along the line. Growers 
had better get a start in some of the new ones. The thrill of getting such wonder- 
ful new varieties as W. H. Hosmer, Rae, Harold K, Sundance, Cordova, Friend- 
ship and others is what keeps us glad fans interested year after year. 
Lets make this the best glad year ever. Give them a little better care and 
more water when they need it and you will be amply repaid. 
ELMER GOVE 

