Kelsey's Hardy American Plants, Highlands Nursery 
COLLECTED PLANTS 
All plants offered in this Catalogue are nursery-grown, unless specially noted, hut 
can often be supplied in strong, collected stock when desired. 
Our facilities are unapproached elsewhere for collecting the best stock at a low cost, 
and an experience of 18 years and well-trained collectors enable us to assure buyers 
that orders for “ collected ” plants will receive the same attention and care as though we 
intended planting the stock ourselves. As a rule, however, we do not recommend the 
extensive use of collected stock and cannot guarantee it in any instance. 
DO YOU WANT HARDY STOCK? 
T HE location of HIGHLANDS NURSERY, at the summit of the Blue Ridge, in 
western North Carolina, 3,800 feet among the clouds, and under the shadow of 
the great Grandfather mountain (the highest peak in the Blue Ridge range) in¬ 
sures long, cool summers and cold winters, which are very favorable to the growth of 
these beautiful native ornamentals, producing a perfectly hardy stock—a most im¬ 
portant point with northern planters. The thermometer often reaches an extreme 
of 10 to 15 degrees below, and every few years will go down as low as 20 degrees or 
more below zero. 
The Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and most of the ericaceous plants herein offered 
thrive best in rich, peaty soils and partially shaded situations. A good soil can be 
made by excavating 2 to 3 feet of the surface, and filling with equal parts of good 
leaf-mold or other decayed vegetable matter and surface loam, with one-tenth or more 
of sharp sand. Swamp muck or field sod may be used. Mulching (spent tan, moss, 
leaves, hay, etc ) is always useful, and is necessary where the ground is very dry. 
Lime, In large quantities, in any form is very damaging to Rhododendrons, Azaleas 
and ericaceous plants in general. As a rule, give the plants a deep soil, with plenty 
of well-decayed vegetable food and good drainage, and the results will be satisfactory. 
Always give Rhododendrons a northern exposure where possible, and do not 
cultivate deep, as ericaceous plants are surface feeders. 
RHODODENDRON MAXIMUM 
The Great American Rose Bay 
and KALMIA LA TIFOLIA 
From Pennsylvania Mountains The Mountain Laurel 
The use of collected Rhododendrons and Kalmias for quickly and permanently pro¬ 
ducing fine landscape effects is now well established, and with any reasonable expenditure 
there is no other possible way to obtain the results to be had by the use of these magnifi¬ 
cent hardy broad-leaved evergreens. We have been in the business of collecting and 
growing Rhododendrons, Kalmias, Azaleas and other hardy American plants for seventeen 
years, and our sources of supply are not only unexcelled, but the long experience of our 
employees renders a commission placed in our bauds peculiarly safe. 
Our supply and advantages being unlimited, we are prepared to accept orders for fall 
or spring delivery, with an assurance of prompt service and satisfactory material that must 
give good results. 
In car-load lots we collect sizes from 2 to 10 feet in height, with corresponding diameter; 
the number to the car, say forty or fifty to three or four hundred, depends entirely on the 
size. We are glad to give prices and all information possible to prospective purchasers, and 
specially invite correspondence on the subject from landscape architects, park superin¬ 
tendents and boards of estates. 
Lcucothoie catembael, Galax aphylla and the true Rhododendron catawblense 
from the Carolina mountains we also collect by the car-load, but the peculiar conditions of 
distance from railroads to plant stations, and rather heavy freight rates, make their use 
more limited to the producing of finer finished effects in connection with Rhododendron 
maximum and Kalmia latifolia , or with other planting. The foliage effects of these 
broad-leaved evergreens is beyond comparison, the leaves being rich in color, the Leucothoe 
and Galax turning brilliant bronze tints in fall and winter. Full information for the asking. 
HARLAN P. KELSEY, Tremont Building, Boston, Mass. 
NOTE. —A beautifully illustrated and descriptive retail Catalogue of Hardy American Plants 
sent on request. 
Purchasing Departmsnt.-We have special facilities for inspection and purchase of fine nur¬ 
sery stook other than native, and are pleased to submit prices and estimates on any list. 
