Blue Book of Bulbs

The Blue Book of Bulbs (1915) *The Blue Book of Bulbs*, published by Chester Jay Hunt of Montclair, New Jersey, is a mail-order catalog and horticultural guide for spring-flowering bulbs. The 1915 edition emphasizes "Cream Quality" bulbs—the finest graded specimens from Dutch growers, selected from premium stock. Hunt describes the superior blooming results from these grade-A bulbs compared to cheaper varieties. The preface references wartime delays in bulb shipments from Holland due to World War I, though shipments eventually reached America. The catalog announces new tulip, hyacinth, narcissus, and crocus varieties introduced for 1915, including named cultivars like "King Alfred" and "Bleu Celeste." Hunt details cultural instructions for outdoor planting: optimal timing (September-October), soil preparation, depth guidelines, protective mulching against frost and rodents, and care of foliage. The work functions simultaneously as advertisement, reference guide, and practical growing manual for gardeners.