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8 

To THis—THE ENLARGED “LITTLE Rose LiBRarRyY,” 
Our GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
By 6Way of ©Fntroduction 
This catalogue differs from many catalogues you will receive; it has 
no expensive colored illustrations, and, I hope, no extravagant claims. 
But it does offer you the benefit of long experience with roses; it tries to 
tell the truth; and it offers you nothing that has not been tried out and 
found to be of real merit, not for the expert horticulturist but for the 
amateur gardener, whom we try to serve faithfully, and whose interests we 
hold to be paramount. My occasional personal comments about the Old 
Roses, will, I trust, be excused, for they come from the heart. 
—Francis E. LESTER—CATALOGUE, 1941 
In case you have never tried to write a rose catalogue, permit us to 
comment it is a task of no mean proportions, says the catalogue writer, 
as he surveys, somewhat ruefully, once again the formidable pile of garden 
notes, letters, and reference books from which this edition will be composed. 
Formerly, our introduction was keyed by a letter included from Dr. 
John G. Gage, Arcadia, California, which set forth, in the doctor’s inimi- 
table manner, what he considered a “good rose catalogue.” I might add, 
we received a rather tart letter saying—"Dr. Gage told you how to write 
your catalogue; why don’t you do it!” 
