34

38 ... Iowa Seed Company, Des Moines, Iowa.
[Upper half of page.]
[Image: Drawing of a girl with a bouquet of flowers, smelling a single rose, set in a decorative border in the upper right hand corner, Caption-I love flowers. Don't you?]
Flower Seeds.
Our floral beauties come in for their full share of attention, and in fact we have this year given them more time and space than ever before on our grounds. We have in our employ an experienced specialist in this line, who, under our supervision, attends to growing whatever can be grown to advantage in this country, tests all novelties offered in this country or Europe, and is constantly striving, by selection and hybridization, to improve the leading varieties, and make our choice Iowa flower seeds just what we are striving for-the best in the world. All who truly love the beautiful, and prize all things new and valuable in the floral kingdom, will be interested in the following pages, and also in looking over the flower plant and bulb list.
Our flower seeds are all fresh and we know they are unsurpassed. Quality is always the first consideration. Our mixtures are mainly made up by ourselves from named varieties, or from growing a large number of the best named varieties together, and will yield a better assortment than is commonly found. This year we list all the varieties alphabetically together. Annuals, biennials, perennials, climbers, everlastings and ornamental grasses, but mention in the description the class they belong to if they are not annuals. This will make it easier to find any sort named.
Our Prices.-The cost of raising the various sorts of flower seeds varies greatly, from such as mignonette, which we can grow a hundred pounds of at but comparatively only few dollars expense, up to double petunia, which costs us over one hundred dollars per ounce, and some other kinds which are still more expensive. There are but few who care for more than one good sized bed of any sort; therefore we have filled our packets with a sufficient amount and made prices as low as possible, some being only two or three cents each, and we are certain customers will be well pleased with the quantity they contain.
Discounts.-In spite of our very low prices by the packet we still offer flower seeds in packets only to the amount of $1.25 for $1.00. This discount does not apply to collections of seeds nor to seeds by weight or measure.
Directions For Sowing, Etc.-To insure success the conditions and requirements of the several species as to soil, moisture, heat, etc., should be studied and then observed in culture. Below we give a few general directions for their culture, though more complete directions will be found printed on many of the seed packets.
The soil best adapted to most flowers is light, rich loam, containing enough sand to make it porous. If there is some clay with it the colors will be brighter. Make the surface as smooth and fine as possible, sow seeds in rows, covering each sort of seed in proportion to its size (a good general rule being to cover twice the diameter of the seed) and press the soil down firmly over it. Do not plant any seeds when the ground is wet. Many varieties, such as pansy, verbena, daisy, hollyhock and the fine greenhouse plant seeds, should be sown early in shallow boxes in the house, in soil consisting of equal parts of fine sand and rich, mellow loam, well mixed together and sifted to remove all gravel and lumps. Sow as before directed. Covering the box with glass helps to retain the moisture and keeps the temperature even. Be careful not to keep them too wet, and as soon as they are large enough to handle transplant into boxes from one to two inches apart where they are to remain until time to transplant to permanent beds. We will always be glad to answer any questions from our customers relative to the cultivation of any kind of plants.
Novelties.-Many desirable novelties will be found described on the colored pages of this book while others are in their regular order in this department. We have this year carefully revised all the descriptions, changing some of them after comparing with the flowers in the field, and we believe no more correct or complete list of desirable sorts can be found in any catalogue.
A Nice Lawn is easily obtained by sowing our Central Park or Evergreen lawn grass seed. It is vastly cheaper than sodding, and you are not bothered with weeds, which are in the sod. See price in grass seed department.
All flower seeds are sent free by mail on receipt of price. We have carefully compared our packets with those of many of the leading seed dealers and are convinced that our packets on an average are better filled than any of them. We are growers and sell flower seeds to many of the largest seedsmen in this country and Europe, and can afford to sell at low prices to our customers.

[Lower half of page.]
[Left Column.]
[Image: Drawing of a small flowering plant, closeup of a cluster of blooms, Caption-Abronia.]
Abronia.
Trailing habit similar to verbenas, bearing clusters of sweet-scented flowers. Effective for bedding in masses, and very desirable for rock work or hanging baskets. In beds sometimes one plant covers a yard square and is full of bloom. Best colors mixed. Pkt. 3c.
Acroclinium.
Elegant summer flowering annuals, forming plants about one foot high, bearing quantities of large double flowers of white, rose, etc., 1 to 2 inches across. Splendid everlastings for winter bouquets. Mixed colors. Pkt. 3c.
Agrostemma.
A very hardy plant introduced from Russia, suitable for border plants.
Coeli Rosa.-Perfectly hardy plants, producing pretty, pink-like blossoms on long slender stems. Very useful for cutting for bouquets, and pretty in masses in beds. Also known as Rose of Heaven. About 1 1/2 feet high. Deep rose color. Pkt. 3c.
Alba.-White; fine for cemetery. Pkt. 5c.
Argemone. (Prickly Poppy.)
Free blooming; flowers somewhat resemble the poppy. The foliage is large, pretty in form, and of a pleasant light green color. Mixed colors. Pkt. 3c.
Adlumia.
(Mountain Fringe.) A beautiful hardy perennial vine, with fern-like foliage of a pale green color, with pretty flesh-colored blossoms. It is also called Alleghany Vine. Pkt. 10c.
[Image: Drawing of a plant vining up a tri-pod trellis, enlarged blooms, Caption-Adlumia.]
Asperula.
Azurea Setosa.-A hardy, dwarf growing, little annual producing an abundance of small, light blue, sweet-scented flowers. fine for bouquets. Pkt. 5c.
Browallia.
Elata.-Produces very delicate and handsome flowers in great abundance. Mixed. Pkt. 10c.
Balloon Vine.
A very pretty, rapid growing climber, succeeding best in a warm situation. Pkt. 5c.

[Right Column.]
Ageratum.
[Image: Drawing of a plant with cluster of stems bushing out, an enlarged bloom, Caption-Ageratum.]
Mexicanum.-Very desirable for bonquets; produces a great many blue flowers, and blooms a long time; largely used by florists; start seed early. Pkt. 4c.
Albiflorum.-Like above, only white. Pkt. 5c.
Abutilon.
A handsome greenhouse plant. Fine mixed. Pkt. 5c.
Adonis.
Aestivalis.-Brilliant scarlet. Blossoms throughout the season. Foliage is graceful and feathery. Height 1 foot. Pkt. 3c.
Amobium.
Alatum Grandiflorum.-Very hardy, everlasting, with pretty, double, white flowers. Useful for bouquets. Pkt. 4c.
Anagallis.
Low growing plants with remarkably bright, handsome flowers; mixed varieties. Pkt. 10c.
Aquilegia. (Columbine.)
Too much praise cannot be given to these elegant, free flowering, and deservedly popular hardy plants, blooming profusely through the spring into early summer. Hardy perennial.
Mixed Varieties.-Pkt. 5c.
White.-Blooms on Decoration Day. Very desirable for cemetery. Pkt. 10c.
Antirrhinum. (Snapdragon.)
One of the most beautiful and useful border plants, blooming profusely the first season from seed, until after frost. Our mixtures contain all the new and choice colors, including the beautiful striped, variegated and margined.
[Image: Drawing of a clustered bloom at the end of a stem, Caption-Antirrhinum.]
Tall Varieties Mixed.-Pkt. 4c.
Tom Thumb.-A collection of the most beautiful, very dwarf varieties. Pkt. 5c.
Arabis.
Alpina. Among the earliest blooming plants, and very useful for rock work edgings, carpet bedding, etc. Flower pure white. Plant 9 inches high and a hardy perennial. Pkt. 10c.