We must give credit to Dr. Henry Nehrling who first 
brought the Fancy Leaved Caladium to Florida and 
started to develop it for commercial use. Dr. Nehrling 
writes in his book “My Garden In Florida”: 
“The year 1893 may be properly called a red letter year 
of my life. It was the year of the World's Columbian 
Exposition in Chicago. Here I saw, for the first time in my 
life, masses of the new Fancy Leaved Caladiums. They 
came from the largest hybridizer of these brilliant foliage 
plants, Adolph Lietze in Rio de Janeiro. When I admired 
the richness and brilliancy of these often translucent col- 
ors, I was reminded of art, not of nature. My collections of 
various plants of all kinds of Fancy Leaved Caladiums 
surpassed them all. 
"After receiving a few specimen bulbs, I started hybridiz- 
ing and succeeded in developing many new varieties, 
which are today being grown in Florida in large quan- 
tities. 
“In the summer my fields have been visited by thousands 
of people where I had a planting of 250,000 Caladiums 
every year and the admiration for these beautiful foliage 
plants by the visitors encouraged me to continue hybridiz- 
ing and where I finally produced as many as 1500 new 
kinds. No pen or pencil can give an idea of the indescrib- 
able beauty of these colored masses when they are at 
their best. The color ranges from the purest white to the 
deepest red, and from the most delicate transparent bluish 
and pinkish white to the deepest translucent claret, scarlet 
and purple.” 
Florida owes.to Dr. Nehrling a reward that unfortu- 
nately his passing deprived him of receiving. In Florida 
there are about five million bulbs being produced every 
Fancy Leaved Caladiums 
year. We, the American Bulb Co., are supplying bulbs 
throughout America and to many European countries. This 
year there will be about five million bulbs distributed 
throughout America and foreign countries. 
Some years ago, I personally introduced Fancy Leaved 
Caladiums in a large way. While many florists have 
grown them in a small way, today several hundred thou- 
sand bulbs go to florists in the State of California alone, as 
they have recognized it as one of the most valuable pot 
plants they can grow. 
Many growers have seen the advantage of this beau- 
tiful foliage plant. It is being used for window boxes 
where it performs well all during the Summer in any 
climate. We now know that Fancy Leaved Caladiums 
make an ideal bedding plant in sun or shade in all 
sections of the country. The proper planting procedure is 
to plant the bulbs directly in the garden after all danger 
of frost is past—at the time corn is planted or when tender 
bedding plants are set out. We, the American Bulb Co., 
compliment ourselves on the largest crop, having growers 
who grow the best selected varieties for us exclusively. 
Every year we introduce new varieties and have others 
in cultivation that we are developing stocks of. We assure 
florists, who are desirous of getting the latest and finest 
Fancy Leaved Caladium bulbs, that we can supply them. 
A. MILLER, President 
AMERICAN BULB CO. 
GREENHOUSE CULTURE OF 
FANCY-LEAVED CALADIUMS 
SOIL should be slightly acid, ph 6.2 to 6.5. It should be composed of 
one-part each of leaf-mould, rotted manure and loam. Good drainage is 
necessary. Add 4-inch potful of Vigoro to each bushel of soil. 
LIGHT is important. Give as much strong light as possible without 
burning leaves. The colors will not be bright unless plants have good 
strong light. 
TEMPERATURE should be 80 to 85 degrees, the higher the better. Reduce 
heat gradually to harden off the plants. Start the bulbs in flats and place 
on steam flows if possible. 
WATER sparingly until sprouts and roots are 4 to 6 inches long; then shift 
to 5 or 6-inch pots. Never allow the pots to dry out when in full growth. 
FANCY LEAVED CALADIUM PRICES 
The best, florist, named varieties in assorted colors. 
Per 100 Per 1000 
Lead Vo 2nd Siz niepseses ones one oestrone essiekecPertorede oleate $12.00 $100.00 
Rey aes RIES RAE Ce eR Poe EEG ic, CHeEcresGhot CRS TAT: EAEPORTORG 17.00 150.00 
22-8 Vor AdJUMbO meena eis ne enone eee eral coat eee 26.00 250.00 
922 e ups MAMMOTH aes crc ticctiontnekete srevelste, revere seers 35.00 325.00 
DISPLAY CARTON 
Attractive display of Caladiums for resale. Standard pack of 150 large 
bulbs, named varieties and assorted. 
Per carton. F.O.B. Florida 
