After planting, the soil must never dry out, and the bulbs will rot instead of sprouting 
if wet and soggy. They will also rot if, the weather is too warm after planting or if 
potted bulbs are placed in a too warm room. 70% is about right. 
Outside of the fact that these bulbs fall an easy prey to the penicillium rots they 
are not difficult in culture. These rots threaten the bulbs when first planted when 
the temperature should be cool and moisture not excessive. Later, if you allow plants 
to dry out, then give a thoro soaking, disaster may follow. 
Plant 1” or 2” deep, 4” to 6” apart for smaller bulbs. Large bulbs around %” 
diam. stool out into a wide plant and should be 6” to 8” apart. 
It makes little difference whether you plant small bulbs or large bulbs so far as 
cost of flowers is concerned. $1.00 worth of bulbs gives about the same number of | 
flowers. The larger bulbs bloom a few days earlier, they are a little more dependable 
as to sprouting and culture. There may be a slight saving with #3 (small) bulbs 
under ideal conditions. Do not soak the bulbs. It is good practice to sprout them in 
the cool shade of a tree if weather is a little warm. Fold bulbs in a damp burlap sack. 
. roll Mies okie eh he Bis b ses 
7 
Keep sack only slightly moist. Plant in full sun in garden or in pots but if it turns 
hot after planting shade the bed until well started. Protect young plants from birds. 
Birds like them. 
The Ranunculus and Anemone situation is deplorable. They are grown mostly in 
San Diego Co. Here conditions are right for commercial culture. But some of the 
best locations have been taken over by the army. The very few growers who have 
been able to continue growing must now pay $1.00 per hour for labor instead of 40c 
as formerly. 
Weather conditions have also been most unfavorable. I have been unable to buy 
any 1944 crop bulbs. 
Our bulbs are two years old. These two-year-old bulbs should be good but last 
year’s reports were not as satisfactory as we like. A few customers reported nearly 
complete failure. A few reported 100% success with the #3 bulbs. All are of the 
same lot. 
I believe it is probable that most of the failures were the result of very bad weather 
conditions for their growth or errors in culture. 
il The weather has been “unusual.” It has been good weather for the development 
of penicillium rots, growth of yeast and bacteria. Even toad stools like it. A well- 
known doctor tells me there is more bacteria present than usual as shown by the easy 

souring or spoiling of milk and food. He says that more people have had rheumatism, 
arthritis or neuritis recently than he has ever known. Such conditions may have been 
bad also for Ranunculus and Anemones. Our own grower spent $5,000 in planting a 
crop of seed and in weeding, until it developed that he had so few plants he could not 
dig enough bulbs to pay for cost of labor. So he plowed them under. Other growers 
have very small crops. 
We did not get a chance to test our Ranunculus but we did test the Anemones and 
a fairly good percentage grew. But no guarantee goes with the bulbs. If you care to 
take a chance we will mix our #3 sizes with the few remaining larger sizes and sell 
them below cost to us at 50c per 100 or $4.00 per 1,000. You may have all Ranunculus, 
all Anemones or a mixture of the two. If I did not think some of them would grow 
they would not be offered. We never guarantee these bulbs and this year we frankly 
admit they are doubtful. In fact we advise you to buy elsewhere if you can get 1944 
crop. 
GOATS 
Goats are helping, like Victory Gardens, to win the war by supplying milk, cream, 
butter and meat. We have 5 goats and 3. of them now supply us all we can use, also 
our 75 chickens, my wife’s 20 cats and give some to our friends. We are not in the 
goat business but will sell 2 or 3 to some one nearby. We will not crate and ship. Two 
are Nubians, one Alpine-Saanen. Price $15 to $30. Write for description if you want 
to buy a good goat. We will exchange for 8 ft. Frigidaire or General Electric or buy 
for cash. 
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