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 beginner, if key letter and other 
directions are follozved. 
i —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 berrie.=» 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, :n sunny window, frame or conservatory, 
X—^w 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 are seeds that need cold to start 
them, not heat. May usually be sown in early spring 
also, providing they have been stratified, or have re¬ 
ceived refrigerator treatment. 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 Old Orchard Seed Farm, near Moorestown, 
New Jersey, where we have over 3000 species of unusual 
plants growing, largely rare kinds. We produce there an 
actual majority of the seeds that we sell. Other seeds 
come f»-om the many professional or amateur botanical 
collectors who gather for us in all parts of the world, 
or from specialist commercial growers. Additional seeds 
are saved from great private plant collections in estate 
gardens of England and Scotland. Visitors are welcome at 
Old Orchard. Come and see the flowers that will produce 
your seeds. 
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, 6% 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 16% 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 
I Before each species listing will be found a two-digit 
I number. The first figui*e 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. 
I 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. 
6. Grow in a sunny window or conservatory. 
6. Suiteble for outside planting only in South and in 
I 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. 
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, bulbs, 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 
I to add five cents (not 5%), to the total sum, this being 
u ^ 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- 
conapames order. Bulbs, plants and books are not sent 
L. O. D. Orders of less than fifty cents value are handled 
at an actual loss, and whatever the future may hold forth, 
1 am still depending upon the profit system for my own 
living, and for the money to pay my helpers. 
REX. D. PEARCE 
Moorestown New Jersey 
ADDRESS So that we might bring all of our opera¬ 
tions to one place, w’e erected last spring, a new building 
at our Old Orchard Seed Farm, Bridgeboro Road, Moores- 
New Jersey. This building now houses our offices, 
order-filling, seed-cleaning and bulb departments, the for¬ 
mer Merchantville offices being closed. We shall appreciate 
it if our friends will hereafter address us at Moorestown, 
no street address needed. However mail sent to Merchant¬ 
ville will continue to reach us promptly. Moorestown is a 
New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia, easily reached from 
that city by frequent local bus service. 
