peetings— 
I herewith present my thirtieth 
annual catalog. In looking over my 
first little four-page circular I find 
we have come quite a long way, not 
only in size and quality of the cat- 
alog but in varieties. Thirty years 
ago W. H. . Phipps, Mrs.” Frank 
Pendleton and America were in their 
heyday; they were good varieties for 
their time but they went the way of 
all glads and have been superseded 
by much superior ones. 
This year we not only have out- 
standing introductions from America 
but some from Australia and Europe 
that are right up in the top bracket. 
I am going to be very particular about varieties I introduce. I want to grow them 
in my own garden before introduction. But if that is impossible I must see them 
growing or at least have them well recommended by competent unbiased growers. 
In this way I will promote only varieties that are tops. I want my customers to have 
the best and no duds, tho some allowance must be made for bulbs not being ac- 
climated or for varieties that do better under certain conditions than others. How- 
ever, a good variety will generally do well most anywhere. 
But there is no accounting for tastes, and if a variety does well but you don’t 
happen to like it, that is nothing against the variety. No variety is so good that 
everyone will like it, and none is so bad but that some will think it good. 
After a lapse of many years I am offering seed again. With the aid of Tom Manley 
we are starting a breeding program, and the seed we offer for sale is the same we 
shall plant ourselves, all hand-pollinated from the finest varieties that we think are 
likely to produce good seedlings. Raising seedlings is the most fascinating phase 
of glad-growing. We hope you get some world beaters from our seed. 
Here’s hoping that in 1953 you will have the best glad season ever. But remember 
not much is gained by luck. You have to work to produce the best. 
December, 1952 ELMER GOVE 
Apostle of Beauty 
STAGES of GLADIOLUS INTEREST Some years ago I dreamed up the following and every year 
am asked to repeat it in my catalog. 
“There is a fascination about growing glads that becomes a hobby, then a craze. There are five stages of 
interest in growing ‘glads.’ First you just grow them as an amateur, same as you would any other flower. 
Then as your interest in them increases you become a‘fan,’ then a‘ bug,’ then a ‘nut,’ then finally a‘ fiend’. 
When you reach this final stage you are hopeless. You think of‘ glads’ all day, dream of them at night, spend 
every available minute of your time in the garden, talk of them, visit the shows, read all the catalogs and spend 
all your money on them. You will look lovingly at the last flower in the fall, will handle over your bulbs 
in the winter time and will hardly be able to wait till you can lovingly plant the bulbs in the spring. From 
then till the first bloom appears 1s a period of happy anticipation. When finally the spikes of blooms begin 
to appear you are in heaven.” 
In which class are you? I have been in the last class for years. A number have written me that they are 
tn a still more advanced stage, the ‘‘Damn fool’ stage. That must be about the height of something. 
yp 
