258 
Saier’s 
GARDEN MAGAZINE 
DIMONDALE, MICHIGAN. 
VOL. 3., NO. 4. (9) FEBRUARY, 1953 
Owner and publisher of SATER’S GARD- 
EN MAGAZINE, Harry E. Saier, Dimon- 
dale, Michigan. 
Subscription price: 25¢ per copy; $2.00 
for 12 issues or $3.00 for 24. Issued about 
5 or 6 times annually. 
We have had some letters asking about 
the magazine coming monthly, etc-, some 
of which have not been answered because 
it was expected to explain this here. 
It is not necessary to’ repeat all the troub- 
les one has in business now-a-days; everyone 
has them also. Ours is a little more diff- 
icult because of the nature of the business, 
as you can readily realize. Young folks 
usually expect to “step into” a business 
but what is still more troublesome is that 
few are even stepping into this type of bus- 
iness; this all results in too much work for 
the older one and this last fall a_ slight 
change in ownership was made and the bus- 
iness will be opeerated in the future under 
the name of Harry E. Saier, no changes will 
be made other than that the magazine will be 
issued in the future as often as possible and 
it is our intention to do this at least every 
two months, if not oftener. Much depends on 
the number of subscriptions. 
The policy in the future will be to publish, 
the entire seed list in one book; the present 
issue being mailed in February lists over 
6,000 seeds. 10,000 copies were printed and 
by the time they are mailed out a revised 
issue will be ready which will contain many 
additional seeds just in. 
The seed list has been mailed to all 1952 
customers and to the requests as well as to 
all subscribers. The revised issue will only 
be mailed to the regular subscribers and 
all 1953 customers as well as to all requests 
received. This will be the policy in the fut- 
ure for the costs of publication are such that 
no other plan will pay. 
There is no other source in the world, that 
we know of that provides both a source 
and an outlet for the many thousands of 
rare seeds found in no other way. Our 
problem is to contact only the interested 
flower grower and to do so it will be nec- 
essary to confine the mailing as mueh as 
possible. Free copies will be mailed to 
those who request copies, but second copies 
will not be mailed without a second re- 
quest; 
copies, especially the seed list but if you wish, 
the magazine EVERY issue it will be necess- 
ary to subscribe; if it is not worth $2.00 it 
would pay us to mail it out gratis. 
WHEN DOES YOUR 
SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRE? 
To make it easier for each subscriber toa 
know how his subscription stands, we have 
placed a number on your address plate, 
in the upper right hand corner. At the 
top of this column, in the date line you will 
note a number as: (9), which is the number 
for the February 1953 issue; if this number 
is on your address than your subscription. 
expires with this issue; likewise for following 
issues. We will appreciate your renewal 
promptly. 
If you like the Magazine you can make 
it better by  subscribions and articles. 
of course purchasers will be sent . 
SPHAGNUM MOSS and DAMPING-OFF 
Sphagnum Moss is a material with 
which all home gardeners should become 
familiar. It has been used as an _ antl- 
hiotics, destroying fungi and bacteria which 
so often kill young seedling plants. This 
discovery is credited to the U. S. Depart- 
ment of Agriculture in experiments with 
growing seedlings under artifical light. It 
was found that seedlings grown in Sphagnum, 
~ Moss never died from the common disease of ~ 
damping-off as they did in soil. Sphagnum 
Moss is much lighter than soil. Plant 
roots become imbedded in moss, and can be 
removed from flats with a ball of moss 
around the roots, to be incorporated into soil 
without transplanting shock. Vermiculite, 
a form of mica, also serves as a soil sub- 
stitute and has some of the properties of 
Sphagnum. It resists the spread of fungi, 
The best fertilizer is the footsteps of the 
owner. 
DOUBLING CAMPANULAS 
Darwin states that Campanula medium, 
the common single Canterbury Bell, was 
doubled by careful selection in four gen- 
erations. 
From one plant found with one additional 
petal, several varieties were developed, hay- 
ing 6 or 7 rows of petals, by selection, 
in the course of a few generations. 
The single Scotch Rose was doubled by 
selection, in the course of but 9 or 10 
years.. 
Too few flower growers pay any attent- 
ion to plant selection, thus missing a great 
deal. There is a _ satisfaction in improv- 
ing some flower you grow. 
SOOT, ITS USE 
Those able to obtain soot, can use it in 
small amounts in pots of foliage plants 
to give them a deep color. 
Soot should be kept dry and held six 
months before using. Only a very small 
amount should be used. 
A BUSHEL OF SOIL 
A bushel of soil will just fill a box 
10x10x22 inches. 
It is often necessary for best results in 
making up potting soils to have a fairly 
exact measure and a 10 inch board can ba 
cut to make a frame that can be placed 
on the bench and when filled level full 
will amount to a bushel. It can then be 
raised up leaving the soil on the bench., 
ready for mixing with additional ingredients. 
LEAF MOULD 
For greenhouse use, beech and oak leaves 
make the best leaf mould. Collect them 
in the fall, place in stacks or piles and 
stir 2 to 4 times during the year. 
It takes 2 years treatment to make ideal 
leaf mould, at which time it can be screened 
thru a half inch screen. 
SAND FOR SOIL IMPROVEMENT 
A common mistake in using sand, is to 
use a fine grained material. This type is 
very liable to cake and make the compost 
hard. Use as coarse a sand as you can 
get. 
Silver sand is, of course, ideal sand. Sea 
sand is all right, too, but after it has 
teen exposed to the rains for some time 
to rid it of the salts. Red sand should 
never be used as it not only tends to cake 
but also contains too much iron 
Barbatus: BAR-bar-tus; barbed, bearded. 
Baccatus: bak-KAY-tus; berried. 
GOLDEN ACRES 
We receive postals quite often from 
Clinton A. Beachy of Shipshewana, Ind- 
lana, whose garden is known as “Golden 
Acres”. We have wanted to visit his garden 
because he must have many interesting 
plants growing; if we ever get caught up 
with our work, we shall make the trip. 
We thank Mr. Beachey for his comments 
anl hope he will continue them. 
IRIS IN ALASKA 
-I enjoyed the last issue of SATER’S 
GARDEN MAGAINE as well as all issues. 
If the reader from Alaska will try 
growing the Lousiana Iris, D. K. Williamson, 
I believe she wiil find it very hardy and 
beautiful. I have grown this variety over 
ten years, thru ail kinds of winters. I 
would like to get some of the various Iris 
seeds from Alaska mentioned in the article. 
’ A. ‘f. Motsch, Chicago, II. 
PALM SEEDS 
There are many kinds of Palms as are 
listed under Latania, Livistona, Chamae- 
Tops, | Rhapis, Corypha, Licuala. Thrinax, 
Phonix, Areca, Arenga, Cocos, Seaforthia 
and Kentia. 
They are not hard to grow from seed 
which should be covered to twice their thick- 
ness in a sandy soil and kept fairly moist 
and warm until they germinate. 
They should not be transplanted too 
quickly. During ihe summer they make 
rapid growih out-of-doors, plunged in a rich 
soil with plenty of decayed manure, and 
covered with lath sash. 
MULTIFLORA ROSE A PEST 
I do enjoy the SAIER’S GARDEN MAG- 
AZINE, some day I hope to grow all the 
flowers I want to. : 
In the July issue you ask about the Mutli- 
flora Rose. These roses are not grown here 
in California as far as I know, but my 
brother in Pennsylvania has had experience 
with them. It is very invasive and is taking 
over the fields and pastures and may be- 
come a serious pest as the wild honeysuckle 
has become in south eastern Pennsylvania. 
The farmers have to burn it to clear 
their fields and roadsides. I wonder if this 
is the experience with this rose in the mid- 
west where it has been recently recommended 
as a fence about pastures. 
I appreciate a magazine like yours, of rare 
plants, with their culture. It is interesting 
reading as well as helpful: 
: Mrs. Ruth Nantt, California. 
STRATIFY ERITRICHIUM 
Must the seed of Eritrichium be stratified 
I planted a packet early in the spring in 
the greenhouse and to date only 2 seeds 
have germinated and those just seem to 
stand still. 
Mrs. Charles E. Kensinger, Penn: 
Our personal experience is not much in 
germinating this genus. As they are native 
(Continued to Page 266) 
