HENRY FIELD’S SEED SENSE FOR APRIL, 1941—Henry Field Seed & Nursery Co., Shenandoah, Iowa < 


Tree and Boy—Same Age 

“Dear Mr. Field: 
“My name is Lloyd Ridge, and I am 
_ sending you a picture of my dog Friskie 
and myself and one of Henry Field's 
CHINESE ELMS. This tree and I grew 
up together. It was planted when I was 
born (just a little 2 ft. tree) and now I’m 
four and that tree has outgrown me all 
that way in four years. When I first 
played outdoors, there was just a little 
_. patch of shade.”’ 
Yes, Lloyd, those Chinese Elm do grow 
fast. No use trying to race with them— 
though you look pretty husky yourself. 
—H.F. 
About Pruning Shrubs 
- Lots and lots of folks ask us about how 
to prune shrubs. Generally speaking, the 
rules are very simple. ; 
Early blooming shrubs such as Bridal 
Wreath, Lilac, Forsythia, Japanese 
Quince and Honeysuckle should not be 
pruned until after they have bloomed. 
Pruning them early will not hurt them, 
but will cut out all the wood they formed 
last summer on which the blooms appear 
this spring. 
Late blooming shrubs such as Spirea 
Anthony Waterer, Hydrangeas and But- 
terfly Bush should be pruned before 
growth starts. -Good idea to cut Hydran- 
geas back about % and A.W. severly to 
about 8 in. from the ground every 2 or 
8 years. The Butterfly Bush should al- 
ways be cut off to the ground. 
Remember, when pruning, not to cut 
the bush back straight across, but to thin 
it out by cutting out wood where it is 
too thick, some short and some long, to 
retain the natural shape of the bush. 
Used Henry Field Seeds— 
Won 13 Ists 
“Dear Mr. Field: Enclosed find an order for 
nursery stock. Also please send Seed Sense as 
published. Last year [ had a lot of your flow- 
ers in bloom at the time of our county fair, so 
entered 15 entries of cut flowers. In stiff com- 
petition, I won 13 Ists, I 2nd, and 1 Sth. ot 
saved this prize money to start a perennial 
garden and needless to say it will be a “Henry 
Field Perennial garden’ as I am buying all the 
plants from you and I'm counting on you to 
send your usual quality of stock that will make 
that garden a real showplace.” Sincerely, 
Bessie Freeman, Newton, Ill. 



‘totals up to 25 trees, 

I’m talking to city folks mostly now, 
though you farmers come in-for some of 
this lecturing. This is a good example of 
what you can do to hide unsightly spots 
like alleys or outhouses or neighbors’ 
barns. Doesn’t take much work or time, 
but it makes a world of difference in how 
things look. .This model example was 
taken back of the Tim Norton residence 
clear up in Armour, S. Dakota. 
My Nursery Stock Is 
GUARANTEED TO GROW 
Some nurseries have been making a 
big hullabaloo about their new nursery 
guarantees and how they guarantee their 
nursery stock. Well I’ve guaranteed mine 
for 35 years because that’s the way I.al- 
ways sell things—guaranteed to suit, or 
your money back. And I’ll keep on guar- 
anteeing it as long as I’m in business. 
Anyway, every bit of nursery stock I 
send out is guaranteed to reach you in 
first class, live-growing condition and to 
please you in every.way. If it shouldn’t, 
notify me within 5 days and I will replace 
it at once. After that, up to October lst, 
we take half the blame (weather one- 
half) and we replace at half price any- 
thing unsatisfactory through any fault of 
the stock. And you’re the judge. Fair 
enough, isn’t it? 
How to Save Money! 
T want to.repeat again, for some folks 
don’t understand how they can save more 
money with our nursery prices. Suppose 
you buy 5 plums, 5 cherries, 5 apples, and 
10 pears. That’s 25 trees and you should 
use the “‘per 25” rate to figure the cost 
instead of the ‘‘per 5’’ or “per 10” rate 
which is higher. 
In other words as long as your order 
in all, whether 
they’re the same variety or not, I let you 
take the ‘“‘per 25’’ rate which saves you 
money. Another good reason why you 
should order from Henry Field. 
Seed Sense Free with Orders 
This private little magazine of mine is 
really free. Its price is simply your gar- 
den seed, field seed, nursery, or baby 
chick order or in other words it’s sent 
free to my regular customers. 
So, if you enjoy it, and want it to keep 
coming whenever it’s published, get that 
order.in soon. H.F. 
* * * 
A lot of presidential timber is usually just 
bark. 


* * * 
When a man starts throwin’ dirt, you can 
be sure he’s losin’ ground. 
# oe 8 
About the only exercise some people ge 
is jumping at conclusions. , 
Does Your Alley Look This Good? 

How Not to Water 

Little Joan MacAfee is working hard 
at washing the dust off the roses. Mrs. 
Ada Turner who sent this in said Joan 
had a brand new watering pot and wanted 
to show how it worked. Mrs. Turner lives 
clear out in Wayne, New York, and there 
are a lot of seedsmen between her and 
us, but she sends clear back here when 
she wants good nursery stock. 

Roses Scarce! Order Early! 
Here’s a friendly tip for you rose fans 
and lovers.. Get your rose orders booked 
and booked early. Almost every rose in 
the midwest has been filled and orders 
are 4 times any normal year. All over 
the country the scarcity of roses is show- 
ing up more and more and there are going 
to be a.lot of disappointed people if they 
put off reserving their roses very long. 
Quite a few varieties will be sold out 
before the season is over and then quite 
a few poor quality roses will be sent out, 
UNLESS you buy from a reliable nursery- 
man. That’s what I’ve been for 50 years 
and that’s what I intend to keep on be- 
ing, so I’m asking that you get your or- 
ders in early before we run out. 
Rose Garden Idea 
“No furnish shade for my rose bed dur- 
ing the hot summer, I planted Larkspur 
in the well-kept soil between the rose 
bushes. The roses are in a clear space, 
but the tall larkspur between the roses 
is a protection against the burning winds 
and hot sun’s rays and also keeps the 
ground from drying out. Besides, the tall 
larkspur with blooms nearly a foot long 
look lovely with the roses nestling among 
them in clumps.”’ Sent in by Miss Eunice 
Haskins, Editor Stella Press, Stella, Nebr., 
for Seed Sense. 
First Class Chicks! 
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. (AP)—There 
were 4,406 passengers on board the Cali- 
fornia Clipper Friday as it winged toward 
Honolulu, Hawaii. Six were human; the 
others were baby chicks.—Clipping from 
the Des Moines Register. 



