STEELE'S PANSY GARDENS 
PORTLAND, OREGON, U. S. A. 
HOWDY FOLKS; 
Introducing our daughter, Isabelle, our office manager 
and auditor and the mother of six livewire children. See ! 
photo of our Ann Marie and Jane, the subject of our 1 
child ad in trade magazines: Pop. | 
Countless inquiries come to our office about how to | 
make the pansies grow bigger and better. | 
“I want to grow a small, stocky plant with plenty of ] 
immense blooms. What fertilizer do you advise that I 
use? Which plant food do you use in your gardens?” 
This is a large order and puts us on the spot. | 
The fertilizer we may suggest may be one which is not 
available in your neighborhood and our advice may 
therefore be of no value to you. However, there may be 
an abundance of another plant food nearby which would prove of great value to your f 
flowers and at a price which will suit your purse. In this connection I am reminded of a J 
report we had from a flower fan living near Fresno, Calif. He tells us that the stems from J 
raisins are piled up, left to compost, and furnish a most satisfactory substitute for leaf mold, [ 
which is a favorite portion of a balanced pansy diet. 1 
ISABELLE STEELE LAYMAN 
W^e say ‘‘Get in touch with your County Agent. He will be able to help you better than 
we.” He is in close touch with local conditions, knows what fertilizers are available at the 
lowest cost and he can advise you how to build up your soil to maximum efficiency. 
We tell you “Pansies enjoy an acid soil.” A competent County Agent knows what you 
must do to produce such a soil in your own community. Or an expert commercial grower 
might give you some valuable advice. In any case consult someone of experience who does 
not sell fertilizers. His advice will be expert and without prejudice. 
We are in the heart of a rich dairy country and use the entire output of one of our local 
dairies. The scrapings, valuable because dairy cows are highly fed, are combined with lea.f 
mold, sod, and a liberal portion of bone-meal and composted about 15 months. This ration is 
the finest of all, perfect for pansies. We also use the entire output of a large poultry concern 
which uses peat moss for bedding. The peat moss in combination with dairy or chicken 
scrapings makes a valuable mulch and is also used to cover our germination beds. 
“Bud”, our Superintendent of Production, has been conducting a series of tests on all 
available fertilizers and one of his current recommendations is Marl (diatomaceous earth) 
which he combines with peat moss. His report is very favorable on this mixture, especially 
for summer heat. 
When we tell you to study our rules of germination we mean they must be your primer 
and your text book from the time you break ground for germination bed until the seedlings 
are strong and healthy plants ready to go into their permanent place. 
We estimate that a good grower should germinate 5000 plants to the ounce of pansy seed 
and our large commercial growers report a much higher percentage. But pansies are like 
Prima Donnas. The finer the strain, the more attention they demand. They will not just 
sprout, like Topsy. They love porterhouse steak, even as you and I. 
In closing we wonder if we have forgotten anything important to you. Also have you 
forgotten anything? How many times have you read the rules of germination? Only once. 
