Spring, 1950 
Dear Folks: 
First, thank you all for your co-operation in making 1949 a most interesting and satisfying 
year for us. Not only for your orders, which were most welcome, but for your nice letters and 
comments, which were greatly appreciated. And even for your catalog requests, even though 
orders did not always follow. -Half of the fun in this business is in getting acquainted with 
new garden lovers each year, and | hope you felt when you received the catalog last year that 
you had gained a new friend. | know | did when sending them. 
Second, | shall be honest this year. This is the only catalog |! intend to issue in 1950. 
For the past two years, | have expected to send them out both Spring and Fall, only to find that 
when | should have been working on the Fall issue, | was too busy in the garden to get it assem— 
bled. Then, too, most of the information is duplicated and of course, they do cost money. 
So — - our 1950 catalog is a little larger, our stocks of both Peonies and Iris are more 
completely described, and a little more general information is included. Several new varieties, 
both of Iris and peonies are listed, including recent Iris introductions of W. H. Ryle of Kirks— 
ville, and C. H. Lewis of Kansas City. We are proud of our Midwestern hybridizers, and feel 
that they and their introductions should be better known. Their seedlings have been raised in 
an area of extreme climatic differences, and as a consequence, hardiness, color Stability and 
weather resistance are outstanding virtues of these Iris. 
One of the latest of our local hybridizers to be heard from is Byron Grebe, of Rockport, Mo. 
Not that he is exactly a novice, but unfortunately for his Iris progeny, World War I! called 
him away just as he was developing some very promising seedlings. Now that he has returned to 
engage in Veteran's Vocational Training at Hamburg, lowa (just across the state line from Rock— 
port), he has taken up where he left off in growing fine Iris. We are happy to introduce one of 
his pre-war originations, BRIDE'S DELIGHT, which is described on the next page. 
In our gardens this year, we are also showing a trial group of Hemerocallis. While the 
quantity and selection is too small to list, we plan to expand next year if interest seems to 
warrant it. In addition, we are growing seed of both Hemerocallis and hybrid Lilies of Mrs. 
John Aldrich, whom many of you will remember as being quite active in !ris just a few years 
back. Mrs. Aldrich is considered one of our best local authorities on Lilies, and has already 
produced some outstanding Hems. We feel confident in predicting some fine introductions from 
the current crop of seedlings. 
As you may know, Sioux City, lowa is the location of the American Iris Society's annual 
meeting this year, beginning May 28. The Greater Kansas City Iris Society will have an out— 
standing show in the Municipal Auditorium May 13 and 14. Why not arrange your vacation to take 
in both events? Your time will be well spent, and we will enjoy meeting you. 
Sincerely yours 
a 
Uy wae 
