PAGE THIRTY 
Calceolarias For| Z welve 
Hardy Gardens Teves 
The seed of mixed species of 
Caleeolaria received from Colum- 
bia is, of course, a grab bag, but 
one that will contain delightful 
surprises. Gardeners familiar with 
the incredible developments of the 
florist type of Calceolaria, but 
who have never seen the wild 
plants at home, will be totally un- 
prepared for the amazing variety 
of form and habit exhibited by 
this genus. There are types with 
basal rosettes like a plantain, over 
which are borne branching sprays 
ef large or small pouchflowers in 
yellow, pink, or blackish purple, 
there are little creeping shrubs 
that cling to cliffs, and that out 
ef flower look almost exactly like 
a Dryas; there are shrubby types, 
looking like a heath, decorated 
with a profusion of tiny pouches. 
Any, or all of these, may come 
from a single packet. 
Calceolarias vary as much in 
ehoice of soil and position as in 
habit of growth. The usual cul- 
ture is in a cool peaty soil, with 
plenty of moisture. But there are 
many species which grow in near- 
ly desert regions, for all the world 
like sage-brush on our western 
plains. These sorts will like dry 
soil, at least most of the year, and 
all the sun one can give them. It 
will probably, be best to start the 
seeds in the usual fashion, in soil 
containing peat or leaf-mold, kept 
rather cool; then as soon as the 
young plants develop, segregate 




tions but 
ing the last copy. 
veloping a basal 
probably do best in a cool 
soil, in light shade, while 
soil, more sun and less 
Garden Supplies 
Pot Stakes 
%” wide. Prices prepaid, painted white, 
“8 
Length Noto Wt. per Price Price WS per 
Carton Carton 100 Carton 1000 
4 inch 1000 3. Ibs. 50c $3.41. UEL 
5 inch 1000 3% Ibs. 55e $3.59 TCS 
6 inch 1000 4% Ibs. 60c $3.92 TLS 
ro inch 500 2% Ibs. 70¢ $3.03 LTS 
= ee GARDEN STAKES — %” wide, painted white, all prices 
prepaid. 
8 inch 250 2% lbs. $1.10 $2.28 WWS 
10 inch 250 3% Ibs. $1.25 $2.66 EES 
SPECIAL GARDEN LABELS — 1%” wide, painted white, prepaid. 
12 inch 100 2% Ibs. ; $1.75: ~CFSS 
COPPER WIRED TREE LABELS — painted white, %” wide, prepaid. 
383% inch 1000 3% Ibs. 50c $4.08 TOS 
Wholesale prices are for full cartons, none broken, and prices are 
NOT PREPAID; if wanted by parcel post add postage. On retail orders 
where above items are included in a “Not Prepaid” shipment, postage 
will be allowed. 
Sphagnum Moss 
Milled Horticultural Grade Sphagnum is a high grade 
finely milled moss ideal for germinating seed; this comes in 
5 lb. bags and every gardener should have a supply on hand. 
Each bag contains about 2% bushels, Postpaid, per bag, $1.75. 
Regular sphagnum in bales, per bale, $1.75 by express 
only, not prepaid. 
Vermiculite 
(Terra-Lite Brand) 
Of special use for seed beds, for cuttings and in potting soil. All 
retail prices are post paid, postage will be allowed where shipped in 
collect shipments; wholesale prices are NOT prepaid. 
#: at.packa ges,” $4. Ib. x acuhy Sy gee As” Sail ie) 48c 
12 pkgs. to Paper Carton, T.US 
me buskel’ package,-8.The.<. 222 den 0 eat ve eae 93¢ 
6 pkgs. to Paper Carton, T.FE 
2 bushel: packs ve, t2 This, 12. 2 ee ee each C.FT $2.30 
Write for special folder on uses, 
Perfect Gardem Labels 
Markings made with an ordinary lead pencil will last for 
years. It also can be changed by a stiff pencil eraser, They are 
a dull green color, do not spail the garden picture; are heavier 
than water and thus will not float away as wooden labels do, 
in the spring if you happen to have some high water for a 
short spell. In seed orders, we will be pleased to include even 
single labels, but where ordered alone in small quantities, please 
add 10c extra postage. Otherwise the prices are postpaid. Bor- 
dar Labels: Jength 5 in., width marking space, 2 in.—Doz, $1.25. 
Show Garden Labels: length 7 in., marking space, 244 in, — 
Doz. $1.50. Tie-On Labels, with copper wire, for. shrubs, trees, 
etc., 3% in, long, % in, wide, 5¢ each, Doz. 50c; 100, $3.60. 
Plant Fiats 
Made of Southern Pine, 18” long, 11” wide, 3” deep, 
Approximate weight per flat, 4 lbs. In bundles of 25 at 
Lansing, Mich. Less than 25 at 25e¢ each, 
Ferto - Pots 
Organie pots which ean be sot in ground with plants, retains 
moisture, adds humus and manure to the soil. 12 pots. to a box. No 2 
size, 50c per box; No. 8, Thc per box; not prepaid. 
Each bag contains about 244 bushels Postpaid. per bag, $2.25. 
not nailed up. 
23e each, FOB 
PIONEER 
So many of our readers have 
sent in their dollar for the cata- 
log to come regularly, and we are 
pleased to know that so many val- 
ue it so. The cost of printing a 
catalog keeps increasing continu- 
ally resulting in the discontinuing 
of many seed catalogs; we, our- 
selves, were up against this prob- 
lem and the present form has re- 
sulted, after many other trials. So 
much help can be given in our 
present form, not only in descrip- 
in cultural practices, 
that in any other form would be 
entirely out of the question. Thou- 
sands of catalogs have been mailed 
out regularly for the past year and 
now we will have to discontinue 
many each month. For a spell we 
will hold our circulation the same, 
dropping non-interested names for 
the new ones coming in each day, 
therefore if you find a letter “X” 
on your front page, please consider 
it as an expiration notice, this be- 

rosette will 
rich 
the 
shrubby types will like a lighter 
water. 
However, not all one’s eggs should 
be put in the same basket: try 
a few of each type in different 
at least part of them according to|soils and with varying amounts 
their looks. Those which are de-lof sun. While most species re- 
he See ees 












































laria variety 
Directions For 
Using The 
Ferto Pot 

started in the 
transplanted 
pots. and, 
to open 
able for plants grown in clay puts. 
soil in bottom of the flat, then set 
in the FFERTO-POTS as closely 
as possoble, then fill in the pots 
and in between the pots,’ being 
sure to have the soil come up well 
over the pots as well as solidly 
in between and firm it well. FER- 
TO-POTS are kiln dry and will 
take up twice théirweight in wa- 
ter. Therefore, soak them thor- 
ough after they are placed in the 
flats and again, daily, for several 
days; thereafter water as re- 
quired. Flats may thus be  pre- 
pared in advance of planting, wa- 
tered well, and stacked for use 
as needed. 
QUICK METHOD FOR LARG- 
ER USERS. A quicker way to fill 
up flats that will. appeal to large 
users is as follows: First, con- 
struct a frame just like a flat 
without bottom, being sure to have 
the inside surface perfectly 
smooth and make it about % inch 
smaller, both width* and length, 
than your regular flats. Now lay 
this form on a loose board and 
put in the FERTO-POTS bottom 
side up. This will make it much 
quicker and easier to fill in be- 
tween the pots with soil which 
should be firmed well. Then take a 
regular flat and put it on top in 
an upside down position and turn 
the whole outfit over quicklyj so 
that pots and soil will drop out of 
the frame and into position in the 
flat. Fill the potswith water and 
let it soak away and then fill with 
soil for planting. After planting 
put a little more soil in to com- 
pletely cover tops of pots. 
YOU CAN USE CLAY POTS 
INSTEAD OF FLATS by putting 
either a No. 2% or No. 8 in a 3-in. 
clay pot or a No. 3 in a 4-in. pot. 
Then soak well and proceed with 
planting. In transplanting simply 
life the FERTO-POT out of the 
clay pot and put into the ground. 
PLANTING ROSES, SHRUBS, 
ETC. Break up 1 to 4 FERTO- 
POTS (according to size of plant) 
and mix the pieces into the soil 
underneath the roots of the plant. 
TULIPS, GLADIOLI ANO 
OTHER BULBS. First, pot the 
bulbs up individually in FERTO- 
POTS after which pots and all go 
into the ground. Be sure to make 
the planting holes deep enough so 
that tops of bulbs are proper dis- 
tance underground, (4 to 6 in. for 
tulips and gladioli.) Set in the 
potted bulbs and fill the holes a 
couple of times with water and 
let it soak away. Then fill the 
holes and firm down the soil. 
LIQUID PLANT FOOD. A 
quick easy way to make it for 
your house plants is to soak up a 
FERTO-POT in some water, dilute 
to the color of weak tea, and ap- 
ply as needed. ‘ 
FERTO-POTS have taken the 
garden world by storm. Millions 
used, 

GET EVERY ISSUE 
12 ISSUES $1.00 
SEED COMPANY, DIMONDALE, MICHIGAN 
Most Amazing Novelity 
We have before us a most amaz- 
ing novelty inasmuch as no Calceo- 
showed a_ double 
bloom like that one up to now, 
but just a little “rooflet” to pro- 
tect the pistil and the stamens as 
represented by the blossoms in 
the lower row of the drawing. In 

FERTO-POTS may be plunged 
into the soil of greenhouse benches 
or hot beds or prepared in wooden 
flats, or in clay pots. Seeds, bulbs, 
or seedling plants may then be 
later, 
ground, 
FERTO-POT and all. This method 
gives quicker, better results with 
no wilt, no setback, to the plants 
in transplanting. Use a good fri- 
able potting soil such as is suit- 
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR 
FLATS. First, place % inch of 
varieties in some respects, but they 
are an endless source of pleasure. 















































































1942 when this Calceolaria was 
first originated in Germany, the 
upper part was still small, but al- 
ready as large as to arouse great- 
est interest of grdeners and flor- 
ists. Crossings were then made 
between these sensational blooms 
of tigered designers with the old 
blotched Calceolaries which re- 
sulted in a real innovation in 1946, 
the upper pouch equalling in many 
cases the size of the lower floret 
and even. surpassing. the latter. 
So the new flower. makes the im- 
pression of. a Pansy with aureola 
along the rim of the upper pouch 
and its big” blotches on the lower 
one. This new feature is increased 
by a brilliant display of fascinat- 
ing colors, red and yellow prevail- 
ing. There are also other odd mark- 
ings that will attract greatest at- 






























































Helleborus, or Christmas Rose, all, 
I believe, must yield pride of place 
to H. niger St. Brigid. This va- — 
riety was found many years ago in 
the gardens of an ancient castle in 
County Cork. St. Brigid has im-— 
mense pure white flowers of ex- 
quisite shape, and there are in- 
variably two of them ideally plac- 
ed on a long, stout stem. It is a 
superb variety. ~ - + 
Three years ago some seed were 
sown which had been saved from 
St. Brigid, and as they were put in | 
as soon as they were ripe, they. 
germinated quickly. If seed is kept 
for any length of time it will dor- _ 
mant for a year before it germi- 
nates. eS 
The seedlings raised from that — 
of them are good; some have — 
ties mixed, whereas they will be 
grown separately for the crop 
1949. The name is protected by 
patent, so the seed reproduction is 
not permitted. 
Cultural directions: Sow Calceo- 
larias from July until September 
in seed-pans. The seeds being very 
fine, it is recommendable to sow 
very thinly and to mix the seek 
with fine sand and not to cover 
the seed after sowing. Keep the 
seed-pan moist and warm and put 
a glass-pane over it. After sprout- 
ing, prick off and plant in small 
pots, later. Shift once again, in the 
fall and overwinter them free from 
frost. In early spring plant in 
larger pots. Calceolarias prefer an 
airy and shady stand for blooming 
freely, if possible in the open, pro- 
tected from rain and too much 
sun. They will bloom in May-June. 
You can have them also in a well 
aerated greenhouse or conserva- 
tory. : 
If sown early in spring, say in 
February-March, you can bring 
them to bloom im an airy green- 
house during the fall but do not 
afford too much sunlight and keep 
them cool over summer. — 
The above article was written 
in Germany, thus the phrasing in 
a few cases. This Pansy Type Cal- 
ceolaria is offered only by us, so 
far aS we are aware, and it is a 
find for the florist. We have only 
a limited amount of seed this 
year. 
Rockbreaker 
The Saxifrages are an_ indis- 
pensable part of every British rock 
garden, and rightly so, for their 
varied rosettes in green or grey, 
and delightful flowers, make them 
among the choicest of all rock 
plants. They have never become 
popular in this country, being all 
too often regarded as diffieult, or 
even ungrowable, Such is far from 
the truth, at least for the northern 
states; the difficulty probably 
comes from trying to handie them 
as the English do, in too sunny and 
dry exposures, Saxifrages are very 
shallow-rooted, and extremely 
sensitive (in spite of their hard and 
enduring appearance) to heat and 
drought. Grow them in light shade 
and see that they never dry out, 
and the prblem is solved, at least 
for most species. 
The easiest from seed, germinat- 
ing quickly and forming flowering 
plants in a single season, are the 
“Mossies”. These make domes of 
rather open rosettes of much-slash- 
ed green leaves, over which on 
stems of 4 in to 12, are a profusion 
of cup-shaped flowers over half 
an inch across in late spring, vary- 
ing in color from white through 
pink to fairly deep reds. I must 
confess to having had no luck at all 
with named varieties I have pur- 
chased, which either die promptly 
or sulk forever, but from seeds 
there has been no trouble at all, 
and from a single packet the gar- 
den is populated with a wealth of 
delightful and varied plants. These 
may not be as good as the named 
purity. I have one plant amongst _ 
{them whose flowers are wholly 
pink or soft rose, and I look 
ward to seeing this flower 
after the plant has gained a 
more strength through age. 
flowers are wonderful for such a 
young plant and many of them had 
two on a stem and several had six 
petals instead of the usual five. 
for- 
Tittle 
~ 
are very lovely, and in the centre 
of each there is a green ring 
which, along with the boss of — 
golden stamens, intensifies the 
purity of the flower. ; <n 
Many crosses have been made 
between H. niger and H. orient- 
alis, and the fine varieties known _ 
as the Lenten roses are the result, 
but for some reason little crossing 
has been done between the varie- — 
ties of the Christmas rose. 
The true Christmas roses, the 
forms of H. niger, last well wher 
cut and put in water; in fact, £ 
flowers can vie with them in this 
respeet, The flowers will last for 
as long as a month in-perfect : 
unsullied purity, and they 
gradually. assume a green f 
They may last for six weeks 








Christmas roses j 
in semi-shade, and will amply re 
pay liberal treatment in the way re 
of manure. After planting, all they — 
ask for is to be left alone 
year or two. - 
” 
Geel 
%y 
> 
= 
The Mossies seem to like a f i 
rich soil such as suits many Primu- _ 
las, and a fair amount of shade, | 
though an occasional seedling will 
prosper in sun, 
The Encrusted types requires 

a on 
age, but the esentials are 
shade and moisture. These 

green-grey, blue-grey, or ; 
plain grey—with a beading of a 
ver along the edge of each Ea 
This beading is made up of tiny pits: 
containing lime, from 
would at once be deduced 



> 
i 
that the 
the case, though most will be some- _ 
what happier im a lime soil. In size 
the rosettes vary from % in. to ¢ 
- aeross, and quickly spread into 
airly broad mats or humped 
domes, The leaves may be very t 
narrow or fairly wide, straight or = 
my, 


spoonshaped. The flowers ; 3 
plentiful on stems of 2 to 12 in, 
pink or rarely yellow. This 
hybridizes very freely and a pac- 
ket wil give quite a variety of 
types, regardless of the seed par- te 
ent, ; . " 
The Kabschias are the choicest. 
of this huge family, making very 
tiny rosetes of leaves quite varied 
in shape, and bearing one or more 
flowers on almost negligible 
stems. In many varieties the indi- 
vidual flowers are larger than the 
rosettes that produce them! The 
color range is extensive, from pure 
white through yellows and soft 
pinks to reds and purples. This 
group prospers under the same 
‘conditions as the encrusted group, 
but being so much smaller and 
even more shallow-rocted, needs 
more careful attention, 
There are many other types of 
Saxifrage, extremely varied’ in ap- 
pearance, but the ones mentioned 
above complete th choicest and 
best. 
Fine as are all of the forms of. . 
seed flowered this year and all 3 
tention. The crop 1947 is to be|flowers richly suff d with rose, 
had in spotted and blotched varie-|and others are immaculate in their 
| 
x a 
stem 

> 5 by 
Se Se ¢ 
Pe Se, 
A 4 
_ 



gritty soil and fairly sharp drain- £8 
# 
7] 
light 
compact rosetes of grey leaves— r 
which it 
ve 






r) 

Se 
showing signs of fading. pea 
love a position 
“4 
* 
j 
*, 
* 
vr 
plants require lime, but such is not 
pure white, white with red dots, 
group pr: 
