Deutsche Nutzpflanzen
Deutsche Nutzpflanzen - Quartett game promoting Kali brand crop fertilizer, 1938.
The 36 cards in this promotional card game are beautifully illustrated showing fruits and crops with vignettes suggestive of health and vitality. Kali were manufacturers of fertilisers hence the inscription on the card backs “Kalidünger Erntebringer” meaning “Kali fertilizer Increases your earnings” - along with a bundle of ears of corn and two crossed hammers. The final set of four cards showcases their products for soil improvement. See the Rules►







Above: Deutsche Nutzpflanzen - Quartett game promoting Kali brand crop fertilizer, Kali-Industrie, 1938. 36 cards . Rules on the back of the box.

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
Related Articles

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.

Shrek the Third playing cards
Characters from the 2007 film Shrek the Third, a DreamWorks Animation production.

Jeu de cartes Armelle
Advertising pack designed by James Hodges for a company specialising in regional cakes and biscuits....

Louis De Poortere
Psychedelic designs promoting Louis De Poortere, a company selling carpets and rugs.

Murphy Varnish pack
Reproduction of the 1883 Murphy Varnish transformation pack, USA, 2019

Das Nassauische Kartenspiel
Pack conceived by Berthold Conradi, commemorating the 700th anniversary of the granting of town righ...

Pendleton playing cards
Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.

Jägerkarte Nr.465
Dondorf Jägerkarte Nr. 465 playing cards dedicated to the theme of hunting, c.1930.

Englische Karten nr.190
Dondorf Nr.190“Englische Karten”, 1867-1895.

Specsavers playing cards
to help you see better when playing cards

3-D Dino Cards
Lenticular images of different, unnamed dinosaurs on all-plastic cards.

On-line offsite data backup
On-line offsite data backup publicity playing cards produced by The Bunker, United Kingdom, c. 2004....

The Famous Dinosaurs Playing Cards
54 different dinosaurs, both large and small, illustrated by Cecilia Fitzsimons.

Möbel-Spiel
Publicity pack for the East German furniture industry, with designs by Werner-Hans Schlegel.

Hand-painted and Silk-inlaid playing cards
Complete pack of 36 hand-painted and silk-inlaid playing cards with French suits made in Germany.

Clamcleats playing cards
Clamcleats playing cards for sailors designed by Celia Allison, New Zealand, 1986.

Postillion Schafkopf
Postillion Schafkopf dedicated to the history of the German postal service.

Pretty Frills
‘Pretty Frills’ playing cards promoting curtain and blind accessories.

Netter playing cards
Anatomical playing cards published by Elsevier, USA, 2017.

Moorish Deck
Review of “Trzes’ Moorish Deck” facsimile published by Ulrich Kaltenborn, Berlin, 2023.

Bankunión playing cards
Ingredients and recipes for 24 dishes from different regions of Spain.

Gibert Jeune
Publicity pack for Gibert Jeune, the famous Parisian bookshop, with designs by James Hodges.

Schweden Spielkarten
54 different souvenir views of famous people and places in Sweden.

The Saab 900 Convertible playing cards
A flicker pack with different backs, advertising the Saab 900 Convertible motor car.

De La Rue 1932-1933 Sample Book of Advertising cards
Complete contents of a sample book of advertising cards by De La Rue

A Gardener’s Labyrinth
Photographs of flowers, herbs and vegetables by leading photographer Tessa Traeger.

Burgdorf Abschreckhärtetechnik
Promotional pack for a German steel hardening business, with designs by Costante Costantini.

Glico Almond Chocolate
Glico Almond Chocolate playing cards with designs by Izumi Tamai, produced by Nintendo, Japan.

Kushimoto Marine Park
Kushimoto Marine Park souvenir playing cards published by Nintendo, Japan.

Early German playing cards
Some early examples of popular German playing cards from the XV and XVI centuries.

Handmade Ganjifa Birds Playing Cards
This set of Ganjifa cards is a beautiful example of traditional cards from India.

Carte Bolognesi
New designs reinforcing Bologna’s reputation as the gastronomic capital of Italy.

What can we learn from mini-booklet advertisements?
Over the years I have collected a large number of mini-booklets and pocket guides offering rules and...

South American Costumes
Costumes of people of Brazil, Peru and Mexico, with views of Rio de Janeiro on the aces.

Victorian Cookery
‘Victorian cookery’ playing cards produced by Cultzilla, United Kingdom, c. 2018.

Vues et Caractères Suisses No.228
A Swiss souvenir pack by Dondorf

Joseph Bardou & Fils cigarette papers
Delightful pack advertising Joseph Bardou & Fils cigarette papers for the Philippines.

Spielkarten für Sammler
Cards on cards in celebration of playing-card collector Franz Braun’s 75th birthday.

Cards on Cards (E.H. Locker)
Artist Edward Locker’s view of London life in 1799, using every card in the pack as part of the pict...

New Environment deck
New environment deck / Nouveau jeu de cartes sur l’environnement, Canada.

La Baie James
Playing cards documenting the James Bay hydro-electricity project on the La Grande River in north-we...