Petunia (Annual) 
The Canes: and Most Freeblooming of all Annual Flowers 

Giants of California 
The chief pitfall the amateur runs up 
against in growing Petunias is in the 
seed sowing. Almost invariably they 
bury the tiny seeds so deeply that the 
sprouting seedlings cannot possibly 
fight their way to the surface. Petunia 
seed must be sown with the very ut- 
most carefulness. A seed flat or a seed 
pan should be used, a light, loamy soil 
carefully prepared, properly moistened 
and finely screened, the box filled to 
within a half-inch of the top with 
ample drainage on the bottom and 
tamped down firmly, smoothly and 
evenly. Then the seed should be mixed 
with about a teaspoonful of sand and 
this mixture of seed and sand sprinkled 
carefully and thinly over the surface of 
the seed box. <A very fine sprinkling 
of pure sand, not more than one-six- 
teenth of an inch, may be used on top 
of this mixture or it may be left with- 
out any further covering. A pane of 
glass or a damp burlap sack or folded 
newspapers should then be placed over 
the flat and left there until the seeds 
begin to sprout. Immediately after the 
first sprout appears, this heavy shading 
must be removed and a single layer of 
gauze substituted. If the soil has been 
properly moistened when it is being 
prepared for sowing, it will not have to 
be watered again until the seedlings 
have developed their third and fourth 
leaves. If the soil appears to be dry- 
ing out, however, water is to be ap- 
plied with a very fine-spray hand bulb, 
or better still, the pan or flat placed in 
a tray of water to allow moisture to 
soak upwards from the bottom. Al- 
ways leave the seed box in a well- 
ventilated place, but without any draft, 
to prevent damping off. When the seed- 
lings are large enough to handle, they 
should be pricked off into a second 
flat or small pots for a few weeks be- 
fore setting out in their permanent 
positions in the garden. 
HYBRIDA BEDDING PETUNIAS 
Height, 114%4 feet. Bushy plants of 
great value for massing in horders or 
grouping in the border to replace early 
spring flowers. While the single flowers 
are not particularly large, their great 
number makes a gorgeous show. 
Flaming Velvet. Deep velvety blood 
red, large uniform flowers. 
Hollywood Star. Flowers are dis- 
tinetly five-pointed-star-shaped and 
of a charming shade of rich rose, 
set off by an amber colored throat. 
They grow 2 in. across and are 
deeply cut to form a most attrac- 
tive star. 
Howard’s Star Improved. 
purple with white star. 
Velvet 
Topaz Queen. Deep scarlet rose, com- 
pact habit, free flowering. 
Large Single Flowered Mixed. Fine 
large blooms in many brilliant 
colors. Blooms profusely from 
mid-summer until frost. 
(Radiance. There is more rich bril- 
liance and life in the color of Rad- 
iance than in any Petunia, regard- 
less of type, that we know of. A 
cerise rose with enough underlying 
salmon to remove the harshness, 
commonly found in a cerise rose, 
without losing the brilliance, in 
fact seeming to intensify it. The 
throat is golden yellow below where 
the bloom starts to flare. This 
tends to add warmth and life to the 
general color. This new Petunia is 
decidedly floriferous and holds its 
uniform and neat habit well into 
the late fall. The blooms are 2% 
to 3 inches in diameter. Pkt., 15c. 

Cream Star 
All-America Selections—Silver Medal 
SINGLE BEDDING COMPACT 
Blue Bedder. A very free-flowering 
variety, makes a most attractive 
bed of rich coloring. Rich blue. 
Celestial Rose (Rose of Heaven). 
Deep Rose. 
(@)Glow. Silver Medal—1940 All-Amer- 
ica Selections. Glow is a dwarf, 
compact, ball-shaped plant, Hy: 
brida Nana Compacta, of bright 
rose-red and lighter throat. It is 
extremely free-flowering all season, 
with rich coloring. 
Cream Star, New Dwarf Bedding. 
Entirely distinct in both color and 
form of flowers. The plants grow 
12 inches high and 14 inches across, 
are neatly rounded and completely 
covered with flowers, 214 inches 
across, and shaped like a five- 
pointed star. Ideal for low beds, 
borders and edgings. 
Rosy Morn. Lovely soft rose pink 
with white throat. 
Salmon Supreme. Brand new color 
in Petunias and one that has long 
been wanted. When first opening 
flowers _ are rich coral-salmon, 
changing as they mature to a 
glistening soft salmon-pink. 
Snow Ball. Large white flowers. 
Violet Blue. Rich, violet with a bright 
blue cast, justifies its being classed 
as the most important addition yet 
to be developed in the Nana Com- 
pacta group. The plants are near 
perfect in their uniform, symmetri- 
cal and compact habit. A decidedly 
neat plant that will hold its fine 
habit throughout the season. 
iature Rose Gem. Dwarf plants 
smothered with deep rose blooms. 
GIANT FLOWERING TYPES 
Dwarf Elk’s Pride. A really dwarf 
type of this Petunia in which the 
straggly habit is entirely lacking. 
The plants are of upright habit, 
free flowering, and the color the 
well-known royal purple. 
Theodosia. A wonderful frilled pink 
Petunia with open yellow throat. 
Very effective when used with any 
light blue flowers. 
Ruffled Giants of California. Flowers 
of extra-ordinary size and _ sub- 
stance in a fine mixture of light 
and dark shades. 
Dwarf Giants of California. A new 
dwarf strain of Ruffled Giants; 
flowers are large and beautifully 
colored with well marked open 
throats. 
Giant Double Fringed. A _ special 
strain of double flowers which are 
enormous, and fringed in bright 
rich colors. The weaker seedlings 
should be carefully saved as these 
usually produce the finest double 
flowers. 
Super Fluffy Ruffles, Salmon Rose. 
The blooms average 314 to 4 inches 
in diameter and are so frilled and 
ruffled that they are often mistaken 
for doubles. The color, as the name 
indicates, is salmon rose leaning 
toward the deep side with a golden 
throat. Packet, 15c. 

10 
LANE WILSON SEED COMPANY, SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA 
