Seedlings and Seed Growing 
Early in June of this year, we had a 
disastrous flood in Sioux City, and it 
covered a part of our Glad ‘Garden, 
including our seedling beds. We had 
planted our seed about a month before, 
and the little plants were just emerging 
from the soil when this huge mass of 
muddy water swept over them, and stood 
14 inches deep on them for ten or twelve 
hours. We lost about 75% of the crop, 
but did manage around twelve or fifteen 
thousand small bulbs for 1954 planting. 
But, we have hope that we may grow a 
real crop of seedling bulbs in 1954 from 
a fine lot of seed that we grew this year. 
We are preparing some soil where no 
bulbs have ever grown, and the two new 
beds are 400 feet long, and we have also 
prepared a “cold frame” of redwood, with 
twelve three by six feet, sash to cover it 
with. We hope to plant a lot of seed in 
that frame very early. We are going to 
shade a part of our open seed beds with 
cheese cloth, another section with snow- 
fence and are going to try a mulch of 
ground corn-cobs, as well as another try 
with aluminium foil. We are determined 
to find a system that will apply best for 
our soil, and for our system of irriga- 
tion, etc. We will also try a spray at 
regular intervals thru out the season. 
We did have a grand time with our 
seedlings, both the older group of 39,300 
that were planted for the second time, 
and the fifteen thousand new small bulbs 
that were first-time bloomers. We found 
some very fine numbers among the new 
crop and made another group of 88 
selections from the older seedlings. We 
will have about 400 selections to grow 
“on” another season, be The Good Lord 
Willin’. I do believe we have enough seed 
to grow our much hoped-for 50,000 small 
bulbs in one season; and I am going to 
give every seed a chance, if I can. 
There are now seven of us in this 
vicinity who are growing some seedlings, 
and we have regular “seedling sessions” 
where we judge each others’ seedlings, 
and tell the other guy how they compare. 
We have some great times, and we get 
to see some great glads. Mr. Nels Otte- 
son came up with a pink and a cream one 
day that were “out of this world’; and 
George Dubes brought in three yellow 
glads at about the same time that seemed 
as fine as Gold, and much more ruffled! 
They were nearly as large as White Gold, 
and I believe one of his seedlings was 
the pollen parent of all three. George 
has been hybridizing for many years. 
Mr. Don Wohlers had a shade over his 
seed beds for most of the summer, a 
complete covering of cheese-cloth, and 
his plants reached a heighth of two feet, 
or more, but the resulting bulbs were 
rather small and disappointing. Perhaps 
the shade should be removed about mid- 
summer, and plenty of water supplied. 
What would you say? Well I hope to 
find out this summer by numerous ex- 
neriments. I do have a lot of seed. Better 
make a few crosses next summer and try 
your luck. Great fun. We think one of 
the best parents for beautiful seedlings 
in our garden this past season was the 
great Boise Belle. Nearly all seedlings 
from that variety were beautiful. Tell us 
about your favorite cross, and your best 
seedling. 
Membership In Glad Society 
Most glad growers are anxious to read something about their hobby, and most 
of us belong to one or more societies. Membership in the Sioux City Society and the 
Iowa State Glad Society costs $2.50 and entitles the member to such bulletins as are 
published by the State Society, known as “GLAD TIDINGS”. For any membership 
sent to us, in connection with an order for bulbs, we will donate six bulbs each of 
white, a yellow and a red miniature which should have a sale value of at least $1.50, 
and will furnish a start in the “small” glads for anyone who is not growing them. 
Better join a glad society. 
