HARDY PERENNIAL PLANTS 
The following list of plants is intended to include the 
best available plants that are suitable and desirable for 
garden culture. Each year new varieties are made avail¬ 
able, which will be included in future editions of this cata¬ 
logue. We are constantly on the lookout for new or rare 
perennial plants of special merit, and have many varieties 
in our trial gardens which are not listed herein. We have 
one of the largest commercial collections of hardy plants in 
the country and invite inquiries for those rare varieties 
which you have been unable to secure. This collection 
now comprises more than 1 300 species and varieties. 
The descriptions herein have been prepared with a great 
deal of care, but we cannot guarantee them in all cases 
because there is so much confusion in the botanical names 
of some species and varieties that it is impossible to be sure 
that all are correct. Except for such confusion, plants pro¬ 
pagated from offsets, division or cuttings are true to name. 
Many varieties come 100% true from seed, while others 
come true in varying degrees, even when grown from seeds 
secured from the best sources in this and foreign countries. 
The stock offered is field grown and the best we know 
how to produce after many years of experience. Many of 
them are at least a year older than plants offered in small 
pots; they are also acclimated to outdoor conditions. They 
are all of a size and age to produce a crop of bloom the 
first year after planting. It should be remembered, how¬ 
ever, that a few plants, such as Lupines and Peonies, either 
do not blossom at all or do not produce normal blossoms 
until the second year after planting or until after they have 
had an opportunity to become established in their new home. 
We are always glad to welcome visitors to our gardens 
who are interested in hardy plants or alpines. Our farm 
is located on Ridge Road, Route U. S. 104, one mile west of 
Webster Village, or two miles east of West Webster. The 
gardens are always open for the convenience of the public. 
CULTURE OF PERENNIAL PLANTS 
With few exceptions, the plants mentioned herein are 
of easy culture and can be successfully grown in the eastern 
states in ordinary garden soil without special care. A few 
are rather difficult. A brief statement as to soil and cul¬ 
tural requirements is given in the descriptions of those 
plants which require special care; however, it is believed 
that a few general hints may prove valuable. 
The first consideration is soil, which should not be too 
rich. It can then be fertilized to suit the requirements of 
the plants. Its preparation should be thorough—dig it up 
to a depth of at least fifteen inches. Cow manure, par¬ 
ticularly if well rotted, is perhaps the best all around fer¬ 
tilizer. Pulverized sheep’s manure or bone meal can be used 
to advantage. Some of the alpine plants grow in very meag¬ 
er soil consisting of weathered rock only; some of these 
growing immediately below a snow cap or glacier have 
their roots washed all summer by the ice cold water from 
the melting snow above. These plants are growing in 
places where they have perfect drainage, very little or no 
overhead wet, and some of them have a constant supply of 
moisture at their roots throughout the growing season. To 
grow some of these plants in our gardens, it is necessary to 
imitate their natural conditions as nearly as possible. 
Some plants require an alkaline or limestone soil while 
others cannot endure it, but must have an acid soil. If 
your soil is acid or deficient in lime, limestone-loving plants 
can be made to flourish in it by adding any material con¬ 
taining lime, such as air-slacked lime, ground limestone, or 
even old plaster. If your soil naturally contains lime, it can 
be improved for acid loving plants by adding leaf mold, 
