KEY TO LETTERS USED IN 
DESCRIPTIONS 
a—Prefers acid soil, 
at—Tolerant of acidity, 
b—Suitable for the hardy border, 
bt—For backgrounds, or screen plantings, 
c—The flowers cut well, 
d—Will grow in rather dry soils. 
e—Of easy culture for the begrinner, if key Utter and other 
directions are followed. 
f—Decorative foliage effects, 
g—Ground cover or carpeting plant, 
gt—Turfing effects in place of grass, 
h—May be used as hedge, 
i—Useful for low edgings, 
j—Some part of the plant used as food, 
k—Sow in early spring while soil is cool, 
kt—As in “k”, but may also be sown in latest fall. 
1—Needs lime. 
It—Tolerant of, or slightly prefers, lime, 
m—Likes plenty of moisture, keep watered, 
mt—For bog garden, pool-edge or streamside. 
n—Effective for wild naturalizing, 
o—Fragrant or aromatic, 
p—For pavements, step-crevices or walls, 
q—Has bright berries or other decorative fruits, 
r—Of value in rock garden, 
s—Prefers shade. 
st—Tolerant of either light shade or sun. 
u—May be used for windowbox, porch box or urn. 
ut—Suitable for terrariums. 
V— Sow in pans of sand, mixed with chopped sphagnum 
moss. Seeds requiring this culture will not germinate 
during warmer parts of year, 
w—Sow in heat, in sunny window, frame or conservatory. 
X —Sow in spring or summer, up to September. If sown 
in heat of summer, be sure seedbed is shaded. A lath 
or cloth screen a foot above it is suggested, 
y—Sow in late autumn or even in early winter, in open 
ground beds or unheated frames, germination to take 
place in spring. These a. seeds that need cold to start 
them, not heat. May be sown in early spring 
also, providing they ha. a been stratified, or have re¬ 
ceived refrigerator trs itnent. Cultural folder sent 
with seeds, gives directions for this, 
yt—Seeds so marked should be sown only in late autumn, 
or in earliest spring in outdoor seedbeds. If sown too 
late in spring, they may lie dormant until following 
year, 
NUMERALS IN PARENTHESES indicate season and dura¬ 
tion of bloom, as follows: (1) early spring, (2) late spring 
and early summer, (3) summer, (4) late summer and early 
autumn, (5) all autumn, (6) late autumn, (7) winter, 
(8) tends to be ever-blooming, (9) grown for fruit, form 
or foliage, rather than flowers. 
NUMERAL FOLLOWING PARENTHESIS indicates nor¬ 
mal mature height in inches, under good culture. Height 
of trees and many shrubs is given in feet. 
STAR (*) before variety name indicates an annual. Star 
following name indicates a hardy perennial that will bloom 
first season if sown early. 
WHERE NEW SEEDS COME FROM—First of all, they 
come from our own seed farm. Old Orchard Seed Gardens, 
Bridgeboro Road, Moorestown, N. J., where we have over 
3000 species of rare plants growing, most of them for 
seed-production purposes only. We produce there an actual 
majority of the seeds that we sell. Other seeds that we 
list come from the more than one hundred professional or 
amateur botanical collectors who gather for us in all parts 
of the earth. Additional seeds are saved from great private 
plant collections in estate-gardens of England and Scotland. 
PLANTS AND BULBS BY MAIL—Seeds are postpaid at 
catalog prices, but plants and bulbs are not, and will 
normally be sent by express. If you prefer having plants 
and bulbs come by mail, will you please add to your re¬ 
mittance for them, 5% for shipments to points east of 
Pittsburgh and north of the Potomac, 10% for points beyond 
these limits but still east of the Mississippi, and 15% for 
destinations west of that river. This additional allowance 
is to cover postage, and the cost of mail packing. Plants 
will go safely enough either way, mail or express. Main 
difference is that you pay transportation in advance on 
mail shipments, and when you get the materials, on ex¬ 
press shipments. Your choice. 
KEY TO NUMERALS USED BEFORE 
LISTINGS 
Before each species listing will be found a two-digit 
number. The first figure or digit in the combination in¬ 
dicates the character of the plant, whether it be what is 
called a bulb, an herbaceous perennial, a tree, or of other 
growth habit. The second figure gives information as to 
relative hardiness, and kind of winter care^ needed. 
These number combinations before the variety names are 
intended to help you in scanning the listings, so that you 
may be able to pick out quickly the kinds that you need 
for, or that are fitted to, some particular purpose-use. Here 
are examples. The combination “21” indicates “herbaceous 
perennials” that are “winter-hardy without protection”. 
“35” marks “bulbs” that may be grown “in sunny win¬ 
dow or conservatory. “44” would be a “succulent” _ for 
“tub culture”, and so on through all possible combinations. 
FIRST-DIGIT TABLE 
1. Herbaceous biennial. 
2. Herbaceous perennial that is neither bulbous nor succulent. 
3. Bulb, tuber, corm, or of other bulb-like habit. 
4. Succulent, or semi-succulent. 
5. Shrub, (being low plants with woody stems.) 
6. Perennial vine, either woody or herbaceous. 
7. Tree, either deciduous or broadleaf evergreen. 
8. Tree, coniferous or needle evergreens, with relatives, 
SECOND-DIGIT TABLE 
1. Winter-hardy without protection. 
2. Usually winters safely if given mulching of straw or 
litter, or perhaps a windbreak. Best planted where 
wind-sheltered. 
3. Dig in late autumn, and give frostproof winter storage, 
as in a cool cellar. 
4. Handle as a tub plant, outside in summer, under glass 
or in light cellar in winter. 
5. Grow in a sunny window or conservatory. 
6. Suitable for outside planting only in South and in 
California. Of course most plants under “5” may also 
be grown out of doors in the South. 
PLEASE NOTE. Last table is based on climate of 
Philadelphia and Long Island. In figuring relative hardi¬ 
nesses, make allowance for any differences between your 
climate and that of basic area. 
PLEASE READ BEFORE ORDERING 
Seeds and bulbs are forwarded as ready. All seeds, but 
not actual bulbs or live plants, are postpaid. Safe arrival 
is guaranteed. Goods are offered subject to arrival or 
harvest. All previous prices are withdrawn. 
I try to send out only good seeds, but I cannot control 
the conditions under which they are planted. I give no 
warranty, express or implied, as to description, quality, pro¬ 
ductiveness, or any other matter of any seeds, bulhs, or 
plants I sell, and I will not be responsible for the crop. 
Please remit in full with your order. Postal and ex¬ 
press money orders are cheap, safe and easily obtained. 
I suggest their use where possible. Personal checks will be 
accepted, however, should it not be convenient to get a 
money order, but if remittance is made by check, be sure 
to add five cents (not 5%), to the total sum, this being 
about the average cost per check, (not per dollar), for 
handling, bank collection charges, etc. If you enclose 
actual cash, currency in any form, by ordinary unregis¬ 
tered mail, it must be at your own risk. C. O. D. ship¬ 
ments ,of seeds made only when substantial deposit ac¬ 
companies order. Bulbs, plants and books are not sent 
C. O. D. Orders of less than fifty cents value are handled 
at an actual loss, and whatever the future may hold forth, 
I am still depending upon the profit system for my own 
living, and for the money to pay my helpers. 
REX. D. PEARCE 
Merchantville New Jersey 
ORDERS FROM ABROAD—We send seeds to all parts of 
the world without charge for regular postage, but cus¬ 
tomers in isolated regions where additional special transit 
charges are levied, should remit for these. Customs duties, 
(if levied at all, these are usually low on flower seeds), are 
payable by the purchaser, ordinarily at his local postoffice. 
Remittance with order can readily be made by purchasing 
an International Postal Money Order at your own post- 
office. Please allow for differences in exchange. 
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