CULTURE CALOCHORTUS— (Continued) 
EAST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 
Calochortus will endure the coldest weather in the East¬ 
ern United States but suffer from premature thawing follow¬ 
ing freezing. Brodiaeas are not so affected. 
In the Open Ground. The directions above apply for the 
East, except: Better always raise bed to insure drainage and 
add one-third grit to any friable loam to better insure drain¬ 
age. 
Plant by Nov. 15 or at least before freezing and just as 
freezing starts give a cover of marsh hay or leaf of 3 to 4 in. 
Cover should be removed promptly in spring as tender shoots 
cannot push through. 
One customer, eminently successful with Calochortus and 
Brodiaeas, holds his bulbs to be planted just as ground 
starts to freeze. No mulch is used and in this way the bulbs 
do not start roots in fall, pushing leaves up into a mulch, but 
start naturally as ground warms in the spring and the sturdy 
leaf growth is uninjured by any spring frosts. 
Digging and Storing. Calochortus and Brodiaea bulbs are 
injured by summer rains after they have ripened. As soon as 
ripe, dig, air in shade, and store in a dry place in paper bags 
without packing material. 
(2) In Cold Frames. With any ordinary care, all Calochor¬ 
tus can be grown splendidly in cold frames. They should be 
treated exactly as for open beds, except the soil will be better 
with some leaf mold. Do not coddle, but simply protect from 
freezing and thawing. After ripening, keep the sashes on all 
summer so that they will stay dry. I have glowing reports 
from customers who have grown them this way. 
(3) In Pots. While they cannot be forced much, they can 
be grown in pots fairly well as follows: Use a sandy or 
loamy soil, with good drainage. Plant 1% to 2 inches apart, 
which will give 6 to 12 to a 6-inch pot. Moisten the soil and 
put the pot in a dark place, a cellar preferred, for about six 
weeks, to let them root. Then bring into a warm, sunny place 
and water moderately. After flowering, let them ripen well 
and then dry off and leave perfectly dry until fall. 
Note: The First group, Globe Tulip, and the Second 
group. Star Tulips, are all perfectly hardy in the East and are 
well adapted to pockets in the rock garden where they would 
be assured of good drainage that most of them require. 
The Mariposa Tulips often give fine results in the open, 
while at other times they fail, very often this being due to 
poor drainage and wet conditions. The best species to use in 
the East are Venustus citrinus. Venustus oculatus, Vesta, 
Nititdus. Eurocarpus, Lyallii and Apiculatus, as these stand 
much more moisture and are nracticallv immune to lily leaf 
rot which might affect the others. 
DOG'S-TOOTH VIOLETS 
(Erythroniums) 
The charm of these enchanting woodland plants is so well 
shown in color (see plate, page 2) that words seem futile. 
Had they no other beauty than that of the richly mottled 
leaves they would be well worth a place in the shady corner. 
The flowers are entraneingly beautiful, and, in these West¬ 
ern species, often 3 to 5 inches across, with stems as much 
as 18 inches high, although oftener 4 to 6 inches. The colors 
are in delicate tints of white, pink, cream, lavender, bright 
yellow and even deepest rose. 
They are hardy in the coldest parts of the United States, 
and while they are at their best in a loose, gritty soil, rich in 
very old leaf mold, they also thrive in the greatest variety 
of clays, grits and rock soils. In woodlands, in shaded cor¬ 
ners, or in crevices in rockword in shade, is the place to 
naturalize. Plant in numbers sufficient to carpet the ground. 
Culture. I keep the bulbs in a cool place and in barely 
moist soil. When you receive them, plant at once in moist 
soil. When the bulbs are out of the ground, they soon suffei 
from overdrying. Any loamy or gritty soil will do and light 
shade is preferable. In planting, set the bulb upright, with 
2 to 3 inches of soil covering the tip; 2 inches apart will give 
room enough. 
Potting. One of the most experienced Chicago growers 
made a test of potting for me and writes: “We had the Ery¬ 
throniums in flower the first of February without any forc¬ 
ing except a temperature of 45 to 50. Californicum and Hart- 
weggii were the best.” I would say that one could rely on 
these and all of the varieties of Californicum as well. Handle 
same as Hyacinths. 
Dog’s-Tooth Violets can be grown in pots or cold frames 
to good advantage. For potting, Hartweggii is best. Cus¬ 
tomers of mine in Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Ohio, 
or Delaware, as well as at Pacific Coast points, have had 
great pleasure from colonies of my Erythroniums planted in 
woods or other lightly shaded locations. 
For naturalizing, the bulbs offered on page 9 are excel¬ 
lent. Seventy per cent of them will flower the first year. 
Endless letters from pleased customers tell of success with 
Erythroniums from Montreal to Washington, D. C., and from 
Maine to Minnesota. That they are perfectly hardy, thrive 
with no special care, and stay for years is certain, and espe¬ 
cially in all of the country north of California and east of the 
Rockies. 
All of the Eastern species exhaust themselves by the pro¬ 
duction of endless offsets, which fairly fill the ground, while 
there are comparatively few flowering stems in a colony. 
The Western species, with one exception, have no offsets, but 
reproduce from seeds only, and a very large percentage of the 
bulbs flower the first and every year. Often there is a 100 per 
cent bloom. Even small bulbs flower. 
Delivery September to December 1. All bulbs are packed 
against a journey of two months. Plant at once upon receipt 
in soil that is at least barely moist. If any delay, store in a 
cool place. 
Flowering Season of Erythroniums: All are among the 
earliest flowers. Hartweggii is notably early, the Revolutum 
group latest. The entire season is over a month, which is 
here from February to April 15. In the East I would say from 
April 1 on. 
Note to those in hotter sections of the Southern States 
and warmer localities in California: I have never recom¬ 
mended Erythroniums for your regions. If you must try 
them, plant in the very coolest, deeply shaded situations that 
you have and never allow soil to completely dry out during 
summer. 
FIRST GROUP 
Californicum has large cream-colored flowers. Leaves richly 
mottled. Easy to grow, and a large colony is a beautiful 
sight. Large bulbs, 5 cts. each; 50 cts. per doz.; $3.50 per 
100; smaller bulbs cheaper. 
Californicum Bicolor, as its name signifies, has two vividly 
contrasting colors. The outer half of the petals is pure 
white, the inner bright chrome yellow, while the stamens 
are a rich gold. All Erythroniums have a faint fragrance, 
but “Bicolor” has a pronounced and delicious fragrance, 
enough so that from a few sprays the fragrance is noted 
across a room and from a bed in the open instantly 
catches one’s attention. It is an exceptionally good grow¬ 
er. Altogether one of the very best of all. 6 cts. each; 60 
cts. per doz.; $4.00 per 100. 
Californicum “White Beauty”. Lovely, large flowers, white, 
faintly tinged with cream; usually beautifully zoned with 
maroon at base. A high authority in Europe considers 
this the finest of all Erythroniums. 7 cts. each; 70 cts. per 
doz.; $5 per 100. 
Citrinum is rather more erect in habit, with flowers almost 
pure white with strongly contrasting deep citron on lower 
third. One of the loveliest of all. 5 cts. each; 50 cts. doz. 
Grandiflorum robustum is a superb species with flowers of 
the brightest buttercup yellow. The leaves have no mot¬ 
tling—just plain green. It always attracts attention. 6 cts. 
each; 60 cts. per doz.; $4 per 100. 
Hartweggii is as pretty as Californicum, with more yellow in 
the flower, and each flower on a separate stalk. Very 
early and stands much heat. Good for pots. Large bulbs, 
5 cts. each; 50 cts. per doz.; $3.50 per 100; smaller bulbs 
cheaper. 
Hendersonii. Like Californicum, but the flowers are a lovely 
light purple, with centers a deep maroon, alm.ost black. 
Most striking. 5 cts. each; 50 cts. per doz.; $3.50 per 100. 
Howellii is related to Citrinum, creamy with a yellow tint, 
but soon turns pink. 6 cts. each; 60 cts. per doz.; $4.50 
per 100. 
Purdyi has flowers borne like Hartweggii, but cream colored, 
with a very delicate light lemon center. 10 cts. each; 75 
cts. per doz.; $5 per 100. 
Purpurascens. The lovely flowers open creamy-yellow, suf¬ 
fused purple and turn purple as they age. A high altitude 
species adapted to the East and North only. 6 cts. each: 
60 cts. per doz.; $4 per 100. 
Tuolumnensis is quite new to both the garden and science. 
Large leaves, not mottled, and golden yellow flowers. The 
bulbs are very large and by off-setting form large clumps. 
Not too free flowering, but very distinct. 10 cts. each; $1 
per doz.; $7.50 per 100. 
The above prices are postpaid to your door. 
Raleigh, N. C. (1932): “Had some butterfly tulips from 
you several years ago and they have proven very satisfac¬ 
tory.” 
Page 8 
CARL PURDY, UKIAH, CALIFORNIA 
