To Our Many Friends: 
Again it is with pride that we send you our new catalog. As usual, you will 
find some of the old and some of the new varieties listed. 
Briefly reviewing last season, will say it was one of those years that presented 
more than the usual number of problems to the glad growers in this locality. It was 
wet and cold therefore our plantings were all late. Very few blooms were ready at 
show time (although we did go to 3 shows). Cloudy cool weather made shorter 
spikes and a little hail contributed additional problems. An early frost cut short the 
growing season. Bulblets, however, germinated well and grew fast due to the wet 
season, therefore, we are able to offer you some beautiful, high crowned bulblet 
grown stock. 
Yes, last year was one to remember. It can also be remembered as being our 
biggest year yet which was due to the many fine orders sent in by you folks. We feel 
that your orders are a vote of confidence in us and in the glads we grow. We will 
do everything possible to uphold this faith in us. For example, some of our hired 
- help mixed several varieties for us and even though we have done our best to correct 
this, we cannot list these particular glads and be sure they are true. 
We want to thank you for past patronage and we hope that you will find glads 
of your liking listed in this catalog. If not, maybe your neighbor or friend could 
borrow your catalog. 
As usual we will close with a note of optimism for the coming year. It is al- 
ways with great anticipation that we approach another growing season. We wish as 
many of you as possible when planting would keep the various show dates in mind. 
For this section of the country, we will remind you that the Midwest Glad Show is 
held in Beatrice, Nebraska, usually the 3rd Sunday in July. The great Nebraska 2-day 
Glad Show is held in Omaha the last Saturday and Sunday in July, however, this year 
it will probably be held on August 2nd and 3rd. On August 9th and !0th the 1952 
Central International Glad Show will be held in Sioux City under the sponsorship of 
the lowa Gladiolus Society with the Sioux City Gladiolus Society as host. 
We hope to see many of you at the 1952 shows and again want to invite you to 
stop by and see us. We think you would especially enjoy seeing the fields in bloom. 
Our normal blooming season here is from mid-July until October first. 
R, E. & H. D. Fike 
