^‘FLOWER SEEDS 
FOR FLORISTS” 
FLORISTS’ ZINNIAS 
Wherever Summers Are Warm Zinnias Have Florist Value 
Zinnias must be exposed to a fair degree of steady heat, 
without which they won’t grow satisfactorily. This 
warmth requirement very much extends to germination 
of this seed. In a cold wet soil it will promptly rot. 
60-65° should bring them along promptly and much 
surer than a temperature in the 50’s. 
An outdoor planting of, say Giants and Lilliputs, will 
be found valuable to any retail florist throughout the 
summer. For cutting, such light Giants as Exquisite, 
Golden Dawn, Old Rose, and Desert Gold are used to 
excellent advantage. Also the Pom¬ 
pon or Lilliputs are especially 
choice if their stems are drawn some 
by growing under cloth or a green¬ 
house. For outside growing we find 
they come much better when sown 
direct in the open ground after it 
becomes well warmed, early June 
with us. This avoids the check of 
transplanting. Regular Aster house 
cloth produces most too much shade, 
drawing the Giants up too long and 
soft. A grade of cloth with 10 
strands to the inch, such as we sum¬ 
mer shade our outdoor grown Mums 
with, is better. Though a freer 
growth is had by sowing out direct, 
many home gardeners like to buy 
started plants, either pot or flat 
grown. 
In sowing for this don’t start loo 
early, for Zinnias grow rapidly with 
the warmth of April and May. A 
month at this season produces ex¬ 
cellent plants. A March sowing 
planted out a month later in a fairly 
warm house will produce perfect 
flowers in May, but there isn’t 
enough sunshine during midwinter 
to flower them satisfactorily or 
profitably. 
The development of the Zinnia to 
the perfect double flowers of today has been a diflicult job. 
The extent of single plant selection and segregation work 
necessary to hold and better what we have might be sur¬ 
prising to some. With it all, some varieties will show up 
a few rogue colors and singles, but they are clearly and 
surely getting better annually. This will be found par¬ 
ticularly true of the Giant stocks we are offering this 
season. Stars (*) indicate varieties we find generally 
preferred. 
DAHLIA-FLOWERED GIANTS (2500 seeds per 
ounce). The center petals of this class tend to incurve, 
giving the flower a somewhat deeper and fuller effect than 
the California Giants. While this character is not a fixed 
one, it does predominate, making the Dahlia-Flowered the 
generally preferred class of Giants. (See list above) 
DAHLIA FLOWERED—Continued 
* Canary Bird. A rich bright yellow. 
* Crimson Monarch. Large crimson-red. 
*Dream. Fine deep lavender. 
Eldorado. Attractive salmon-apricot shades. 
*Equisite. Fairly deep rose; valuable for cutting. 
Golden Dawn. Bright golden yellow, dark center. 
* Golden State. Rich orange-yellow, deeper center. 
Illumination. Quite deep rose-pink; valuable. 
Meteor. Clear deep amaranth-rose. 
Old Rose. Shades of old rose. 
Oriole. Orange and gold; excellent. 
Polar Bear. Large white. 
Purple Prince. Large deep purple. 
* Scarlet Flame. Well named bright scarlet. 
Prices, separate colors: Each, tr. pkt., 25c; % oz., 35c; 14 oz., 
60c; loz., $1.00; lib., $12.00. 
SPECIAL OFFER: One trade packet each of above 14 varieties 
for $2.75. 
One trade packet each of any ten above varieties for $2.00. 
*Gold Medal Mixed. Best Giant Dahlia-Flowered Mixture 
available. 
Tr. pkt., 25c; M oz., 35c; 14 oz., 60c; 1 oz., $1.00; 1 lb., $12.00. 
GIANT MAMMOTH. Also known as “California Giants.” Fully 
as large as the Dahlia-flowered type but with petals imbricated 
or laid back one over the other, giving the flower a flatter effect. 
Neither of the Giant classes comes entirely true to the characters 
that distinguish them. 
Why do seed grown plants vary or break up into different forms? Not for us to answer 
this except to say that this law of life has added a lot of interest and value to Zinnias 
as the above pictures. 
Zirniias add color to your grounds and are valuable for cutting. 
page fourteen 
