The Russell Lupins - Their History 
As mentioned in other articles on Mr. 
Russell, the Russell Lupin is a perennial, 
and as sold under this name in this country 
is usually listed as Lupinus polyphyllus. 
This is incorrect and they should be listed 
as a hybrid, which they are. 
The colors found in the Russell Lupins are 
not found in L. polyphyllus. They are a 
hybrid race developed by Mr. Russell be- 
tween the annuals and the blue perennial. 
The hardiness came from the perennial 
species and the colors from the annuals he 
used in his crosses. 
It was rather difficult to find information 
on Mr. Russell and his work and we regret 
STANDARD 
In describing the col- 
ors of the different 
varieties frequent use 
is made of the words 
“Bells” and “Stan- 
dards” and as in the 
past this has led to 
confusion we 
it advisable to 
some 
thot 
print the accompany- 
BELL OR KEEL 
ing diagram. 
that we were delayed in this till after his 
death but the information thus secured came 
mostly from newspeper articles and thus 
not written by people haying an understand- 
ing as to just what Mr. Russell’s problems 
were and what his intentions also were. 
Anyone coming in contact with real dirt 
gardeners, understand what it is all about 
and how they view the growing of plants; 
the selection and care and all that goes into 
the growing of their flowers. This feeling 
never can be taught in a school; Mr. Russell 
was such a man. 
In England, his opportunities, also, were 
not as great as they probably would have 
been here in this country but as far as his 
work with his Lupins was concerned, all he 
needed was to be left alone at his work. 
The crossing of an annual on a perennial 
so as to place the annual’s beautiful colors 
in the hardy perennial, was not a years work, 
even if he had had a university degree; it 
required a keen observance of his plants and 
an intuition as to what to discard and then 
growing the plants on in as large a scale 
as was possible with his limited means, for 
it was the winters that did the final select- 
ing and discarding. Mr. Russell’s keen 
observance of what remained each spring 
was what gave him his beautiful race; why 
he delayed selling or marketing plants was 
not that he did not want them to be distrib- 
uted to other gardens but that they were not 
ready and after he did actually turn their 
growing over to others, it was his common 
remark that the work was hardly begun. 
I am sure he realized in the last years of 
his life that he should have to have many 
more years to accomplish his object but 
what he did do was wonderful and he should. 
be remembered by all real gardeners. 
In one of the articles we print this month 
on Mr. Russell, there is a mention of 
“statesmen”. What statesman ever did as 
much good as one poor man, such as Mr. 
Russell was, with none of the plush chairs 
and their unlimited 1tax-payer’s money, ever 
left to posterity a small fraction what Mr. 
Russell has? No wonder he said nothing 
when some reporter asked him foolish quest- 
ions about the bees and the birds! His work 
had been a much bigger undertaking than 
they would be able to understand. 
The named varieties so popular in Eng- 
land are raised from cuttings and the in- 
crease in the number of varieties has been 
held down to only very superior colors and 
form. But seed saved from these plants will 
produce superior plants. During late years 
it has been possible to isolate some plants 
or rather varieties, for seed, producing a 
more definite character than has been poss- 
ible to secure from these hybrids in the past. 
Anyone growing them from seed should 
discard the poorest before they produce pol- 
len, if seed is to be saved, or the inferior 
plants can be discarded and only the very 
best transplanted to the border. 
It was not our object to “write up” the 
Russell Lupin to sell seed but just recently 
Mr. Baker, who is in charge of the growing 
of Mr. Russell’s stocks, writes us that he 
will be able to send us a quantity of the 
seed saved from the named varieties and in 
sealed packets with Mr. Russell’s picture 
for our readers; we do not know the details 
as yet but this will follow in next booklet 
of the December issue. 
Sawdust as a Mulch 
The use of sawdust as a mulch in the gard- 
en on perennial plants is a much discussed 
subject. In the N. Y. Botanical Garden 
Journal for June there is quite an extended 
article on the subject by Loren D. Flood, 
who seems to have solved the matter to his 
entire satisfaction: 
Really the use of sawdust as a mulch 
should be beneficial to plants, especially 
those benefited by an acid condition. The 
newer the sawdust is the less that should be 
used and well rotted material should produce 
only the best results: Of course, there 
should be reason used as to the amount 
used, just as with any other material. 
Mr. Flood applies it after the first heavy 
freeze: And after the ground is frozen an 
inch he adds about 1 Ib of organic fertili- 
zer to each rose plant. After this he adds 
more sawdust around each bush to about 
one foot in height. 
The last of March, depending upon the 
weather, he starts leveling off the saw- 
dust so that it is all level by the time growth 
is well started. 
He believes that sawdust uses up the nit- 
rogen around the plant and to overcome 
this he applies cow manure or liquid nit- 
rate of soda. 
It is the editor’s idea that some sawdust 
is always beneficial, too much may. do harm 
just as too much manure or fertilizer will 
also. 
A mulch on any soil will do more to hold 
life to a soil than any thing else one can 
use: 
BELLS OF IRELAND 
The seeds of this flower has been very 
scarce and hard to get but fortunately, a 
supply is now available and is now harvested 
and in stock. 
GOLDEN PLUME CELOSIA 
I saw the Golden Plume Celosia used at 
the Shaw’s Gardens, in groups thru their 
perennial border, with the blue Leadwort 
(Plumbago) at its feet. The effect was beau- 
tiful and out of thhe ordinary. This was 
about the first of October. 
By Mrs. A. C. Waldvogel, St. Louis, Mo. 
GET EVERY ISSUE — $2.00 PER YEAR 
Saier’s 
GARDEN MAGAZINE 
DIMONDALE, MICHIGAN. 
VOL. 2. No. 17. DECEMBER 1951. 
Published monthly by Harry E. Saier, Dim- 
ondale, Michigan; subscription price now is 
$2.00 per year or two years for $3.00. 
NOVEMBER ISSUE SKIPPED. 
We find it best to skip the November 
issue. This will not affect your subscript- 
ions for the expiration date will be advanced 
another month. 
SILENE HOOKERI 
I frequently read that it is advised to 
cover it with glass over winter but here where 
it grows wild, they frequently get a solid 
month of rain and the soil is wet all winter 
and dry all summer. They do grow on 
banks where the water does not stand on 
them but certainly do not require any pro- 
tection from overhead moisture. 
By Mrs. Peter H. Gourly, Roseburg, Ore. 
SAMPLE COPIES 
Duing the past four months we have mail- 
ed out a large amount of sample copies. 
With this issue this has been discontinued and 
in the future it will be necessary to subscribe 
if you wish every issue; the expense will not 
permit us to be so free: 
The present subscription price of but $2.00 
per year does not cover the cost of publicat- 
ion and it seems that the costs increase each 
issue, therefore if the magazine is of help 
to you we hope you will be prompt in send- 
ing in your subscription. 
SUBSCRIPTION price now $2.00 per year. 
PERFECT LABEL 
MARK with ORDINARY LEAD PENCIL 
Mark with your ordinary lead pencil; it is 
permanent and will not fade or become un- 
readible. If you wish to make any changes 
an ordinary erasor will remove the writing. 
; PRICES 
5 inch; width of marking space 2 inches: 
12 labels; $1.25;25 for $2.40; 100 $9.25 
7 inch; width of marking space 2..1/8 inches. 
12 labels: $1.50; 25, $2.90; 100,$11.25. 
PIONEER SEED COMPANY 
DIMONDALE, MICHIGAN 
To 
