F:l"'^%- 



Its importance to 

 Commercial (growers 



Plant selection does not differ from the breeding of horses; cows and other 

 animals in the matter of keeping up the "Strain" and improving it. Townsend's 

 have always taken pride in the "Strain" of plants offered their customers. 

 Our thirty-four years of experience in the growing and propagation of small 

 fruit plants has given us valuable information that could have been ob- 

 tained only through constant contact with our propagating fields throughout 

 the years we have grown plants. Every Townsend's plant is an offspring of a 

 selected plant that has special merits back of it. We go into our fields each 

 year with experienced men under personal supervision of one of the Townsends 

 and personally select plants that are to be used for 

 mother plants. Plants are chosen that show outstand- 

 ing vigor and productiveness, and to the greatest de- 

 gree exhibit the true characteristics of the variety. 

 These selected breeding plants are then reset into a 

 plot of fertile soil where they are grown until the fol- 

 lowing spring. During this period of growth numerous 

 strong healthy runner plants are produced. These 

 plants are then taken up during the spring at proper 

 planting time and set in large acreages on our farms 

 where they are grown for our many customers through- 

 out the country. 



We do not stop here, but go on year after year 

 selecting this stock and keeping our strain up to the 

 nearest to perfection that thirty-four years in small 

 fruit plant breeding has taught us. Our many custo- 

 mers benefit by the selected strain in larger yields 

 and better quality fruit. 



WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A PLANT 

 OF STRONG CROWN DEVELOPMENT 



We use the same 

 methods in selection 

 of parentage in the 

 development of our 

 plant stocks that are 

 used by cattle and 

 horse breeding ex- 

 perts. This means 

 many dollars to the 

 buyer of plants at 

 picking time. 



Recent research has shown that 80% of the fruit stems on 

 strawberry plants are formed in the crown of the plant from 

 September to November of the season before blossoms ap- 

 pear. It is, therefore, important to set nothing but well de- 

 veloped plants for your fruiting beds; plants that will have 

 sufficient vigor to send out strong crowned runner plants in 

 which these fruit buds are formed. This governs the yield of 

 berries you will get the following spring after setting. 



With Townsend's selected strain of plants you are assured 

 of a well developed fruiting bed that will yield far above the 

 average plants offered, when grown under normal conditions. 

 Many thousands of our custo- e,-s know this to be true and 

 write us convincing letters about their heavy yields obtained 

 from our plants. 



2,500 QUARTS OR 10,000 QUARTS TO 

 THE ACRE— WHICH YIELD DO YOU 

 PREFER? 



The fact is that the average yield of strawberries, taking 

 the country over, is less than 2500 quarts per acre (accord- 

 ing to government figures). This low yield will barely pay 

 cost of growing strawberries, while a yield of 5,000 to 14,000 

 quarts per acre will usually net from $500 to $1400. This is 

 a very good profit even at the lower figure, and much more 

 than is being made on the average truck crop. Many of 

 Townsend's customers report yields of 10,000 to 14,000 

 quarts per acre and seldom report less than 5,000. This is 

 convincing proof that the Townsend's strain of plants have 

 much higher average yields per acre than just ordinary plants. 



MONEY-MAKING OPPORTUNITIES 

 GROWING STRAWBERRIES 



There are big profits in growing strawberries. The first step 

 is to secure healthy vigorous plants with yielding qualities 

 bred into them. Plants that will produce uniform berries 

 of the highest quality; berries that will bring the top price 

 on any market. The local and distant markets are usually 

 well supplied with small undersize berries during harvest 

 season bringing the price down on this class of berries to an 

 unprofitable basis while the same markets are glad to get 

 berries of superior quality and perfectly willing to pay a 

 premium price for them. Our customers often write us that 

 their berries have been topping the market from three to 

 ve cents per quart; this extra price being a very good profit 

 and one that no grower of strawberries can afford to pass up. 



LET US HELP YOU GET STARTED 



Our instructions are easily followed; simple enough for 

 the average 10 year old boy to understand. To those of 

 our friends with little or no experience in this profitable 

 strawberry field we are most happy to take up your 

 problems and give you the benefit of the information 

 that we have gained through the years we have been 

 in the small fruit plant business. We also issue a com- 

 plete culture guide on small fruit growing. This booklet 

 is free for the asking. 



SATISFIED CUSTOMERS 



Thousands of our customers have grown up with us. 

 They started in a small way just as we did. Following 

 our advice and instructions they have made more money 

 year after year in growing strawberries and other small 

 fruit plants than any other crop. These thousands of old 

 customers have sent to us tens of thousands of new 

 customers. In this way TOWNSEND'S NURSERIES have 

 grown until today we are the largest growers and ship- 

 pers of Strawberry Plants in the country. We enjoy the 

 full confidence of the Strawberry growers throughout the 

 country. We are mighty proud of our business and just 

 as proud of our long list of faithful customers who have 

 contributed their share in building our business to its 

 present standing. For this faithfulness we are giving to 

 each of them the best that is within our power in trying 

 each year to grow plants that will please them better 

 and to give the best service at our command. 



