MUM CHATTER 
We certainly were blessed in Southern Minnesota with a wonderful 
growing season in 1954. We had ample rainfall all summer long and 
the weather was generally on the cool side. The only drawback was 
when the Mums began blooming in early September we had 20 days 
of rain. This was very unusual. We received 11 inches of rain spread 
over a period of about 30 days. This knocked down many of the 
early-blooming varieties, for the flowers were constantly filled with 
water. However, after this rainy spell was over, we went into a 
gorgeous five weeks of Indian Summer when the Mums really came 
into their own. We cut thousands of armfuls of flowers for our 
many visitors, and still the fields looked as though nary a flower had 
been picked. 
Among the new things perhaps the most outstanding was our new 
very soft yellow Muriel Rice. This has performed beautifully here 
the past four years. I think it is one of the finest things ever to come 
from the hybridizer’s work. It is a very large, early-blooming flower. 
The flowers are produced on magnificent strong sturdy plants. We 
have designated this as the “MUM OF THE YEAR 1955.” As we 
look back on those varieties that received that honor in the past ten 
years, we are filled with pride to think that such outstanding ones 
as Patricia Lehman, Lee Powell, Yellow Avalanche, Holiday, 
Meditation, Charles Nye, Olive Longland and Chippewa re- 
ceived that honor. These varieties are certainly a court of honor in 
anyone’s Mum garden. 
The new things that impressed us most this past year were Muriel 
Rice, Crowning Glory, Football Bronze, George Luxton, 
Jeweltone, Old Lavender, Real Gold, and Reflection. These 
made an outstanding showing in our test gardens and received most 
of the Oh’s and Ah’s from the many thousands of visitors who saw 
them. 
Among the older kinds that were again topnotch performers were 
Apache with its large flowers of firecracker-red; Autumn Beauty 
with its chestnut-bronze that greets us in early September; Beacon 
with its long wonderful cutting stems; Canary for a low bordering 
light yellow; Delight with its bright sunshiny yellow flowers; Early 
Gold, a dwarf early yellow pompon; Holiday with its massive flow- 
ers of honey-bronze; Lee Powell with its abundant, pure yellow 
flowers; and Patricia Lehman, the most outstanding salmon- 
colored Mum ever introduced. 
We had a planting of several thousand Rouge Cushion in one 
bed. This made a brilliant carpet of bright red for a period of a 
month or more. Reflection seems to be a comer in the deep lavender 
class. 
Some of the new developments of Dr. E. J. Kraus were outstand- 
ingly good. These all show the influence of the large-flowering 
English type. Through his work he has developed good early- 
blooming, large-flowered kinds that are dependable and can be 
recommended for growing in the territory of the great Midwest. 
Majave Gold in deep gold was outstanding here in our trials. 
Butterscotch, a large golden bronze, was showy. Divinity in pure 
white and Coralie Schmidt, a salmon pastel, delighted the ladies. 
Dr. Kraus’ Jeweltone in sparkling rose-pink was a sensation, in 
our estimation. Reverence with its large flowers of very soft yellow 
gives us some excellent cut material to be used with the purple 
asters in early September. Dr. Kraus has some marvelous new 
things coming up the next year or two with massive flowers on strong 
plants that are early blooming. We have a treat in store for us the 
next couple of years. 
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” and our files are 
jammed with hundreds of letters from our customers all over the 
country telling us what they think of “Mums from Minnesota.” 
Here are a few samples: 
Mrs. R. W. D. of Coffeyville, Kans., writes: “I just want to pay 
a compliment to your Golden Mound Mums. | purchased a dozen 
plants this spring. They have bloomed constantly all through our 
very hot weather—115 degrees, and several days more than that. 
If this is not a recommendation for these particular Mums, I don’t 
know what would be. I plan to have more of these next spring.” 
From the far north at Colfax, N. D., Mrs. M. M. says: “The best 
here in the North were Gladness, which was out of this world for 
beauty, and Delight, which was a sight for sore eyes. Tribute is 
another beauty. Cecil Beed and Dainty were wonderful, too.” 
Visitors strolling through our test garden in late October 
A first-year customer at Paxinos, Penna., Mrs. M. F., raves: 
“Last year was the first I bought your plants. Well, the flowers on 
Patricia Lehman were just out of this world. Many of the flowers 
measured 6 inches across. My neighbors just couldn’t believe that 
they were first-year plants.” 
Another good report from Mrs. K. M. G. at Grand Junction, 
Colo.: “Of the 50 Mums I ordered Iast spring only one failed to grow. 
You should be proud of your company. Your Mums have the best 
root system, are packed the best and really live and grow and have 
beautiful flowers. Patricia Lehman was my favorite. Ming came 
close second. Ruthann Lehman was a beauty. Lemon Drop was 
a beauty and so different. To tell you the truth, all of Lehman’s 
Mums are my favorites.” 
A satisfied customer is Mrs. J. L. S. of Attleboro Falls, Mass.: 
“T just had to tell you how beautiful my Mums were last fall. Myrtle 
Walgreen was enormous, along with beautiful Courageous and 
Paper White. I really appreciated the fact that they were true to 
name and description, though even more beautiful.” 
Mr. O. W. W. of Cincinnati, Ohio, was amazed with his results: 
“Masquerade was a sensation. It produced a solid mass of flowers 
and this one plant could not be covered with a bushel basket because 
it had branched out so much.” 
Another Patricia Lehman fan is Mrs. G. E. P. of Fostoria, Ohio. 
“There isn’t a more beautiful Mum than Patricia Lehman.” 
Mrs. R. H. of Lexington, Ky., had over a thousand visitors to see 
her Mums, and this is what she says about “Mums from Minnesota”’: 
“T have always found your plants to be of high quality and have 
lost very few of them. The plants always arrive in good condition. 
So many of the visitors commented on how large the blooms were, 
and how healthy the plants were. I especially like and enjoy growing 
the following Mums. Of all I have, these are my favorites: Lee 
Powell, Patricia Lehman, Rosita, Silver Sheen, Carnival, 
Chorale and Pink Chief.” 
Way out west at Richland, Wash., R. S. R. writes: “In March 
of last year I ordered some Mums from you and regret that I have 
never taken time since to tell you how pleased I was with the entire 
transaction. The plants arrived in unbelievably good condition. The 
fall bloom was spectacular and attracted quite a bit of attention. I 
had not expected such results the first year. Defiance and Hunts- 
man did especially well here. Of course, Kathleen Lehman is tops.” 
W. A. R. of Philadelphia, Penna., adds this to the fame of our 
Mums: “Just felt like adding my voice to the many you evidently 
receive, complimenting you on the fine plants you shipped last 
spring and the perfect condition in which they arrived. I couldn’t 
have gotten them home in as good condition if I’d personally carried 
them a mere couple of blocks. Cecil Beed and Dr. L. E. Longley 
were in beautiful bloom from mid-August, and Avalanche was 
right behind them. They look like they’re really going to town this 
year. Lee Powell, Chorale and Chiquita, in particular, seem to be 
trying to spread all over the place.” 
At Lincoln, Neb., E. L. I. has this to say about his display of 
“Mums from Minnesota”: “Last fall people from this section of 
town drove by to see the beautiful colors. Many remarked that they 
had never seen Mums like that before. I was especially pleased with 
Masquerade, Olive Longland and Betty. The one Masquerade 
plant grew about 3 feet tall and was at least 4 feet around and 
absolutely covered with blooms. The Olive Longland and Betty 
withstood the frost and were beautiful until Thanksgiving.” 
The thing about our business that we cherish most is the good-will 
of our thousands of friends and customers. Their spontaneous ex- 
pressions of appreciation fill us with a renewed desire to improve 
upon our methods and to strive to produce even better plants and 
flowers that will give greater pleasure to your gardening. 
The Golden Rule has been the guiding motive in the establishment 
and management of this business. It is your confidence and patron- 
age that has made possible this modern plant devoted to producing 
sure-to-bloom garden Mums. 
We wish to take this opportunity to thank you, our friends, for 
your kind words of appreciation. 
Sincerely yours, 
E. C. LEHMAN 
