Flower Seeds 
ABEL’S SEED HOUSE, READING, PA. 
Flower Seeds Require Ideal Conditions for Germination 
The amateur gardener is frequently 
confronted with the fact that the flower 
seeds planted did not germinate and is 
unable to understand why. Many times 
the Seed House is condemned, but is this 
fair? 
If the gardener will visit the Seed 
House and present the true situation, 
proper information will be given so there 
will not be a repetition of flower seeds 
not germinating. Why not ask for this 
information when first purchasing flower 
seeds? 
Many flower seeds are exceedingly 
small and as they germinate slender 
shoots come forth which require deli¬ 
cate and gentle treatment. 
SNAPDRAGONS, for instance, in the 
cultural directions, require that “the 
seed should be pressed firmly into the 
top of well prepared soil and then cov¬ 
ered with a cloth or burlap kept damp 
until the seed germinates.” 
Many people are so enthusiastic about 
getting the seed into the ground that 
they fail to carefully consider these in¬ 
structions. When a good stand of plants 
fail to appear they are very much dis¬ 
appointed, and frequently condemn the 
seeds without considering the planting 
instructions. 
The fact that the seeds have been 
properly planted is no guarantee that 
the gardener will be assured of a goodly 
supply of plants. The elements must 
be considered. A sudden heavy thunder 
storm with its accompanying downpour 
of rain may tear the young tender plants 
to pieces, and they will not have a 
chance of becoming established. Next, 
the soil must be considered. Usually the 
soil is very hard and the effect of the 
rays from the hot sun tend to make it 
harder. This condition must be cor¬ 
rected by carefully loosening the soil 
and gently watering the plants, other¬ 
wise the tender surviving plants will 
burn off. 
Since so many factors enter into the 
successful growing of plants, the gar¬ 
dener, who has carefully observed and 
applied all the rules, will be best re¬ 
warded. 
Abel’s Seed House offers you the bene¬ 
fit of its experience in the planting of 
flower seeds. This service is free—ask 
for it when buying seeds. 
The above suggestions also apply in a 
general way to the planting of vegetable 
seeds. However, as vegetable seeds are 
more sturdy less difficulty will be en¬ 
countered. 
Abel’s New Flower Seed Novelties for 1936 
Tithonia Speciosa 
(Golden Flower of The Incas) 
Not new but very popular. Orange, 
vermillion, resembling single African 
marigolds. Foliage and habit of growth 
like Dahlias. Early flowering. An ex¬ 
cellent cut flower. Pkt. 10c; *4oz. 40c. 
New Double Sweet Scented 
Nasturtium 
Glorious Gleam Hybrids 
(Chosen for trial at Wisley) 
We offer you Gleam Hybrids, a mix¬ 
ture of colors which have scientifically 
developed through line breeding and se¬ 
lection, using the results of our growers ’ 
original crosses as a starting point, but 
they are not hybrids in the sense of un¬ 
proven first generation crosses. The 
flowers are uniformly double, large, well 
formed and delightfully sweet scented, 
while the stems are long and wiry, bear¬ 
ing the numerous flowers well above the 
foliage. The color range is wide and 
well balanced, including glorious shades 
of salmon, golden yellow, orange scarlet, 
cerise, cream yellow, maroon, orange, 
crimson, and gold flushed scarlet. Nat¬ 
ural color illustration on back cover. 
Pkt. 10; i/ioz. 40e; %oz. 75c; 1 oz. $1.25. 
Cosmos Early Klondyke Orange 
Flare 
Granted the highest honor that can be 
bestowed on a new flower variety in 
the United States. Orange Flare has 
proven itself worthy of this honor. The 
long stemmed flowers of bright vivid 
orange are freely borne on two to three 
Fantasy Finest Mixed Zinnias 
Acknowledged the most distinctive 
new Zinnia on the market, as different 
from the ordinary stiff formal Zinnias 
as one could imagine, the delicate lacy 
petaled flowers lend an air of friendly 
informality to the garden or flower 
arrangement. The round medium sized 
shaggy flowers are borne profusely on 
two and one-half to three foot plants 
in a wide and varied color range which 
includes the brightest shades of red, 
yellow and orange as well as the popu¬ 
lar pastel pinks and cream. Pkt. 15c; 
Vs oz. 70c; Vi oz. $1.25. 
Fantasy Zinnias 
Cosmos Orange Flare 
foot, well shaped plants which have a 
sparse growth of light green foliage. 
Early blooming flowering less than four 
months from the time of planting, and 
when forced in the greenhouse can be 
flowered in sixty to seventy days. Pkt. 
15c; V 8 oz. 70c; % oz. $1.25. 
Larkspur Giant Imperial 
Blue Bell 
Blue bell is a fine medium blue lark¬ 
spur, deeper than sky blue, yet much 
lighter than lilac, a color up to this time 
lacking in the giant imperial type. The 
type is decidedly upright, with long 
basal branched flowering spikes, well 
adapted for cutting. Pkt. 15e; 1/16 oz. 
65c; %oz. 1.00; %oz. $1.50; %oz. $2.50; 
oz. $4.00. 
Paze fiftee a 
