20 Years in Business. 



1897 makes a 20-year record in my business career as a seedsman, and first of all I want to 

 thank each and every one of my customers for the many kind orders for and kind words spoken 

 of Maule's Seeds year in and year out. Some who were with me in 1877 are still on the books, 

 and have been every year since. From a few hundred in 1877, they have increased every year 

 until now they number more than one-third of a million. While I transact my business in the city, 

 the only place for so large a business, my home the year round is in the country, the only 

 place to live. I still feel as young as I did 20 years ago, and am more interested, more deter- 

 mined than ever, to boom Maule's Seeds, always with the help of my friends. 



I take pleasure in handing you herewith the most complete, and at the same time the most 

 condensed Catalogue I have ever issued. I am also very glad to inform you that the year 1896 

 has been a most bountiful one, as far as seed crops are concerned. There is hardly a single 

 thing that can be called short, and 1 now have in my warehouses the finest lot of seeds it has 

 ever been my fortune to harvest. On this account 1 am able this year to protect my friends in 

 a great measure against unprincipled competition, as even the slightest examination of this book 

 will show that Maule's Seeds have never before been offered at such reasonable figures. 



>^ e©MPETlTieN IS THE LIFE OF TRADE — 



And the competition in the seed trade promises to be more than ordinarily severe the com- 

 ing season. I propose to be right in the thick of the fight. With this end in view, I 

 give my customers the privilege of selecting |:^.oo worth of seeds in packets at half price; this 

 makes^ill ^-cent papers cost only 1V2 cents; lo-cent papers cost ^ cents, etc., etc., and wish a 

 thoroughly reliable and responsible agent to represent Maule's Seeds in every township where I 

 have no agent already. Bear in mind Maule's Seeds are not cheap seeds. I wish to call 

 the especial attention of every reader of this book to this fact. I am simply determined to give 

 my friends the best seeds America can produce at lower prices than ever before known. 



Again thanking one and all my friends for the many favors shown me in the past, and hoping 

 that all of them will find the year of 1897 one of returning prosperity, and that every reader of 

 this book may reap some benefit from it, 1 remain Yours always to command, 



Office of Wm. Henry Maule, 

 171 1 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Facts Worthy the Attention of New Readers of This Book. 



I now have on my order books, the 

 names of 338,820 customers. These cus- 

 tomers may be found at 46,322 different 

 post offices. 



iVIy postage bill paid to Uncle Sam for 12 

 months, from Oct. 1st, '95, to Oct, 1st, 96, 

 amounted to $31,958.24. Last year I pub- 

 lished and mailed 443,024 separate 

 catalogues. 



Maule's Seeds are not sold to dealers, 

 but are only furnished direct to the con- 

 sumer; no middlemen wanted. 



I claim to do the largest direct mail or- 

 der seed business in the world. Others 

 may claim the same, let their postage bills 

 prove it. 



I have here in Philadelphia, two ware- 

 houses especially erected at an expense 

 of over $100,000 for conducting the mail 

 order seed business, and at all times am 

 glad to show my friends and customers 

 through my establishments. 



M\r f?i^fl«*-T £»af &\c\^yo^y ll^f«a»>^ntA£k "I- FREE BY MAIL.— 1 guarantee to ileliver all garden and 



ITiy 1^0Ur-L,CCH V^IUYCr \3UaIaillCC. nowtrsei-.is. exiopl wli.n iiuoteU by peck, bushel, barrel or by the 100 



I. SAFE ARRIVAL.— I f-Miaranteu that all goods sold by me shiiU i>ouiids, fr< e of al ibariies. 



reach my ciislomcrs in icood order. j IV. AS REPRESENTED. — 1 guarantee my . -seeds to bo just as 



II. MONEY INSURED.— I guarantee to hold my.self respon- l represented. If tiny prove otliirwise, 1 will retlll the order free of 

 stble for the safe arrival of all remittances sent uie by post office order, ' cliarge; but it must be understood 1 do uot guarantee the i rop any fur- 

 draft, check or registered letter. tlur tlian to retill the order. 



(Copyrighted. Hll rights reserved.) 



