392 
The Casserole Method 
The use of a covered dish in seed germin- 
ation is not a new method. The main point 
is to have a covered dish which prevents 
evaporation. In many old books this ig 
mentioned as a “bell-jar.”’ In the greenhouse 
a larger use of this principal is the Wardert 
Case, which is really a little glass house. 
A high temperature and high moisture can 
be held in this way, which is so necessary for 
many seeds to germinate. 
In all homes a casserole can be found and 
so this is called the “Casserole Method”. 
The following will explain the use with very 
small seeds. 
Such seeds as the Begonias, various Ges- 
nerias and Bromeliads, Petunias, Primroseg 
and African Violets, this method works 
nicely. ; 
The best medium is milled sphagnum mix- 
ed with about an equal part by volumn of 
sand. Do not use too fine a sand, a little 
course and sharp is best. The sphagnum 
usually has a few course stems in it and 
these should be picked out so that the mixt- 
ure will be fine. 
After the above is prepared, put it in a 
covered pan and boil for 30 minutes so as 
to sterilize it. Place a good inch of this in 
the casserole, press down and level off. 
Sprinkle the seed over this seed bed but da 
not cover. Place lid on and leave till germ- 
ination starts. Place the dish in a warm part 
of the room, which is up 6-7 feet from the 
floor. Usually a dark part of the room suits 
most seeds altho some do best in good light. 
When the seeds germinate, the casserole 
must be placed in the light but not strong 
sunlight. Turn the dish a couple times a 
day so as to give all seedlings equal light. 
You want have much trouble in damping-off 
if the dish is sterile and the lid lifted 4-5 
times a day to give fresh air, but replace 
it at night. As the seedlings gain in size, 
the lid can be left off longer. 
A. W. Gentry. N. Y. 
CLEMATIS 
The large flowered kinds can be easily 
grown from seed sown during March in pang 
of sandy soil; place it in a cool closed 
frame; cover the pans to keep the light out; 
keep watered; they germinate the following 
March when the seedlings will appear as 
wire-like shoots, when they should be givert 
light and air. 
Pot the seedlings in small pots in soil con- 
taining 3 parts sifted loam and 1 part leaf 
mould with plenty of course sand. Return 
plants to the closed frame and hold till they 
are well established. The early flowering 
species can be planted in the fall where they 
germinate in January. Many Clematis spec< 
ies, if sown in heat in February will germ- 
inate in 30 days. 
AUSTRALIAN READERS 
Readers and customers in Australia can 
send remittances to me addressed to Boronia, 
the Australian shilling at 16 cents; personal 
check are all right as they are banked in 
Australia. Letters and orders can also be 
mailed to me at Boronia, where they will 
be opened and the contents air-mail on here. 
No seed stocks are carried at Boronia. 
This arrangement will meet your currency 
regulations. 
INFLATION. 
Inflation to the average person means 
higher prices; it really is cheaper money. 
This comes about mainly in two ways. 
First, lowering the value or worth of the unit 
of value—the dollar, in our case and it 
certainly has been lowered! In 
billion dollars was in circulation, the highest 
in our history at that time. This dollar 
had a definite value measured in gold. To- 
day we have between 30 and 100 billion with 
nothing to measure its value; so cheaply is 
our money considered by our own goverment 
that we even furnished the Russions with 
the plates to print it from! Millions were 
1929, 542 | 
printed and used by them at our expense! 
The second reason for cheaper money is 
where any force is allowed to be applied by 
any group, whether it be bankers or trade 
unions. In the present situation it is the 
national labor unions. To give them a law- 
ful right to shut up a man’s business and 
to even bankrupt him, till he pays any wage 
they have a mind to ask, is the same as if 
the farmer organized and said the consumer 
either paid $1.50 a dozen for eggs, or go 
without. If all his produce was priced on 
the same level, then this alone would make 
the dollar worth but a third of what it was 
before the decision of the farmer to raise 
meat and eggs and wheat. Force applied 
to get higher prices benefits the group en- 
gaged in it so long as other groups are not 
so organized. If everyone was unionized, 
what good would raising prices be, whether 
it was actual wages or the product of labor, 
such as milk or bread? 
Where will this all end at? 
ADENOPHORA CORLESTIS 
Difficult to transplant; sow thinly in small 
pots and transplant as soon as two leaves 
appear or sow where they are to grow; they 
have pale lilac hanging bells. 
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $2.00 next 9 issues 
MINNESOTA WILD FLOWERS. | 
MINNESOTA NATIVE PLANTS 
The following plants are delivered posi- 
paid during the spring and again in the 
fall, when they are in condition for ship- 
ping. 
The prices asked are very low and any 
one wanting these beautiful natives from 
the far North should order NOW. 
AQUILEGIA Canadensis. The American 
Columbine. Good for the rockery or the 
border; sun or part shade. 
ASARUM CANADENSIS. Wild Ginger. 
Good ground cover for shady places; if you 
need a quantity ask for special price. 
ARISAEMA TRIPHYLLUM. Jack-in-the 
Pulpit. A hard-to-find wood plant that 
should be in every wild garden. 
CAULOPHYLLUM THALICTROIDES. Blue 
Cohosh. Deep blue berries in fall; 2 ft. 
CLINTONIA BOREALIS. Bluebeads. Small 
lily-like bloom in spring; very dark blue 
berries in the fall; acid soil. 
DODECATHEON MEDIA. Shooting Stars. 
White to rosy purple Cyclamen-like blos- 
soms in the spring. 
GERANIUM MACULATUM. Wild Geran- 
ium. Rosy pink blooms for the rockery or 
border; ‘1 foot high. 
HEPATICA TRILOBA. Round Lobed Hep- 
atiea. White to deep blue blossoms; acid. 
IRIS VERSICOLOR. Blue Flag. For moist 
places; see Iris list for other species. 
MIMULUS RINGENS. Monkey Flower. 
Blue Snapdragon-like blossoms with yel- 
low centers; 2 feet high. 
PARNASSIA PALUSTRIS. Grass Parnassus 
White buttercup-like blossoms on slender 
stems. 
POLYGONATUM BIFLORUM. 
Seal. Drooping white bells, 
nearly black berries. 
SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS. 
Root. White blossoms in early 
showy leaves yntil late summer. 
TAILLIUM CERNUUM. Nodding Trillium. 
Drooping white blossoms. 
UVULARIA PERFOLIATA. Merrybells, 
Drooping yellow bells in the spring; easy 
to grow in the shade. It is good. 
VIOLA BLANDA. Sweet White Violet. 
Fragrant small white Violet for naturaliz- 
ing in the wild garden. 
VIOLA KUGULOSA. Tall Stemmed White 
Violet. Blooms nearly all summer; ideal 
for your wild garden, too. 
VIOLA CONSPERSA. Dog Violet. Pale 
blue flowers in early spring; for the wild 
garden for early flowers. 
Solomon’s 
followed by 
Blood 
spring; 
ATHYRIUM FILIX-FEMINA. Lady Fern. 
One of the easiest ferns for shady places 
in the border or wild garden. 
very 
DRYOPTERIS DILATATA. Mountain Fan- 
cy Fern. Beautiful evergreen fern; best 
in moist shady places in the border or in 
the wild garden or woods. 
DRYOPTERIS LINNEANA. Oak Fern. A 
beautiful tiny six inch fern with branched 
fronds that should go well in any shady 
moist place where small ferns would do. 
DiYOPTERIS PHEGOPTERIS. Narrow 
Beech Fern. Arrowhead-shaped fronds on 
6-8 inch stems; another fine fern for moist 
shady piaces in the border or wild garden. 
DAYOPTERIS THELYPLERIS. March 
Fern. Upright fronds to 18 inches; moist 
spots in either sun or shade. 
PTERETIS NODULOSA. Ostrich Ferns 
For sun or shade; a graceful fern growing 
to 5 feet; a sight in the woods or wild 
garden where the sun gets thru. 
PRICES: On your selection of ANY 6 
Plants $1.80; ANY 12 for only $3.00; or 
you can seiect 35 plants any way you wish 
for only $8.00; postpaid. Certainly a bar- 
gain. Remember these are all HARDY. 
AMELANCHIER CANADENSIS. 
Berry; a hardy shrub. 
ARONIA MELANOCARPA. Black Choke- 
berry; wild life shrub for food and shelter. 
CORNUS ALTERNIFOLIA. 
wood. 
COZNUS STOLONIFERA. Red Osier Dog- 
wood. 
ILEX VERTICILLATA. Winterberry; a 
gocd shelter shrub for wild life. 
June 
Pagoda Dog- 
DIRCA CANADENSIS. Leatherwood. A 
small plant 6-12 inches high. 
SAMBUCUS PUBENS. Red Berried Elder. 
This is a good shrub for a game shelter 
as well as for food. 
SYMPHORICARPUS RACEMOSUS NAN- 
US. Dwarf Snowberry; a good shrub for 
difficult embankments. 
VIEURNUM DENTATUM. 
VIBURNUM LENTAGO. Nanny Berry. 
PRICES: ANY TWO PLANTS for $1.00 
or ANY 6 for only $3.50; postpaid. If you 
wish any quantity for planting for bird 
shelter and food, write for special prices. 
Arrowwood. 
CYPAIPEDIUM ACAULE. Pink Moccasin 
Flower. 
CYPRIPEDIUM PARVIFLORUM. 
Yellow Lady Slipper. 
CYPHIPEDIUM SPECTABILE. 
Lady Slipper. 
CYPRIPEDIUM PRICES 
ANY TWO for ONLY $1.50; ANY six for 
oxniy $4.00. This price is very low for these 
hard-to-find plants 
Small 
Showy 
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