Newsletter / Bodger Seeds, Ltd.

Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

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When the Spanish Conquistadores
first entered Peru four centuries
ago they found more than Inca gold
—for this equatorial highland
country abounded in plants new to
Europeans, among them the brilli-
ant Tithonia (Ty-tho'ni-a) eae
explorer Pizarro found the Tith-
onia to be Peru's national flower,
with many images of it wrought with
exquisite workmanship in pure vir-
gin gold. It had religious signif-
icance due to its resemblance to
the sun, and priestesses of the
temples wore the flowers on their
bosoms. Pizarro seems to have taken
the flower to Spain, where all
trace of it was lost.

Rediscovered in Mexico in the
18th century, the flower was given
its present name, from Tithonius,
son of Laomedon the King of Troy.
Tithonius was So handsome that Au-
rora, Goddess of the Dawn, is Sup-
posed to have fallen in love with
him and persuaded the gods to make
him immortal. Tithonia's ancient
history was soon unearthed, and
the flower acquired its best-known
common name: Golden Flower of the
Incas.

This wild Tithonia (Speciosa)
came North before the time of Pan-
cho Villa, but northern frosts cut
it down before it flowered, and its
popularity was confined largely to
the warm Southwest—much as the
famous Heavenly Blue Morning Glory
before Clarke's early strain made
it one of the world's most popular
flowers. By the early thirties
some progress had been made toward
an early strain of Tithonia, but
plant habit was unsatisfactory.

Some late strains had good flower
color. Most important, however,
was the discovery in Hawaii of
plants which had adapted to a
strange climate by producing a
compact, bushy plant form which
unfortunately had very insignif-
icant flowers. Here the story of
TORCH Tithonia really begins.

All the elements of a prize-win-
ning novelty existed: earliness,
good flower color and dwarf plant
habit, but they were in three dif-
ferent packages. The very real ac-
complishment of combining these 3
into one distinctly new and supe-
rior strain was begun at Bodger
Seeds Ltd. breeding grounds in
1939. It took eleven years to pro-
duce the novelty which was top
winner in All America Selections
for 195l1—a Silver Medal Award and
flower of the year.

Like the Zinnia, which also came
from Mexico, TORCH thrives on hot
weather. The hotter it is, the more
flame-red cutflowers you can pick
for the house. Like the Zinnia,
TORCH is so easy to grow you can
be a "porch-hammock gardener".
Cultural directions are just the
same—put out seed or small plants
when all frost is past; thin to 1%
or 2 feet apart. Plant in full sun
and water by deep irrigation (never
sprinkle). Avoid high-nitrogen
fertilizers or overwatering,or the
plant will grow taller than its
normal four feet. TORCH will bloom
in July in warm climates, August
elsewhere; and if flowers are kept
picked will continue to bloom well
into Autumn.

EVERYTHING YOU
NEED TO SELL

ORCH

TITHONIA

PUBLICITY RELEASE!
DISPLAY MATERIAL!
NEWSPAPER MATS!
SAMPLE PACKETS!
MAILING STUFFERS!
FLAT MARKERS!

+ + + HF HF FH

Selling THatertal AVAILABLE WITHOUT COST

To help you make those extra profits on TORCH this Spring,
we've prepared a kit of display material which is yours without
cost. This kit includes:

Flash!

Better Homes & Gardens,

Gardening
and Popular
g& Garden y will feature

House

have just advised the 1. One 14” x 20” poster, showing TORCH in full

r January issues 'n

TORCH in thei rece eel color.
color! Sunset, Flower Gro pn 2. One 9” x 12” three-dimensional counter display
Holland's will feature and rec showing TORCH almost life size, in full color.

nd TORCH editorially and you
me

3. Two sets attention-getting flags, one strung.
this means:

know what all

y nation-wide All

4. Two T-shaped cards in color, to call attention to
TORCH packets in your packet-rack.

5. Three 1-column x 2” mats for use in advertising

a backed uP b They in your own newspaper (illustrated above). They
America newspaper CA ae a may be used as complete ads, or with lower line

te the demand; YOU se removed, used as part of a larger ad. The 25c
atl u have it! packet price is our suggested minimum. If you

the seed. Be sure thee plan to charge more, this can be removed.

Also enclosed are two 9” x 12” full color cards, two
7” x 22” full color streamers and two T-shaped cards to help
you sell more of FIRE CHIEF Petunia, our 1950 Gold Medal All
America winner, and one T-card for Darling Morning Glory. If
your kit is incomplete, please tell us about it. Additional copies
of most of the above available; large quantities at cost.

a

BODG alt

*#EL MONTE, CALIFORNIA

é ze. y to growas a Zinnia!

TITHONIAW £ ORCH
Ample packet for] 25¢ 1951 ALL-AMERICA TITHONIA

TOP WINNER
YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS HERE

ag 7 ORCH

Ample packet for only 25¢

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS HERE

packet 25e

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS HERE

Selling Waterial AVAILABLE AT COST PRICE

From Bodger Seeds Ltd. Service Department, El Monte, California

—a non-profit trade service:

Electro (illustrated at left) 1194G 8” x 10” black-and-white photographs
CR IS a \ RE lee FR een Soe $ 4.00 ea.
Color plates TORCH (same pose as illustrated

electro, but larger) 4:3147H (37%%” x
RG Ve ee a Oar Se ene $40.00 set For your mailing list: 342” x 8%” envelope stuffers or

circulars. Just the thing to include in the envelope when

oe $ 1.00 ea.
8” x 10” true color photographic prints... $ 6.50 ea.

Color plates TORCH (various poses, not illus-

Sreibe cl pee ees ee tac cel, $35.00 & $40.00 set mailing out statements, club bulletins, etc. Announces

Color plates DARLING Morning Glory (one TORCH and invites customer to Bias your stele to buy
flower close-up) $35.00 set; others vari- their seed. Sample on request. Minimum quantity 200:
ous prices.) $1.00. 500 for $2.00. 1000 for $3.50.

Choice OF TWO |
PACKETS FOR “TORCH” |

Schmidt Lithograph Co., 461 Second St.,
San Francisco 7, Calif. (packet with sin-
gle flower) and Stecher-Traung Litho-
graph Corp., 274 W. Goodman St.,
Rochester 7, N. Y. (two flower packet)
have kindly supplied sample packets
so we can show you what is available.
WE DO NOT SELL THESE PACKETS.
PLEASE CONTACT THE MAKERS DI-
RECT.

Colorful SEEDLING FLAT

MARKER FOR PLANT SALES

FIURE-CHIIEF }
Tattle

ie fe
PETUNIA

As _ illustrated above, available from
G&M Exchange, 2012 Sepulveda Blvd.,
Los Angeles 25, Calif., for very mod-
erate cost. WE DO NOT SELL THESE.
PLEASE CONTACT G&M DIRECT.

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