ROOSEVELT BLUES 
Longuiew Let No. 333 
Exhibited as an unnamed semi-double Camellia, at the Mobile, 
Alabama, Camellia Show, January 25, 1939, the flower was award- 
ed a Blue Ribbon. 
Every one who saw this flower, conceeded it was new, distinct, 
and no other Camellia was known to be similar to it. 
COLOR AND VARIATIONS 
True blue Camellia flowers have not heretofore been 
known in commerce. 
The ROOSEVELT BLUES, is the nearest approach to 
a blue flowering Camellia. 
The petals of the blossoms are very dark blue, with 
somewhat of a maroon shade. 
Depth of blue color is influenced by acidity of soil, 
low winter temperature, high potash level in soil, and 
plenty of sunlight. 
Among the thousands of Camellias and numerous va- 
rieties grown at “LONGVIEW”, ROOSEVELT BLUES is 
distinctly new and rare. 
SIZE 
Flowers full five inches in diameter, and slightly larg- 
er, have been produced on the parent plant, grown in sandy 
soil of low fertility, and without protection from sub- 
freezing weather. 
One might expect larger size flowers, if the plant was 
grown under greenhouse protection during the winter 
months. 
FORM 
The illustration of ROOSEVELT BLUES on reverse 
side of this folder was reproduced from a photo taken by 
the author, at “LONGVIEW”, December 10th, 1938. 
Variation of form and number of petals on individual 
flowers, range from a loose double of 30 odd petals to a 
double with numerous petals, hiding the golden anthered 
stamens. 
WINTER HARDINESS 
The photograph illustrating ROOSEVELT BLUES 
Camellia on other side of this sheet was taken after parent 
plant had tolerated four nights of freezing weather. 
Since the plant first bloomed December 9th, 1938, 
flower buds have opened freely each season, without pro- 
tection, and in spite of a minimum tempeprature of 12 de- 
grees above zero, on one occasion. 
NATURAL PERIOD OF BLOOM 
Outdoor culture in latitude 31 degree North, under 
lath shade, this Camellia has opened its first flowers .as 
early as November 11th, in 1939, and continues to bloom 
until the middle of March. 
On several plants to be sold this season, flower buds 
are showing color, and large enough on September 25th, 
1944 to indicate they will be fully opened within a week’s 
time. 



The parent plant of ROOSEVELT BLUES was 6 to 8 
inches high in March 1934, when it was lined out, as a bare 
rooted seedling. 
Ten years later, this Camellia reached a height of 10 
feet. 
Grown in unfertile sandy soil, with less than two 
pounds of commercial fertilizer applied since the time this 
Cameilia was planted, it has never been artificially irri- 
gated. except one time, when it was transplanted. 
Character of growth is upright and compact 
HISTORY OF INTRODUCTION 
_ Background history of individual varieties of Camel- 
lias, like famiiy trees or pedigrees would be interesting if 
known. 
Like ‘“‘Topsy’’, most Camellias just grew up, and were 
given names to distinguish one from another. 
- Ask any Camellia connoiseur, or nurseryman selling 
these floral gems form the Orient, for authentic proof of 
their variety names. It’s’a 100 to one bet, impeachable 
evidence can not be supplied to substantiate the names as 
being correct, much less any knowledge of the background 
history of individual varieties. 
Camellia ROOSEVELT BLUES originated from a seed 
of unknown parentage planted at “LONGVIEW”, Novem- 
ber, 1932. 
In March 1934, you may recall or perhaps read, of an 
economic condition existing in this country, called a de- 
pression, and later a recession. 
_ Rather than invest our meager cash surplus at that 
time in flower pots to pot off 2400 young seedlings of ques- 
tionable value, they were planted in open ground. water- 
ed at time of transplanting, the ground mulched with pine 
straw and from then on, the hand of Nature was permitted 
to take care of irrigation. 
One year later, a slat shed was erected over these 
young seedlings. 
._, Then, for the first time they were very lightly fer- 
tilized. 
In the ten years these seedlings have been growing, 
less than two pounds of 3-6-12 commercial fertilizer was 
broadcast on top of the ground around each plant. 
Within eight years, many of these seedlings were 10 
to 12 feet high. 
ROOSEVELT BLUES opened its first flower when it 
was six years old. 
This variety was first mentioned as one of a number 
of new “LONGVIEW” varieties, in our catalogue No. 79, 
published in the fall of 1940. 
The first public offering of this new and rare variety 
will be made in October 1944. 
Only 60 plants are available. 
They were propagated January 31, 1939. 
Most of them have a few flower buds at the time this 
prospectus was written. 
_ Budded plants will be selected and shipped to the 
first orders received. All orders will be filled in rotation. 
See CONDITION OF SALE on back sheet of this fold- 
er, with prices. 
