The Principles of This Business 
Are The Same Yesterday, Today and To-morrow. 
E are trying to conduct this business along absolutely fair lines, for two 
reasons: First.---Because we believe in the principle of fairness. Second--- 
Because it pays in dollars and cents. Inthe beginning we discovered that 
we must have the confidence of our customers or the business would not succeed. 
There was no way of meeting all of our customers face to face, of establishing 
confidence by personal contact, so the simple plan was adopted of gaining conf- 
dence by conducting our business so fairly that confidence would come to us by 
our acts. It was a fortunate policy, and we have stood by it for more than 
twenty-one years. 
That we do hold the full confidence of our customers will be seen by the 
amount of unsolicited testimonials which we are reproducing from all sections of 
the country. These facts speak louder than any thing we could say. 
We are but human, we have made mistakes. It would be impossible to 
run any business as large as this without making mistakes; but we have never 
made an error that we were not willing to correct. We again thank our customers 
who have stood by us from the very small beginning, and who have recommended 
us to their triends. To these we attribute a good share of our success. 
OCTOBER THE FIRST, 1923 
I have just finished writing my 24th Catalog, and find that I have only halt 
a page left for my annual greeting. I have so much good news to tell you and 
so much to be thankful for that I have a great mind to put in four extra pages 
and tell it all, but as you will find the whole Catalog just like a letter to you my 
friends, I guess it will be sufficient; and most of you folks know me anyway though 
we have never met face to face. 
Friends---I am more than glad to be able to send along this good news. 
Never before have we had finer plants to send you than this time. We might 
have had more plants per acre before but never could have had better quality. 
Never before have we been able to present to you such a list of valuable varieties 
of small fruit plants as this time. No list could be more complete at this time. 
Last but not least---never before have we been able to give you so much for 
your money as we are offering you this year. Notwithstanding our crop of extra 
good quality plants, we are giving you prices even below war time prices. The fact 
that you good folks have been so kind in recommending Townsends’ plants to 
your friends and neighbors, and the great mailing list that you have built up for 
us in this way has caused us to be able to increase our business to such a point 
where we can get along without a big lot of Farm Journal Advertising, and this 
saving is being divided by two with our Friends who have made it possible. We 
shall look for your orders early, and promise to do our very best to please you all. 
Again I thank you all for your cooperation. 
Sincerely yours, 
E. W. TOWNSEND, Pres.-Mgr. 
