



GIANT DOUBLE OR CAMELLIA 
FLOWERED 
This type is by far the most popular of the 
tuberous rooted begonia family. Breath taking 
is its lovliness, of times resembling a giant 
rose. gardenia or camellia. 
Available in the following separate colors and 
sizes: 
American Beauty. Crimson Rose. Orange, Scar- 
let. Apricot or Copper, Dark Red. Pink. White, 
Blush. Flame Orange, Rose and Yellow. 
Dry bulbs or tubers No. 1 size, 
Seedling plants 3-in. pots. 
Bulb grown plants 4-in, pots. 
Bulb crown plants 5-in. pots. 

SINGLE CRESTED TYPES 
This variety, as the picture portrays, has a 
coxcomb like growth on each petal. giving the 
tuberous rooted Begonia family a crested type. 
It is especially effective for corsage work be- 
eause of its oddity and distinctiveness. 
Available in the following colors and sizes: 
Dark Red, Pink. Salmon, White, Orange, Rose, 
Searlet and Yellow 
Dry bulbs or tubers No. 1 size, 
Seedling plants 3-in. potts. 
Bulb plants 4-in. pots. 
Bulb plants 5-in, pots, 

ROSEBUD TYPE 
This variety differs from the camellia flowered 
type because of its distinct rosebud formation 
and its two toned blending of colors, The face 
of each petal being of a lighter shade, the back 
of the petal a deeper blending color giving the 
variety of bicoior appearance as the two tone 
rose. Holding this formation until each petal 
is folded back. 
Available in the following separate colors and 
sizes: 
Blush shades. Pink shades. Salmon shades, 
Flame shades. Red shades and Rose shades. 
Dry bulbs or tubers No. 1 size. 
Seedling plants 3-in. pots. 
Bulb plants ¢-in, pots, 
Bulb plants 5-in, pots. 

DOUBLE PICOTEE 
This is the latest addition to the tuberous root- 
ed begonia family. It is a camellia flowered 
type with more than one color in each bloom, 
either mottled. pencil lined or margined. No 
two blooms are exactly alike. This variety is 
listed by heaviest shadings in each bloom, their 
being an undetermined lighter contrasting shade 
accompanying it 
Available in the following shades and sizes: 
Red shades, Rose shades and Salmon shades. 
Dry bulhs or tubers No. 1 size. 
Seedling plants 3-in, pots. 
Bulb plants 4-in. pots 
Bulb plants 5-in. pots. 

TUBEROUS ROOTED 
BEGONIAS 
Cultural Information 
This is what experience has taught us as the 
most successful culture of Tuberous-rooted Begonias 
in the northern half of the United States, especially 
in and around the region of the Great Lakes: 
WHEN 
The plants. when started. should not be planted 
outdoors until June 1, as a sudden drop of tem- 
perature that we are apt to have before June 1, 
would give them a very definite check. This can 
be avoided by waiting a few days longer for more 
settled weather, 
WHERE 
They must be planted in shade, receiving good 
light but no direct sunlight—the north side of a 
wall, hedge or building or under trees, provided 
the branches are not too close to the ground where 
the light is broken up by filtering through leafy 
branches. They also must have sood air-circulation 
but dislike strong wind, as that may snap the 
stems at top of the soil, It is well. on planting 
outside, to stake immediately, especially if they 
receive any amount of breeze, for the continual 
swaying is apt to injure cells at top of ground, 
and with an excessive rainy spell thereby provide 
an entrance for damp-off fungus. By keeping them 
staked. this can be nearly all prevented. 
SOIL 
The plants reauire a porous, well-drained soil 
such as 1-2 stone or gravel (garden pea to hickory 
nut in size). 1-8 clay loam. 1-3 rotten cow-manure 
or Peat Moss. If cow-manure is not available, use 
Peat Moss for humus and then add 1 pound Super 
Phosphate to 1 bushel of soil for fertility. 
WATER AND FEED 
These plants are heavy feeders and can take a 
good deal of water, as the succulent-type foliage 
will indicate, but I would advise growing on the 
dry side until experience has taught how much 
water they should receive. If you want to give 
supplementary feeding. I find that liquid cow- 
manure-water, applied once a week from forepart 
of July on, is very beneficial or Liaua Vita every 
However. I find that more damage is 
done by over-feeding than by under-feeding. When 
first planted outdoors, keep surface of soil only 
moist until the plants have become well estab- 
lished. then heavier waterings may be justifiable. 
2 weeks. 

CULTIVATION 
One very important thing to remember with re- 
gard to cultivation is that it is best to just pull 
the weeds that zrow around the plant. but do 
not disturb the soil any more than is necessary. 
Don't hoe or loosen the soil around the plant, try- 
ine to get rid of weeds that way, as the Tuberous- 
rooted Begonia is a very shallow-rooted plant and 
any disturbing of the soil surface is bound to break 
or injure a good many of the small feeding roots 
of which some will appear at the surface. So don’t 
cultivate; just weed. 
BUD DROP 
As the season advances and we run into hot, 
dry weather. ofttimes buds form but drop off be- 
fore they have opened. and this is due almost en- 
tirely to the lack of humidity in the air. This can 
be overcome to a great extent by spraying the 
blooms and foliage with a fine misty spray once 
or twice a day. raising the humidity around the 
plant. Don’t spray enough for much water to reach 
the soil. This is the main reason why the Tuberous- 
rooted Begonia does not make a good house-plant 
—the atmosphere is altogether too dry in the aver- 
age home. 
BLOOM 
The Tuberous-rooted Begonia blooms appear in 
clusters of two or three to the stem, the larger 
center one being the male bloom and the one or 
two side ones being the female. The female blooms 
very rarely have more than five petals, regard- 
less of variety, and are a great deal smaller. They 
are not essential because both male and female 
blooms lack honey and odor, and do not attract 
the bees. which. in turn, do not carry pollen, and 
so it is very rarely that the female bloom develops 
seed under these conditions. Therefore, to get the 
best and biggest bloom. remove the small female 
bloom as soon as possible. In other words, disbud 
as you would roses or chrysanthemums. This will 
increase size and lasting qualities greatly. 
to break or injure a good many of the small feed- 
- 
CUT FLOWERS 
If Begonias are to be used as cut-flowers, pick 
early in the morning, leaving at least 42-inch of 
stem on plant, which will mature and fall off, leav- 
ing no open wound. Spray the blooms lightly with 
water as they absorb more moisture through the 
peptals than through the stem, then place in re- 
frigerator for a period of 2 to 3 hours to help 
them harden up. 
USES 
When needed they may be removed and used 
for table decorations, bridal bouquets, corsages, etc., 
holding up much longer than any other flower at 
this time of year. If they have wilted some dur- 
ing the day's wear, spray again with water and 
place in ice-box to revive. It is possible to use 
Same corseze two or three times. 
BLOOMING PERIOD 
The Tuberous-rooted Begonia will bloom from 
planting-time until frost cuts it down in the fall, 
increasing in size and in number of blooms as the 
season advances. 
MATURING 
Normally, the plants mature about the middle of 
November, but in most localities we have frost 
much before that time and therefore the bulbs are 
not mature, making it very difficult to carry them 
through the winter, so people have begun, in many 
cases, to consider them as annuals, trying to carry 
over all the bulbs possible, but realizing they are 
not apt to have much success, 
STORAGE 
If desirous of carrying over some special or in- 
dividual bulb. try. by digging plant before frost 
with a large ball of soil, and potting or placing in 
a box. and gradually withhold water until growth 
has died down entirely. Then remove from soil, 
wash off. taking care not to bruise tuber, dry in 
sunlight for a day or two, and store in open boxes 
or baskets in a cool dry place, being sure all 
particles of stem are removed. 
a 
DON’T START THE BULBS TOO EARLY. The 
latter part of April or forepart of May is soon 
enough to start the bulbs in the house or green- 
house. Never plant outdoors until after June Ist 
in Northern United States. 
Plant the bulbs in clear sand or sand and peat 
or other light soil medium, Place about 2 inches 
of this sand in the bottom of a pot or flat, then 
place the bulbs on this sand about 1t-inch apart 
each way and cover the bulbs, about 42-inch deep. 
If the bulbs have started to sprout when you are 
ready to plant. you will plant with the sprout or 
new eye up. but if the bulbs are still dormant and 
show no new growth, place the rounded or con- 
cave side down; then cover with sand, water well 
and place in a room temperature of from 65-75 
degrees. Keep the sand damp and your bulbs 
should show signs of growth in two to four weeks. 
They will not all start to grow at the same time, 
some may take as long as six weeks. 
When the new growth has started and is up 
about 1-inch carefully remove the bulb from the 
sand and pot in a 4-in. or 5-in. pot in the regu- 
lar soil mixture and keep in an East, West or 
North window until time to plant outdoors about 
June Ist. Their care from here on is the same as 
described above. 
GIANT SINGLE TYPE 
Plain single four or five petal type. The larg- 
est flowered tuberous-rooted begonia of all, 
sometimes reaching diamater of 8-in. to 14-in. 
Very showey for mass planting. 
Available in separate colors and sizes. 
White, Yellow. Salmon, Scarlet, Pink, Rose, Or- 
ange and Dark Red, 
Dry bulbs or tubers No. 1 size. 
Seedling plants 2-in. pots. 
Bulb grown plants 4-in. pot. 
Bulb grown plants 5-in. pots. 

SINGLE FRILLED TYPE 
Perhaps the showiest of the single type. al- 
though the blooms are not as large as the giant 
single type its ruffled edge makes up for its 
slightly smaller size. Available in the follow- 
ing separate colors and sizes. 
Orange, Yellow. Crimson, Salmon, Scarlet, 
White, Pink, Fascination, (Cream background 
edged in red.) Dark Red. Rose and Copper. 
Dry bulbs or tubers No. 1 size. 
Seedling plants 3-in. pots. 
Bulb plants 4-in. pots. 
Bulb plants 5-in. pots. 

FIMBRIATA OR CARNATION TYPE 
This variety strongly resembles the carnation 

as its name implies although larger in most 
instances and available in greater variety of 
color. Excellent for bridal boauet. 
Available in the following colors and sizes: 
Apricot or Copper, Crimson, Rose, White, Blush, 
Pink. Salmon and Yellow. 
Dry bulbs or tubers No. ! size. 
Seedling plants 2-in. pots. 
Bulb plants 4-in. pots. 
Bulb plants 5-in. pots. 

HANGING OR PENDULA TYPE 
This variety is of distinctive hanging habit, 
growing well in baskets. porch boxes or rock 
gardens. In dry climate they require additional 
spraying with water to create humidity, They 
must be protected from sun and wind. 
Available in the following separate colors and 
sizes: 
Apricot, Pink, Salmon, White, Orange, Rose, 
Scarlet and Yellow. 
Seedling plants 3-in.’ pots. 
Bulb plants 4-in. pots, 
Bulb plants 5-in. pots, 
