ABOUT MAYFAIR’S PLANTS 
Moving to our new, bigger and better location has and will continue to enable 
us to grow more and better plants to meet the ever increasing dentand for our little 
treasures. Even with the overwhelming task of moving a nursery we have been able to 
produce a stock of 65,000 plants for the Spring of 1950. We have plans to greatly 
increase that number during the 1950 growing season. 
It is next to impossible to maintain an adequate supply of every plant listed in 
the catalogue, especially with rapidly growing demand from our quickly expanding 
family of satisfied customers. Some plants continue to sell faster than we can grow 
them, therefore, there will be a few disappointments in the immediate future as there 
has been in the past. Please do not become too angry with us if we cannot supply a 
plant you want. This means simply that many other people ordered before you desired 
the same plants and we are trying our utmost to fill the orders as quickly as possible. li 
you are unable to find an old familiar name in these pages it means that we were 
unable to propagate enough to offer them in this printing. They will reappear in our 
lists in the near future. 
Growing rock plants and alpines is not a specialty, but the main business of 
Mayfair Nurseries. Fvery plant we grow is perfectly suited to a place in your rock 
garden, except for a few in the section of RARE NATIVE PLANTS COMBE GLED 
BY MRS. MARY G. HENRY which have been included because of their special worth 
as rare and interesting natives. Most of our plants are perfectly hardy and capable of 
withstanding the severest of winters. One or two species of doubtful hardiness farther 
north have been given special attention along with their cultural directions. You may 
have heard a great deal of talk about protecting alpines in winter, but this is not pro- 
tection from cold; it is protection from drying winds. Alpines do not like alternate 
freezing and thawing. They like to freeze in winter and stay that way until it is time 
to grow again in spring. Protection is merely used in place of a snow cover where 
snow does not lay on the ground all winter as it does in the native habitates of 
these tiny plants. 
We still continue to grow all our plants in pots for various reasons, the most 
important one being that this method assures a sturdy plant with a strong root system, 
built by two or more pottings. In this manner of handling there are no big roots 
that go deep into the soil to be broken off when the plant is taken up to be shipped. 
Growing our plants in pots also enables us to give each species its exact requirements 
for soil, drainage and exposure, thus assuring well grown plants. 
The next most important reason is shipping. Our pot grown plants and proven 
method of packing permits us to guarantee that your plants will reach you in any 
part of the country in excellent condition. We can guarantee this because each plant 
is wrapped individually with all its soil and roots, and then packed to withstand any 
possible rough handling and delay in transfer. In packing we take the plant from 
the pot, being careful not to disturb the roots. Then we apply a collar of excellsior 
between the ball and the crown of the plant to prevent moisture from seeping up 
and rotting the foliage. Next we cover the entire ball with damp peat moss and roll it 
up in waxed paper together with its label and cultural directions. The next operation 
is to pack the plants in a carton or crate and ship it off to you. When you take your 
plants out they will look as fresh and healthy as they did going in at the nursery. 
