KERR -LANGEN SEED CO. 
September and October Garden Guide 
The most important job in the garden from September until the end of the 
year is preparing and planting bulbs for Spring color in the garden. Let's 
start with adobe soils which are quite prevalent in the Bay Area. Bulbs have 
quite a hard time getting started in this type of ground. Tulips and Hyacinths 
seem to have most trouble. Suppose we start a bed of tulips three feet by 
three feet. They should be planted six inches apart in the row and six inches 
between the rows. This means a bed of this size requires three dozen tulips. 
Tulips should be planted about six inches deep. So we dig holes eight inches 
deep and drop in two inches sand, plant bulb, then two more inches sand, 
then cover to the old soil level with the native soil. Into the total sand sur- 
rounding the bulb there should be mixed one heaped teaspoon of bone meal. 
This is the only fertilizer we recommend with bulbs at this time. After the 
bed has been completely planted with tulips, rake the surface as fine as 
possible. In order to complete this picture we then proceed to plant the 
ground cover. We like Linaria Fairy Bouquet best of all but this is a matter 
of taste. Listed in this guide you will find various bulb ground cover seeds. 
Mix ¥/g ounce Linaria with about ten times its volume of sand and scatter 
over the 3 x 3 Tulip bed. Rake lightly and irrigate. This will give you a spring 
show which will be a delight to the eye and the heart. Talking about Tulips, 
try the Botanical Red Emperor. Quite the most beautiful Tulip we've ever 
seen. Daffodils, of course, are a splendid investment because they do not 
need to be disturbed for four or five years. Plant them about six to eight 
inches deep so that Asters, Zinnias, etc., can be planted over them for sum- 
mer and fall flowers. Those of you starting new gardens call, phone or write 
us. We frequently have small planting stock priced very reasonably which 
will give great satisfaction for years. 
If you want to try bulbs indoors, stick to Daffodils and Hyacinths. We have 
special bulb Fibre for this purpose which enables you to plant in china bowls. 
Keep the bowl in the cooler for the first four weeks and thereafter cool room 
conditions and plenty of light are necessary. 
We hope you will patronize us for bulbs. Our quality and prices are in line 
and our mail order department is ready to serve you. 
Many perennial seeds such as Delphiniums, Columbines, etc., should be 
started in flats now or in a good sheltered seed bed outdoors. Remember a 
good flat mixture is one part each leaf mold, sand, peat moss and good garden 
soil. 
Our new crop Cyclamen seed is en route from Europe. Cyclamen are sur- 
prisingly easy to grow and can be readily used for outdoor bedding in some- 
what the same situation as Cinerarias. Try them for something really different 
outside. About twenty-live seeds for one dollar is a worthwhile buy. 
Now we must say a few words about lawns. We find the brown patches in 
lawns this year to be caused in most cases by the crambus moth. This little 
moth, brownish, about the size of a dime and active mostly before dusk, lays 
an egg in your lawn; this egg hatches into a grub which is the little fellow 
who does the damage. He eats the chlorophyl (the green stuff) out of the 
blades of grass—then brown patches. Control is quite simple. One pound of 
Niagara 50% Wettable to every five hundred square feet of lawn gives a good 
residual effect. Mix it with your fertilizer or with sand in order to obtain even 
distribution. Older lawns require attention at this time of year. Ifthe lawn 
does look ragged it should be raked hard each way with a steel garden rake. 
Remove all dead stuff and sow some KXL lawn grass to thicken and make the 
lawn have a much improved appearance. If making a new lawn please get 
in touch with us. We can save you much grief in after years with proper 
advice regarding the seed bed. You will find all the different grasses detailed 
in this guide. ; 
The Niagara 6% Wettable Chlordane is giving perfect control on Earwigs, 
Ants and the green striped flying beetle (Diabrotica) where properly applied. 
Be sure to stop the ants going up trees. They are responsible for many of the 
insects and diseases. An occasional dusting with our 6% Chlordane will take 
care of this problem. You cannot be sure ants are not present if you, do not 




make a thorough examination of the trunk of the shrubs and trees and all 
points which touch fences and buildings. Keep in mind that prevention is 
betier than cure. 
September is about the last month to fertilize Camellias. No more should be 
applied until after flowering time. Most of the experts use Likwid GRO. It 
is acid and it is organic. Be sure to use it on Camellias, Rhododendrons, 
Azaleas and Daphne for better Spring blooms. 
In previous guides we have stressed soil fumigation. We are still sold on this 
procedure before making new plantings. We now have Soil fume caps. These 
are capsules containing Ethylene Dibromide. They are placed into the soil 
about six inches deep and about one foot apart. Cover up and irrigate. Grad- 
ually the capsule dissolves and the gas is freed. In ten days plantings can be 
made and freedom from insects for a considerable period is assured. 
About the beginning of September the peach tree borer starts activity again. 
This insect bores into the tree near or just below the soil level. On trees up 
to about five years of age, a half ounce of Paradichloro Benzene should be put 
in a circle about one foot from the trunk in a furrow, cover up and irrigate. 
On older trees, use one ounce of this material. Do this before the end of 
November. 
We hope our fall weather will give us a real Indian Summer. Remember 
there is no need to be troubled by mosquitoes, hornets or wasps in your out- 
door living. A general dusting in the shrubbery and trees with Niagara 50% 
Wettable DDT is very effective control. * 
We want to apologize for omitting our Garden Guide during the past two 
months. Sickness is our excuse. 
Please submit names and addresses of friends who might benefit from this 
guide. We will be glad to mail it to them. 

