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Ten years ago we sent out our first catalog—a couple of mimeo- 
gtaphed sheets—thereby surrendering our amateur standing. It has 
been a wonderful ten years, full of friendly encounters, exciting dis- 
coveries, hard work and rewarding growth. We have come to know 
not only daylilies but the people who like them, and to appreciate the 
fine qualities of both. 
We have seen the Hemerocallis Society grow from a small group 
of devoted midwestern gardeners to a band of enthusiasts from almost 
every state in the union, able through combined effort to publish a 
Yearbook, maintain a Registration Service and make a place for them- 
selves among the older Flower Societies of the country. 
During this time we have become “convention addicts”—so inter- 
esting and inspiring have been the meetings in Cleveland, Little Rock, 
Boston and Chicago that now we circle the date on our calendar in 
red and let nothing interfere with our attendance. This year, in Val- 
dosta, Ga., the fans from other parts of the country will have an oppor- 
tunity to see southern daylilies at their best, so we are hoping many 
of you have circled the dates—May 18, 19, 20—and are planning to be 
on hand. 
We extend to you a cordial invitation to come the additional 
miles into Florida and visit our garden. We would like you to see 
with your own eyes how daylilies grow here. It has been a revelation to 
us to see them in other parts of the country and always convinces us 
anew of three things—1. Daylilies are regional performers, not all do 
equally well everywhere. 2. Many are seasonal performers, varying 
with the rainfall and previous winter’s temperature. 3. Their cultural 
requirements differ—like Jack Sprat and his wife — some like a rich 
heavy soil and others thrive beautifully where it is lean. One simply 
has to know one’s daylilies to get the maximum effect from them. So 
the more of them we see, the better we can evaluate them. The better 
we discriminate, the higher will be the quality of the daylilies that 
compose our national poll. A good daylily takes up no more garden 
room than a poor one so let’s make an effort to choose and use in our 
gardens only those that are good. 
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