92 



Henderson's "National" Collection of 



GIANT SPENCER 



ORCHID 

 FLOWERED 



SWEET PEAS 



Sixteen of the Best Varieties Shown in Colors on Opposite Page and Described Below 



Sweet Pea evolution is constantly producmg additions to the glorified race of 

 "Spencers," which have superseded the older types, and in this collection we 

 include a number of the most recent. 



The characteristics of the Spencer Sweet Peas, grown under congenial condi- 

 tions, are: robust growth, the plants attaining a height of from 6 to 10 feet 

 requiring for full development to be from six inches to a foot apart. The flowers 

 are giants among Sweet Peas, m.easuring 2 to 2J.^ inches across. They are beauti- 

 fully formed, with Ijuge standards, open and upright, and immense wings grace- 

 fully poised. Both standards and wings are daintily waved, the undulations 



reflecting high lights and casting shadows in the depth, thus showing a vsiried 

 harmony of tones which greatly enhances the colorins. Three and often four 

 of these queenly blossoms are borne on long, strong stems, rendering them 

 unsurpassable as cut flowers for vases, bouquets and other decorations. Their 

 long-continued profusion of bloom is phenomenal, but accounted for by the fact 

 that a majority of the flowers of true Spencers fall as they fade — before the seed 

 pod is formed — thus continuing the succession of- bloom — for, as all know, when 

 Sweet Peas set pods, the flowering diminishes. 



One pkt. each of the sixteen varieties for $1.00 postpaid. 



One ounce (400 to 500 seeds each) of the sixteen varieties for $4.00, postpaid. 



4301 COLLECTION. 

 4304 COLLECTION. 



Key to 

 Plate 



A 4083 Dolores. Deep rose-pink marbled on cream ground. 



B 4258 Red Boy. Large flowering, deep crimson.' 



C 4009 Amethyst. Beautiful clear blue. 



D 4002 Adorable. Salmon-cerise on cream ground. 



E 4006 Ambition. Large, deep lavender. 



F 4021 Avalanche. Large glistening white flowers. 



G 4074 Daffodil. Large flowering, very deep primrose. 



H 4283 Smiles. Beautiful shrimp pink, shaded salmon. 



Key to 

 Plate 



I 4288 TranquiUitjr. Soft rosy-lilac on cream; large flowers, long stems. 



J 4286 Susan. Blush pink on cream. 



K 4249 Pinkie. Rose-pink flowers of large size. 



L . 4252 Prince of Orange. The deepest orange. 



M 4188 Leviathan. Deep, rich maroon. 



N 4296 Welcome. Bright, dazzling scarlet. 



O 4245 Olympia. Deep, rich purple. 



P 4234 Mrs. Cuthbertson. Rose-pink, white wings. 



4300 Henderson's Mixed Giant Spencer Sweet Peas 



An unsurpassable mixture. Composed exclusively of Giant Waved Spencer varieties, blended in proper proportion of bright colors, selfs and art tints, also 

 including several new hybrids of exquisite colors and shades. 



Per pkt. (75 to 100 seeds), 10c; per oz. (400 to 500 seeds), 20c; per V^ lb., 60c; per lb., $2.00 

 One ounce will sow a double row twenty feet long 



NOVELTIES IN GIANT SPENCER ORCHID-FLOWERED SWEET PEAS 



These Novelties, because of their outstanding qualities and distinct color features, have created world-wide interest, having been 

 awarded Medals and Certificates of Merit at the National Sweet Pea Society's Trials in England during the summer of 1934. 



LATE FLOWERING VARIETIES 



4184 Lady Macbeth. A new and distinct color of strong character; it is a 

 dazzling red with golden-salmon shadings. The National Sweet Pea .Society 

 listed Lady Macbeth as a new color in their trials of 1933. The flower is 

 massive, with beautifully waved standard, nicely spread wings and a bold 

 keel Pkt. 25c 



4247 Pinnacle. It is a true deep rose-pink, with standard and wings alike in 

 color. The rose-pink sparkles with life and is on a white ground. The 

 vines are exceptionally vigorous and are extremely floriferous Pkt. 25c 



4257 Rapture. A real novelty. The color is a lovely deep, clear rose-pink on 

 cream ground. A large, bold flower, beautifully placed on long, stout 

 stems. The vines are very vigorous and bear four-blossomed sprays 

 abundantly Pkt. 25c 



4282 Sentinel. The color is a glowing, deep salmon-cerise on cream, full of life 

 and sparkle. It is a very vigorous grower, the flowers are perfectly placed 

 on long, stout stems. Wings and standard alike in color Pkt. 25c 



4290 Vanity. The color is glowing, deep geranium pink, flushed with salmon 

 on a light cream ground. The standard and wings are alike in color and 

 even the keel is nicely colored. The vines are vigorous and bear a heavy 

 crop of flowers, usually four to each long stout stem Pkt. 25c 



EARLY FLOWERING VARIETIES 



4317 Eileen. A ridi begonia rose, salmon shadings, changing under certain 

 lights to a dazzling cerise. The flowers are very large, with a bold and 

 ruffled standard, nicely spread wings on a long, strong stem and, of course, 

 four or five flowers on the stem Pkt. 25c 



4343 Memory. A clear, rosy-lavender which does not lighten in color with age 

 or when grown under glass. The color is just perfect for blending with 

 pink shades. The vines are very vigorous and bear a heavy and continuous 

 crop of large blossoms, borne on long, stout stems Pkt. 25c 



4345 Monterey. An unusually large flower with a perfect contour. The color 

 is a glowing, clear geranium-pink flushed salmon. It is a vigorous-growing 

 variety, producing flowers on very long, stout stems Pkt. 2Sc 



4365 Ramona. A distinct new color in Early Sweet Peas; It is a delightful 

 luminous coral-rose, with yellow and pink shadings blended to make an 

 exquisite shade of geranium pink. The flowers are very ruffled and 

 duplexed, which sometimes appear quite double, with four to a stem. Pkt. 2Sc 



4373 Success. The vines are very productive and give long, continuous crop 

 of wonderful flowers. The color is a lively, bright, sparkling rose-pink 

 on white ground. Standard and wings are alike in color. . ^ Pkt. 25c 



4383 Sweet Briar. The standard and wings have the same sparkling shade of 

 rose-pink on a white ground, toned down with a touch of amber, which 

 makes it sparkle under artificial light. The harmony of this combination 

 is rich and gorgeous Pkt. 25c 



Brief Cultural Directions for Growing Sweet Peas 



Sowing Sweet Pea Seeds in the Open Ground. When Sweet Peas are 

 to be grown from start to finish in the open ground the seeds should be sown at 

 the earliest possible date in spring, even before frosts are over, for they are 

 quite hardy. But, of course, this cannot be done until the ground is dry enough 

 to work, i.e., is crumbly, not wet and sticky. The object of early sowing is to 

 give the roots as long a time as possibje to develop before the warm weather 

 excites the tops into rapid growth. Slow sturdy top growth and a well devel- 

 oped root-system, roots clear down to the cool, rich, moist lower layers of soil 

 before hot weather, is one of the secrets of success. After the ground has been 

 prepared, raked and leveled, draw a flat furrow with a hoe about 6 inches wide 

 and 3 inches deep and plant the seeds 2 to 3 inches apart zigzag along fhe center 

 of the furrow, cover with about 1 inch of soil, then tr<imp firm with the feet; 



this will leave the seeds in a light depression which will hold moisture and hasten 

 germination. When the seedlings have attained a height of 2 to 3 inches they 

 should be thinned out to remain 6 to 12 inches apart, the greater distance is 

 advised for trench culture if the plants are expected to develop their maximum 

 capacity. Cultivation should begin just as soon as the plants are large enough 

 to keep the surface of the ground loose, admit air and conserve the soil's moistures. 

 At each of the earlier hoeings draw a little of the ridged soil into the furrow about 

 the plants until it is all level. This gets the roots down deeper where they are 

 less susceptible to the drying out effects of hot weather. We do not believe in 

 ridging up the young seedlings as ridges turn the water away. The vines are 

 of course to be supported by brush or netting. 



