| branch of the seed business. 
| their first supplies from us. 
e 
WH 
(AND IN MOST CASES DELIVER FREE) TO ALL PLANTERS OR CONSUMERS 
The Best Seeds in the World 
AT LOWER AVERAGE PRICES THAN WE HAVE EVER SOLD AT. 
enough, customers who formerly bought direct from us 
found it often more convenient to buy our seeds in 
WE HERE TELL 
seed trade were notified the latter part of November, 
1897, that we had withdrawn from the wholesale 
In order that our patrons 
may understand our change of policy, we wish to state 
that from the very beginning our seed department has 
been mainly what is known as a catalogue or retail and 
market gardener’s trade, i. e., that the great bulk of 
our seed business was confined to market gardeners, 
truckers and those who planted for their own amusement 
or pleasure, so that the great majority of our orders 
have been always sent to us by amateurs and others, 
as we have just stated, direct. 
As years went by, our catalogue expanded, and by 
liberal advertising and by supplying only the best quality 
of seeds, bulbs, plants, etc., we developed what is 
perhaps the largest retail seed business in America to-day. 
During the past twenty-five years we have spent at least 
double in advertising of that of any other seed house in 
the land, and one of the first results of our enterprise in 
this direction has been that dealers embarking for the 
first time in the sale of seeds, almost invariably bought 
After that they were 
“‘drummed up,’’ their trade solicited by other seed 
houses, many of whom, we do not hesitate to say, cannot 
a is only proper to state that our wholesale jobbing 
/ and do not take the same pains in keeping up the high 
grade of their seeds that we claim, and one of the 
results has been that in a great many instances (not 
all by any means) we have had to bear the burden of 
the cheaper seedmen’s poor quality, and we have felt, 
as the years have gone by, that it has in a measure 
hurt our reputation. 
When a dealer bought seeds of us for the first time, 
we fully equipped him with our catalogues, posters, 
seed stands and other paraphernalia, so that, naturally 
OUR SEEDS CAN NO LONGER BE PURCHASED FROM DEALERS, 
AND ALSO STATE A FEW REASONS WHY WE CAN NOW SELL 
their own town. As before stated, we found that some 
dealers, as time went on, laid in only enough of our 
seeds to obtain possession of our catalogues, cards and 
other advertising matter, sufficient to give color to their 
claim of handling ‘‘ HENDERSON’S SEEDS,’’ and then 
bought the balance of their stock wherever they could 
get it cheapest. This was a two-edged sword, as we 
not only lost the sale of stock that we were clearly 
entitled to, but, what was of far more importance, we 
suffered from a distribution of inferior and spurious stock 
under the banner of our hard-earned reputation. 
Remember, we do not say that ALL dealers did this; 
on the contrary, it has been a matter of great regret 
that we have been forced to take this step, on account 
of the loyalty of dealers who have handled our seeds, 
and ours only, for ten, twenty and some even twenty- 
five years. We think, however, our patrons will see 
that this new departure will be to our mutual benefit, 
for now, having no longer a wholesale trade to protect, 
we can sell, as we have before said, THE BEST SEEDS 
IN THE WORLD at lower prices than ever, so that 
whether you garden for pleasure or health, or whether 
you grow for market, examine and compare the prices 
in this Manual and see whether our assertions are not 
borne out by the facts. 
Now that we have cut adrift from our wholesale trade, 
our patrons can show their good will by not only send- 
ing in their own liberal orders, but by inducing their 
friends to follow their example. 
Please remember that even at these low prices nearly 
everything in seeds is delivered FREE in the United States, 
and you will have the additional assurance always that 
you are getting every time what you want and expect— 
PETER HENDERSON & CO.’S TESTED SEEDS, —-s=\ 
In regard to the Testing and Warranting of Seeds. 
HOW WE TEST SEEDS.—We think we possess some peculiar 
| advantages as Seedsmen that we wish to tell to those to whom we 
are not personally known. For over fifty years we have been 
| personally engaged in growing fruits, flowers and vegetables—in 
| short, are “‘ Practical Gardeners’’ in the most comprehensive sense 
of the term. Our florists’ or greenhouse establishment, which we 
personally superintend, covers nearly five acres, solid in glass, and 
| employs an average of one hundred hands throughout the year. 
| These greenhouses, being at all temperatures, give us a certain 
means of TESTING the germinating qualities of ALL OUR SEEDS, and 
no seeds of any importance are ever sold without being subject to the 
most thorough test. We have also for many years had pieces of 
ground set apart as EXPERIMENTAL GARDENS, wherein samples of all 
the leading vegetables and novelties in flowers and vegetables are 
tested. The value of this plan can hardly be estimated. Not only 
does it enable us to judge what is meritorious in new varieties, but, 
what is far better by this comparative test, to DISCARD all varieties 
that in our judgment are unworthy of cultivation, by actual experi- 
ment under our direct personal superintendence. We cordially invite 
any one interested in such experiments to call and examine during 
the summer and fall months. 
ABOUT WARRANTING SEEDS.—The question is repeatedly 
asked us, if we guarantee or warrant seeds. We beg to state most 
emphatically that we do not, and our employees have strict orders 
never to do so in any case. Though well believing that the seeds we 
offer are unsurpassed In quality, yet our practical experience of many 
years as market gardeners and florists has well assured us of the fact 
that crops may fail, no matter how fresh or pure the seed sown to 
produce them may be. Failure of germination of seeds may be pro- 
duced from causes that the utmost care from the most experienced 
cultivators cannot control, and the maturing of crops also repeatedly 
fails, so as to be a total loss, from causes that no human power can 
avert. Hence, to guarantee seeds to invariably produce a perfect 
crop would be little short of quackery. It is for these reasons that, 
in common with every other responsible seed firm, we have for many 
years printed the following on each and every package of seeds 
leaving our establishment : 
SPECIAL NOTICE.—While we exercise the greatest care to have 
all Seeds, Plants and Bulbs pure and reliable, we do not give any war- 
ranty, express or tnplied. If the purchaser does not accept the goods 
on these conditions they must be returned at once, and the money that 
has been paid for same will be refunded.—P,. H. & Co th 
