
Gonreword 
I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to our customers for their generous 
orders during the 1948-49 season. Your confidence in us made last season the best to date. 
To the new customers who will purchase bulbs from us for the first time I extend hearty 
greetings and welcome you to our growing family of Gladiolus enthusiasts! 
The unsolicited cards and letters telling of the nice stock we sent out and the service we rendered 
are sincerely appreciated. This correspondence reminds us to be a little more helpful and to be 
of more service than is actually required. It helps one to strive hardef to please, 
The business of growing and selling Glads is just about a 24-hour-a-day job but with the 
changing seasons come the different phases of this fascinating work. One we always look 
forward to is ‘‘Show Time’. This past season we attended the following exhibitions: Edwards- 
ville, Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, Purdue Seedling and Recent Introduction Show, the Indiana 
State Show at Wabash, Binghamton, Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and the Minnesota State Show 
at St. Paul. I have never seen more enthusiasm among the exhibitors and visitors than that 
shown at this year’s shows and one always has a wonderful time renewing old acquaintances 
and making new friends. For some real fun try going to as many shows as possible next 
summer and be sure to take some of your best spikes along! 
Modern-day Glads far surpass the old varieties in every way and a real treat is in store for 
you if you haven't been growing them. Many of the newer ones are now lower in price and 
can be grown in larger quantities, thus making your garden the envy of the neighborhood. 
Those who grow Glads as a means of income know the importance of keeping their varieties 
up to date and are alert for better kinds—kinds that their competitors do not grow as yet. Even 
when the market is glutted top quality new cut-flower varieties sell readily. 
We spend a goodly sum each year on advertising but the best advertising results are 
obtained by supplying the finest stock that can be grown. Our customers know what quality 
of bulbs and bulblets they will receive; their repeat orders and recommendations of our stock 
to their friends is the foundation of our business. Orders are filled generously and new 
varieties are included for trial. Our twelve acres of vigorously growing Glads, full of vitality, 
are the result of careful growing practices. Every bulb and bulblet dipped at planting time, 
grown on ground never before used for bulb growing, sufficient nutritient material, adequate 
supply of moisture by means of irrigation, weekly cultivation with modern equipment, regular 
dusting with DDT, no flowers cut from any bulbs to be sold, hand digging, and quick drying, 
add up to healthy, plump, high crowned bulbs. The cost per acre of production and the 
value per acre of Gladiolus bulbs are among the highest of any crop grown. 
We store our bulbs in galvanized screen bottom trays with the bulbs not over 3¥2 inches deep 
in the trays. These trays are then placed in racks in such a manner as to allow plenty of air 
circulation around each and every tray. All bulbs are dusted with 5% DDT before shipment. 
I personally inspect each order before it is packed for shipment and practically all of the 
retail orders and many of the wholesale ones are filled personally. Many times I have been 
asked how we get such large bulbs from bulblets in one year. It probably is due to our long 
growing season plus irrigation and intensive cultivation. All of our stock is grown from 
bulblets and 5s and 6s. 
In our listing I have tried to describe the variety’s defects as well as its good qualities and 
as every variety listed was grown here, the descriptions were prepared from appraisals in our 
field. The plan of growing a variety before approving it for listing is being continued. Some 
varieties perform differently according to the soil, climate, and weather conditions to which it 
is exposed. However, basing my judgment on performances here, I sincerely believe that each 
variety offered is definitely worthwhile, either for exhibition or commercial purposes. 
Most of the newer varieties are grown in limited quantities and as all orders are filled in 
numerical sequence, many of those received late in the season have to be returned. Early 
ordering is advised, especially if you order the larger sizes. Also bulblets of the new varieties 
showing exceptional commercial qualities are in heavy demand. We begin planting bulblets 
the middle of March so all bulblet orders should reach us prior to that time. 
I would appreciate very much your giving us sufficient time in getting out your orders. 
Extra help, experienced in filling and packing orders, just can't be found, and we do like to 
carefully select the stock whether it be for a retail or a wholesale order. We make every 
effort to ship an order on the exact date a customer specifies and although this seemed 
impossible during last spring’s rush, we finally did get everything out with not more than one 
day’s delay. If you find that you do need the stock “at once” I will see that it is shipped 
immediately. However, a little time will be appreciated. 
It is a pleasure to submit to you our 1950 catalog and I sincerely wish each and everyone 
a successful growing season and the best spikes ever for 1950! 
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