HOW TO GET THE BEST 
HUNTINGTON’S 
RESULTS WITH 
SEEDS 
Raising plants from seeds is one of the most interesting subjects and the most fascinating hobby for 
the true flower lover. It is a rare delight to watch the growth of the plant from the seedling 
stage to the fully developed, blossoming specimen in your garden. 
ADVANTAGES OF CROWINC FROM SEEDS —In our complete list 
of fine seeds you will find many items that are very rare in 
this country. It is almost impossible to buy plants of these 
varieties. By sowing the seeds you have the unusual in your 
garden at a very low cost. 
In many cases these unusual and delightful items are very 
easy from seed and only await your trying them to give to your 
garden a distinctiveness obtained in no other way. In our 
entire list of alpine, perennial, and annual seeds there is not an 
item that cannot be successfully grown from seed if given 
proper treatment. 
WHEN TO SOW —Early Spring is an ideal time to sow alpine, 
perennial and annual seeds. The first part of April is just right 
in our climate for we have enough rainfall to keep the ground 
moist, the sun is not too brilliant to burn the seedlings, and 
we find that our best results are achieved by sowing at that 
time. 
We drill out in the permanent nursery row such items as the 
following: Delphinium, Coreopsis, Gaillardia, Hollyhocks, Sweet 
William, Alyssum, Pyrethrum, and Rudbeckia. Unless the 
weather is very unfavorable we always have a good stand of 
these varieties. 
TO SOW IN SEED FRAMES —About the middle of April we pre¬ 
pare our seed beds for the finer items. These are not as rapid 
in their growth and must have protection from the hot sun. 
We sow such varieties as these in the frames: Aquilegia, 
Aethionema, Campanula, Heuchera, Geum, Lobelia, Thalictrum, 
Violas, and all of the fine alpine seeds. Care must be taken 
not to transplant too soon, and when they are transplanted it 
is wise to do it on a cloudy day so that tne sun will not burn 
them. Do not transplant until the seedlings have been hardened 
off. 
PREPARATION OF SEED BEDS —Prepare all seed beds, either 
frames or outside, by thoroughly spading and raking. Level the 
soil and firm it lightly. An unlevel seed bed causes the seeds to 
be washed to one corner when they are watered. Do not make 
the seed beds so large that you cannot place a covering over 
them in case the sun becomes too warm. 
HOW TO SOW —Sow the seed thinly, especially those items that 
are not going to be potted or transplanted early. This gives the 
seedlings a chance to properly develop. Screen a thin layer of 
dirt over the seeds so they are just covered from sight. The 
really fine seeds do not need any covering at all. Gently firm 
Several Important' 
Be very careful that you do not sow seeds too deep. A fine rule 
to follow—sow all seed the depth of the size of the seed. 
Be sure your seed frames are well drained. Many young seed¬ 
lings are destroyed by excessive moisture. Be careful in watering 
the seeds. Too much force will wash them all to one corner of 
the bed. 
The proper soil for a large majority of seeds is clean rich loam. 
Too much fertilizer is injurious. Do not permit the soil to become 
crusted. Seedlings cannot struggle through hard soil. 
the seed into the soil with a flat board. Water thoroughly but 
very carefully with a fine sprinkler. Keep them well shaded 
until they germinate. 
HOW TO HANDLE SEEDLINCS —After the seed has germinated 
care must be exercised in handling the seedlings. Do not water 
too much, but do not let the soil dry out. Gradually give them 
a little air, but do not let the mid-day sun hit them. We give 
them a little sunlight in the morning, and gradually increase 
it until they are old enough to take care of themselves. 
SUMMER SOWINC OF PERENNIALS —Many of our clients are 
sowing seeds during July, August and September. These seeds 
should be sown in a frame so that they can be protected over 
winter. Fine results are obtained with Delphinium, Pyrethrum, 
Aquilegia, Scabiosa, Anemone, Iberis, and other perennials 
when sown in the late summer. The advantage of sowing then 
is that the seedlings can be transplanted early in the Spring. 
FALL SOWING OF PERENNIALS AND ANNUALS— It is not 
generally known that there are certain perennial seeds that 
must be sown in the Fall for the best results, and that certain 
annual seeds will germinate successfully if sown in the Fall. 
These seeds require the action of winter freezing to aid them 
in germinating in the Spring. The list of Annual Seeds that can 
be sown in the Fall is given in the Annual Seed Section. We 
recommend late Fall sowing for the following perennial seeds: 
Adonis, Anthericum, Apocynum, Asperula, Cassia, Colchicum, 
Convallaria, Cirsium, Dicentra, Dictamnus, Ferula, Gunnera, 
Hedysarium, Helleborus, Heracleum, Hypericum, Lewisia, Liatris, 
Morina, Oenothera missouriensis, Pardanthus, Peony, Phlox, 
Primula, Sidalcea, Spirea, Trollius, and about all vine and shrub 
seeds. These items can be sown in the Spring, but for superior 
results sow in the Fall. 
LENGTH OF TIME FOR CERMINATINC —Most perennial and 
alpine seeds require about a week to two weeks to germinate. 
Annual seeds germinate in about from two days to ten days. 
Because of climatic conditions it is difficult to give exact time 
for the seeds to germinate. Do not become discouraged if the 
seed does not germinate quickly. Some of the more stubborn 
items such as Eremurus and some varieties of Primulas take 
more than a year to germinate. We recommend that flats or 
pots containing the fine alpine and perennial seeds bg held a 
year. Frost aids germination even after seeds have lain in the 
soil for months. 
Factors About Fine Seeds 
A light covering of screened peat moss over the seeds is a big 
help in holding the moisture and keeping the ground from bak¬ 
ing. Do not get too thick a covering of peat. 
If the seeds do not germinate quickly, do not get discouraged 
for many items require a considerable length of time to germinate. 
THIS IS IMPORTANT—We are ready at all times to be of 
assistance to you. We have been experimenting with seeds for 
over a quarter of a century. Possibly we have just the information 
you require. Do not hesitate to write. We consider it a pleasure 
to aid those who are interested in flowers. 
Page Forty-eight 
THE DUBOIS PRESS. ROCHESTER. N. T. 
HORTICULTURAL PRINTERS 
