GUIDEBOOK FOR 1953 
Page 33 
570 VELVET DREAM (Salman) (our 
’*50 import release) M. Velvety brown- 
ish garnet, a deep shade of violet-red 
purple. Silvery hair line edging. This 
is a real giant having 26-28 inch 
flower heads with 6-7 wide open, flat, 
round florets on long wiry stems of 
the Harmau and Mansoer type. At- 
tachment is extraordinary, consider- 
ing its size. 
6-7 inches florets, 6-5-5-16. Have seen 
71% inches. 
Our first N. W. Ohio (Toledo) and at 
Binghamton it took our own good 
spike of New York to beat it, ’49. 
Aistude Wee Va. and our ists-au Lri-= 
State and Toledo, ’50. 
Vv test ratings, 87-B-B. 
Each M .25 S 2/.25 Blts 100/$1. 
470 WONDER BOY — New items, see 
page 19. 
LIGHT VIOLET—76 Series 
A77 RAVEL (K & M) (our ’47 import 
release) E. Medium blue violet, deeper 
than Blue Ice, with a reddish brown 
throat mark. Makes tall, straight 
spikes with large florets of good sub- 
stance, well placed and spaced. Unlike 
most blue varieties Ravel is a very 
healthy grower, an excellent propa- 
gator and the spikes stand up. 
N.A.G.C. reports 15 firsts in ’49. 
Also 34 firsts in 50. 
In 751 CGS general symposium tops 
its color section and rates No. 5 in 
“best 50, all colors’’. 
In “52 it “has “arrived”. In NAGC 
symposium tops its color both as exh. 
and as commercial, the former with 
2nd highest vote points, any color, the 
latter 6th. 
Vv test ratings 84-A-A. 
be2/.20 (10 $1 ye M va) 256 (107.70), 
377 TRADITION — New 
page 17. 
DEEP VIOLET—%8 Series 
578 SALMAN’S SENSATION — New 
item, see page 17. 
SMOK Y—80 Series 
483 HI JINKS—New item, see page 15. 
items, see 
CULTURE 
Both the N.E.G.S. and the N.A.G.C. 
issue Cultural leaflets. Inquire of their 
secretaries for copies. See page 3. 
Increased data in fore part of our 
Guide Book, together with more new 
varieties than usual, have all but wiped 
out the space usually devoted to cultural 
directions. So, this year we will retain 
only some pertinent highlights. 
Simple as can be. Inexpensive, too. 
Plant healthy, young bulbs of the large 
size of varieties currently winning first 
prizes in the major shows of the world. 
Soil prepared in the fall with heavy 
applications of well rotted cow manure 
and bone meal is excellent. Avoid horse 
manure in any season. Plant in the sun- 
niest location possible. Preferably in a 
group planting by themselves. They can 
be at their best in rows among the 
vegetables. 
Plant large bulbs 5 inches deep, 
medium bulbs 4, small bulbs 3 and bulb- 
lets 2. If soil is extremely sandy plant 
somewhat deeper. If very heavy, some- 
what less deep. For best bloom produc- 
tion set bulbs apart in row roughly about 
4 times their diameter. Sow bulblets 
thickly, like peas. Distance between 
rows as little as will permit of your 
particular method of cultivating, weed- 
ing. ete. 
If soil is heavy a little vermiculite or 
peat moss scratched into the bottom of 
the trenches, especially for bulblet plant- 
ing, will help roots to travel. 
If a heavy application of cow manure 
(3 to 6 inches deep) and coarse bone 
meal (25-80 lbs. to 500 sq. ft.) was 
applied in the fall and the ground left 
rough, no more fertilizing need be done 
the following year or two. 
If no fertilizing was done the previous 
fall, it could be desirable to use super- 
phosphate (0-20-0), scratching about 
1 lb. well into the bottom of about 30 ft. 
of trench. 
If neither fall fertilizing nor bottom 
of trench fertilizing was done about 1 lb. 
of “3-9-18” per 20-30 ft. of row, scratched 
an inch or two into the soil about 
5-8-inch area away from the plants. This 
can be repeated once or twice, before 
the flower buds begin to stretch. The 
figure 3 in the formula is nitrogen and 
using higher percentages may result 
forcing a bigger bloom while damaging 
or destroying the new bulb being formed 
for next year’s use. So a 2-10-12 substi- 
tute could be much safer to use than 
5-10-10 or even 4-12-4. 
