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HERBERT W. JOHNSON, of the Late Firm of Johnson & Stokes, 
President and General Manager 

To My Friends, Old Customers and Prospective Buyers : 
With the year 1909, I start my thirty-seventh year in the seed business, and it is very grati- 
fying that in all this time I have never done such a large business with progressive market and 
private gardeners in all sections of this country as during the year 1908. 
Before establishing the late firm of Johnson & Stokes in 1881, I had served a practical 
apprenticeship of nine years with one of the best-known seed houses in Philadelphia; thus, 
being the experienced seedsman and senior partner of the firm, the active management of the 
business of Johnson & Stokes naturally devolved upon me. During the twenty-five years the 
old firm was in existence, I took PERSONAL AND COMPLETE CHARGE OF THE GROW- 
ING AND CONTRACTING WITH PRIVATE GROWERS FOR THE ENTIRE GARDEN 
SEED SUPPLY OF JOHNSON & STOKES. 
From the first it was my aim to build up and hoid a market garden and critical private trade ; 
and to do this, I realized that I must furnish, without regard to cost, not only the BEST SEEDS 
THAT GROW, but the VARIETIES IT PAYS TO GROW. To this end, and for the express 
purpose of studying the methods and crops of other seed growers, I traveled extensively, often 
thousands of miles, during the growing seasons, visiting all the seed-growing sections of the 
United States to inspect crops grown on contract in sections best suited to their development. 
I also visited Europe, where some varieties seem to reach greater perfection than in our own 
country, to become personally acquainted with the old and successful growers of England, 
France, Germany, Holland and Denmark, and to familiarize myself with their methods. 
With regard to new varieties, and especially those of foreign origin, it has always been my 
plan, in addition to testing on our own grounds, to have TESTS MADE BY EXPERTS for 
comparison. For instance, a new pea or bean was sent for trial to an expert in growing these; 
a new cabbage was sent to our expert cabbage-seed grower on Long Island, and so on all 
through the list. Thus I knew always the worth of a novelty before I gave it a place in our 
catalogues. 
Notwithstanding I am surrounded by many old employees, some of whom have had 20 
to 25 years’ experience in the seed business, every department is given my personal care and 
supervision, and it is my desire that my long experience as employee, partner, business manager 
and seed grower may be of service to my many gardening friends in every way possible. With 
best wishes for successful crops this season, I am, 
Yours very truly, 

