"^ POPULAR VEGETABLE SEEDS "^ 



41 



A Page Devoted to the Greatest Novelty of the Age 



5PARKS' EARLIANA 



THE EARLIEST LARGE 

 TOMATO IN THE WORLD 



See photograph of a single vine opposite, showing its wonderful productiveness 



Very early tomatoes have of late years been such a profitable crop that almost every grower in 

 Southern New Jersey boasts, with more or less justice, that he has the earliest tomato. We have for 

 years watched with a good deal of interest the first shipments to reach Philadelphia markets, and were 

 not a little surprised to find, two years ago, a new variety from Mr. Geo. C. Sparks in market fully two 

 weeks ahead of all others. We immediately arranged with Mr. Sparks to save us some selected seed, 

 paying him what was probably the highest price ever paid to a grower for the control of a new tomato, 

 and which we distributed in a small way among our customers. Nothing we have ever introduced has 

 brought us so many strong testimonials, a few samples of which we publish below. This tomato is not 

 only remarkable for its earliness, but for its very large size, handsome shape and beautiful red color. 

 Its solidity and fine quality are unsurpassed by any of the best medium and late sorts. 



Sparks* Earliana Has Proven the Most Profitable Tomato Ever Grown 



$750 ON LESS THAN TW^O ACRES 



Mr. Joseph Stiles, a well-known trucker at Pennsgrove, N. J., says : " I realized $750 on less 

 than two acres of your Sparks' Earliana Tomatoes." 



$6,000 IS CLEARED BY A NORFOLK TRUCKER 



Mr. Ni.mrod C. Cromwell, one of the oldest and best known truckers at Norfolk, Va., came up from 

 Norfolk to our store in Philadelphia in November last to purchase some seed of the Sparks' Earliana 

 Tomato, and while there stated to us that " his two sons, who are now running his farm for him, had 

 cleared over §6,000 on Sparks' Earliana Tomatoes the past season." 



$725 CLEAR ON 4,000 HILLS 



Mr. Geo. C. Sparks, the originator, says that "in the year 1899, when I first marketed the Earliana 

 Tomatoes, I realized from my first pickings $725, clear of freight and commission, on about 4,000 hills." 



What a Few of the Largest Market Growers Say of Sparks' Earliana 



We have hundreds more of just such letters on file in our office, and regret we have not room to publish more of them. 



SEVENTY-TWO FKUITS ON A SINGLE PLANT EXCEL ALL OTHERS 



S. E. Fbistie, Milford, Conn., Aug. 20,1901, writes: "I Charles B. Hobneb & Son, Mt. Holly, N. .T., Oct. 1, 



tiave grown tomatoes for market for twenty years, and find 1901, write • "In earliness and productiveness your Sparks' 



your Sparks' Earliana to be the largest, earliest, most solid Earliana Tomatoes excel all others we ever grew. Tliey are 



and the best tomato that I ever saw. I li.ave counted 72 well- large, smooth, solid and very fine flavored; we picked the 



formed fruits on a single plant, not less than 40 on any." first ripe fruit on June 25th, 2 weeks ahead of other kinds." 



MOST VALUABLE NOVELTY IN A CENTDRY TWELVE DAYS IN ADVANCE 



John W. Millett, Bismarck, N. Dakota, March 29, 1901, Wm. Resnie, Toronto, Canada, the noted seedsman and 



■writes: "I congratulate you on having introduced the most agriculturist, writes: "In our trials the past season Sparks' 



valuable tomato novelty of the past century, which Sparks' Earliana ripened 12 days in advance of Atlantic Prize, Ruby 



Earliana surely is. Itis earlier than all other varieties ever and other extra early sorts." 

 torought forward; it produces three times the iimount of fruit 

 of any variety I ever grew. This superb tomato not only 



BEYOND ALL COMPARISON 



equals, but far surpasses all you claim for it." ^- Trimmer, Goshen, Ind., writes: "Sparks' Earliana 



were away beyond all comparison ahead in earliness, size and 

 TWO WEEKS AHEAD OF OTHERS prodigious productiveness of anything I ever grew." 



A. C. Dbnham, Somerset, Ky., July 5, 1901, writes : " Your 



EARLIER THAN EARLY BIRD 



Sparks' Earlianas are ahead of any tomato I ever plan ted; I ^ „ *''^"''"**;r ,,*".,"*"". "'■"■"n,, ,■ . 



picked the first ripe ones on the 4th of July (yesterday). It , ^tEO. Sheabee, Mulberry, .\rk writes: The earliest 



will ripen at least two weeks ahead of any other tomato ''^''g? tomato.-s I ever grew are Sparks Earlianas ; they are 



known here." earlier than Early Bird and very much larger." 



QUALITY SIMPLY PERFECT „^ ^^^IT ^? .^°i^ ^'*^^^.^'*^ ..r^u o , , 



E. S. Latshaw, Vincent, Pa., Sept. 1, 1901, writes: "I „ ?• Sohreiber, Elizabeth, N. J., writes: The Sparks' 



mever sawa tomato grow so rapidly and vigorously as Sparks' Earliana are a great success ; they are the earliest we ever 



Enrliana. Their quality is simply perfect, free from rot and saw. We were the first to bring tomatoes to market?' 



all other faults of which other kinds are subjected to that we DO NOT CRACK OR ROT 



Slave grown here." ^ L. Smith, Princeton, Ind., writes: " I will plant Sparks' 



EARLIER THAN ATLANTIC PRIZE Earliana Tomatoes again next Spring; tliey are wonderfully 



.Jerome B. Rioe Co., Detroit, Mich., Sept. 2, 1901, write: ^^}'^y and prolific, and do not crack open and rot as most 



■"We grow nearly all known tomatoes and wish to say that others do. 



we consider Sparks' EarUana the best early tomato extant. AHEAD FOR EARLY AND MAIN CROP 



It is earlierthan-Atlautic Prize and makes a much finer fruit qeq. W. Weeks, Ann Arbor, Mich, writes: "Sparks' 



in every particular ; taking it all in all. it is by far the very Earliana is far ahead for both early and main crop." 

 »best early tomato on the market to-day." 



FAR AHEAD OF ALL OTHERS EARLIEST, LARGEST AND SMOOTHEST 



Tobneb Bbos., Norwell, Mass., Aug. 22, 1901, write: Walter M. Smith, S. Meriden, Conn., writes : "Sparks' 



■"Sparks' Earliana, introduced by Johnson & Stokes, is far Eiirliana is by far the earliest, largest and smoothest of any 



ahead of all other varieties in earliness, size, productiveness tomato I ever grew. I had tomatoes in market away ahead 



and fine quality." of any here." 



Sparks' Earliana is as near seedless as any tomato we ever saw, containing less than one-fourth the 

 seed of other varieties, and for this reason the genuine seed can never be sold at a low price. We control 

 the entire supply of seed grown direct from the originator's selected stock seed. Prices for 1902 : per pkt., 

 20c.; 3 pkts. for 50c.; oz., 85c. ; i lb., $2.75 ; lb., $10.00. 



