w 



A Border of Pink Geraniums Edged with Sweet Alyssum 



E GIVE close attention to this department, which is probably the largest in quantity and variety in this country, nearly one 

 thousand species and varieties being offered. 



Our Flower seeds have a world-wide reputation, and we grow and save on our own grounds at Riverton more varieties than any 

 other American Seedsman. Our constant aim is to secure the very best strains obtainable, and spare no pains or expense with this object 

 in view. Our strains of Asters, Carnations, Petunia, Verbena, Zinnia, etc., are grown by the leading private gardeners and commercial 

 florists, and are acknowledged to be superior in all respects. 



SUCCESS WITH FLOWER SEEDS 



We are convinced that many of the failures with flower seeds are due to lack of proper conditions, and while it would be impossible 

 in the space at our disposal in this catalogue to give explicit directions for each and every variety which we offer (but which is given on 

 each packet of flower seeds we sell), we feel sure that if the general directions given below are followed success will be the rule. These 

 directions, we may say, are written for the latitude of Philadelphia. Customers living in other sections can readily adapt them to their 

 localities. 



For all flower seeds which should be started indoors, and this 

 includes many of our best and brightest summer flowers, such as 

 Heliotrope, Celosia, Lobelia, Salvia, Vinca, Verbenas, etc., the best 

 fllan is to sow in seed pans or boxes (about 2 inches deep) which 

 should be fiUed to the depth of an inch with broken pots, coal ashes, 

 or any rough material that will furnish perfect drainage. The 

 upper inch should be nicely sifted soil, composed, if possible, of 

 about one-third each of sand, leaf mould and light garden loam. 

 Press firmly and evenly and water thoroughly the day before sow- 

 ing. Sow the seeds thinly over the surface, cover about one-eighth 

 of an inch and pressing firmly; cover with a pane of glass and one 

 or two thicknesses of newspaper to prevent the too rapid evapora- 

 tion of the moisture and keep in a temperature between 60° and 70°. 

 Water carefully as needed. The importance of uniform attention 

 to this detail is one that can only be learned by experience and ob- 

 servation. To omit a single watering, or too frequent, indiscrimi- 

 nate watering, usually leads to failure. Remove the glass, or 

 covering, as soon as the seeds have germinated, and when the seed- 

 lings are large enough to handle, they should be transplanted into 

 similarly prepared boxes an inch apart each way, or put into small 

 pots and kept in same until time to plant out in the open ground. 

 At all times they should have an abundance of air, otherwise the 

 young seedlings are liable to "damp ofl." 



Do not be in too much of a hmrry in starting Flower Seeds. 

 Germination is likely to be somewhat slow and uncertain during 

 January and February, and the amateiu: is .likely to obtain much 

 better results when the seeds are sown nearer their natural time to 

 germinate. It has been said that most of the annual flowers, the 

 seed of which is better to be started indoors, should be sown one 



month in advance of the time you expect to transplant the seed- 

 lings to their flowering quarters in the garden. When sown too 

 early they are likely to become, as the result of lack of space and 

 air and an excess of temperature, long and lanky and woody, and 

 such plants are not so desirable as short stocky well rooted seed- 

 lings. 



For most of the ordinary annual flowers, such as Sweet Alyssum, 

 Calliopsis, Calendula, Marigold, Mignonette, Nasturtium, etc., 

 the simplest method is to sow directly out of doors when danger 

 of frost is past in the space where they are intended to flower. 

 The ground should be dug and raked fine on the surface, sowing 

 the seeds evenly and thinly, either in lines or beds, covering not 

 over four times their size, and firming the soil over them. It is 

 advisable to mis the finer seeds with five to ten times its bulk of 

 dry sand or wheat flour, this enables you to make a more even dis- 

 tribution. Should they come up too thickly, as most of them are 

 likely to do, thin out so that the plants will stand from 4 to 12 

 inches apart according to the variety. This plan is also adapted to 

 many varieties usually started indoors, including Asters, Verbenas, 

 Celosias, Stocks, Salvia, etc., but as a rule their germination is more 

 certain under glass, and as they begin to flower so much earlier 

 when started indoors, the extra trouble is well repaid for by their 

 increased blooming period. 



We will be pleased to send our customers on request a leaflet 

 entitled— 



Hints on the Growing of Flowers from Seed, covering the 



detaOs of sowing both Annual and Perennial Flower Seeds. 



The full worth of their money to all is the broad principle in which we always deal, and we refer to 

 our reputation as evidence that we live up to the precept (51) 



