"FLOWER SEEDS FOR FLORISTS" 
SNAPDRAGONS 
T he LONGER we grow snaps as a greenhouse crop the more we are convinced that the control of moisture, both 
in the air arid >31 the roots, is of much importance. It’s the free, careless use of water, we believe, that is respon¬ 
sible for buds falling during vyinter, leaving a partly bare flower spike. Also for various forms of rot, most of which 
we knovy are controlled by a brisk dry atmosphere. No question about this. Many of these diseases, such as Boytritis, 
are soil borne, and could be sterilized 
out with steam, but favorable conditions. 
both atmospheric and a weakened host 
plant, must be set up before any of these 
forms of rot will spread. A mid-winter 
greenhouse is usually charged with ex¬ 
cessive moisture, as you note on entering 
one if you wear glasses. Some plants are 
favored under such conditions, but not 
snaps. So maintain a light atmosphere at 
all times. To this end watering should 
not be done during winter without every 
chance of the air and the plants drying 
thoroly by dark. And, of course, during 
winter the soil should not be watered 
unless fairly dry to the bottom. This 
attention to moisture control will also 
prevent the spread of rust, that is easily 
held in check, at least here in the middle 
west, until the coming of high spring 
temperatures and exhausted growth. 
While moisture control is important in 
producing a firm disease-resistant growth, 
controlling soil fertility is yet another 
factor. 
Excessive attention to "feeding” can 
easily get growth into an over-soft con¬ 
dition that, under much dark weather, 
will leave it open to any rot it is subject 
to. We have noted snapdragons in 
England growing out of the cracks in 
rock walls, making a sturdy growth too. At least this proves that Antirrhinums, as they are referred to in all languages, 
are not at home in a swamp and that is what some deep ground beds in a greenhouse might become. While we can 
not produce a profitable growth on a stone wall, we should at least recognize the fact that snaps can be easily over 
fed and over watered. Unless ground beds are thoroly drained, raised beds produce the safest growth for mid-winter 
flowering. 
For further details on sowing and growing this crop refer to our Ball Red Book. Also, we issue a circular, gratis, 
covering the subject. A copy of this is gladly enclosed with every snap seed order. 
Seeds sown July 5 save these snapdiason blooms December IS. This was done by Frank 
Voix, Cincinnati. About Chicaso sowins must be made earlier to set these results. Our 
Sreat variation in climate makes it necessary to make allowances accordinsly in acceptins 
sowins dates. 
The New Varieties 
The number is rather large this year, and the following seem noteworthy and will reflect the skill and 
patience of the growers who are responsible for them. We have had no experience with any of 
these varieties. The descriptions are the introducers. 
Yellow Cheviot Maid. (Frank Volz.) We believe the Cheviot Maid growth and early flowering 
habit to be the most nearly ideal of any winter-flowering strain. This new yellow is a break 
from the pink, with a good strong yellow color. 
White Cheviot Maid. (J. S. Yoder & Son). Another Cheviot Maid break and into a color we need. 
Said to be identical in growth and flowering habit to the parent stock. 
Celestial. (New yellow). (Witterstaetter). The originator of Rose Queen, Afterglow, and New 
Cincinnati has rounded out his strain with this new, fairly deep, long-spiked yellow that we 
believe will become as valuable as the earlier ones. This strain, from which all Witterstaetter 
varieties are worked out, is not so early flowering and will stand an earlier start for this reason. 
The following 3 new Breitmeyer varieties, released this season are of a large flowered, heavy 
spiked strain. We have frequently examined the originator’s growing stock and have found it 
clean and all 3 varieties attractive. 
Daybreak. Briarcliffe rose pink. Vigorous growth with heavy flower spikes. 
Sunset. A heavy spiked golden bronze. Exceptionally large flowered. 
Captor. Pure white, long-stemmed and flowers thruout the winter. 
Any of the above originator’s packets, $2.00 each. Any 3 packets of the 6 varieties, $5.00. 
Order promptly of the above to avoid short seed crop disappointment. 
Nearly every new Snap makes some improvement. All are from greenhouse growers. [ H ] 
