_I fully realize that this fact is of interest to many of my 
friends but to the public, it does not make much difference 
_ whether I have been in business 25 years or 100 years. What 
they are interested in is what I am going to do for 1902. 
_ IT have been working for two years on this Silver Anniver- 
sary Catalogue, with the determination of giving my friends 
and customers a book that would at least equal, and I hope 
surpass any of the twenty-four publications I have previ- 
ously issued. Because the house is 25 years old, I do not 
want anyone to think I am getting too old to take off my 
coat, roll up my sleeves and push this business for all I am 
worth. Twenty-five years from now, if I am alive, I may 
think of letting up a bit; but I am only forty-four years old 
in 1902 and while I have worked pretty hard for 25 years 
past, I still propose to keep the Maule Seed business right in 
front of the procession. It is fortunate, not only for myself, 
but for my customers as well, that I made such elaborate prep- 
arations for my Silver Anniversary Book. Notwithstanding 
short crops, I go into the season with by all odds the largest 
stock of the very best seeds I have ever warehoused, and on 
account of these large stocks, I am prepared to quote Maule’s 
Seeds at most reasonable prices, considering the remarkable 
shortage of a great many seed crops, both at home and abroad. 
I do not propose to say much about the past 25 years; the 
ulustration on page 32 taken over 20 years ago, and the illus- 
trations on this page and page 2 of my present warehouses, 
will give everyone some conception of the astonishing growth 
of this business; but to give some further idea of what I am 
doing, I would say, that last year’s postage bill paid Uncle 
Sam amounted to $37,273.19; and in addition I shipped double 
the quantity of prepaid packages by express of any other house 
in Philadelphia, and more than any other seed firm in the 
eountry. During the last 25 years, I have paid in cash prizes 
for club orders and premium vegetables $29,909.98. I have 
distributed during the last 25 years more than three million 
packets of Maule’s Seeds free for trial among my customers. 
BRIAR CREST AND PANMURE 
My trial grounds at Briar Crest have hada national reputation for 
years. They are unquestionably the most thorough in America; every 
thing is tested and tested well. I have frequently discovered things 
there of vital importance that have been overlooked by every other 
trial ground and experimental station in the country. It is by rea- 
son of these trial grounds and thorough tests, that I am able to give 
my customers each year the best of everything worth growing and my 
friends have made hundreds of thousands of dollars by following 
my advice and planting largely of new varieties I have introduced. 
More actual cash has been realized by my customers with new 
varieties of my introduction than by the customers of any other house. 
‘The one fault about Briar Crest has been the soil. It is the heavy 
Pennsylvania soil of Montgomery Co., that has produced forty years 
ago as high as 59 bushels of wheat to the acre, and while it is the very 
best for the purpose for many things, yet being of this heavy character 
there are some things that can be tested better on a lighter soil. With 
_ this end in view I have been looking for some time for a piece of land 
that would answer my purpose in this respect, and am glad to report 
that I have at last been able to secure it. , 
My new trial grounds, which I shall call the Panmure Seed Gardens, 
are Situated in New Jersey; the soil is just what I want, so light 
and porous that it can be worked the next day after a heavy rain. For 
testing all varieties of vine seeds, tomatoes and vegetables of a 
Similar character, it is simply superb, in addition to this fact, being 
situated in South Jersey, we can start the season fully two to three weeks 
earlier than at Briar Crest, while in the fall, the frost will not affect us 
quite as early in the season as in Pennsylvania. I copy the following 
notice from the Newfield, N. J., Item, Nov. 22d, 1901: 
“An Important Sale.” 
: “Thorne D. Hallett has sold his farm, just north of Newfield, to \vm. 
Henry Maule, Seedsman of Philadelphia. It is stated that the place 
will at once be put under the plow, and used asa testing ground for 
seeds, plants and bulbs. Mr. Maule has trial grounds near Villa Nova 
-Pa., where thousands of tests are made every year. Vegetables and 
flowers, especially new varieties, are thus tested and proved before 
they are catalogued for sale. In addition to the novelties produced 
in America, each season, many new things come from abroad, especi- 
_ ally from Germany, France, Engiand and Japan. Leading seedsmen 
_ are always on the lookout for vegetables and floral treasures, and 
_ depend upon their trial grounds to determine them. Mr. Maule comes 
_to New Jersey to take advantage of our warm, light soil. He will 
retain his Pennsylvania trial grounds, and thus have the combined 
advantages of two testing stations.” 
Briar Crest and Panmure Seed Gardens will be run in connection, 
one with the other, and on account of the variation of soil and climate. 
I can safely say there are no trial grounds in Amcrica better situated 
_ for testing purposes. With Briar Crest alone, I considered there were 
very few discoveries made in other trial grounds or experiment stations 
_ that were not noticed at Briar Crest; but with both Briar Crest and 
_ Panmure I consider I lead them all. 
My Special Wholesale Price List 
MARKET GARDENERS. for Truckers will be mailed on 
application; but it must be distinctly understood that this Price List 
4 will not be sent to, nor will any orders be filled from it for anyone 
} not in the business of raising truck for sale. 
ge A WORD TO NEW READERS OF THIS BOOK. 
{Is there a gardener in your neighborhood who 1s always first in mar- 
ket, and always captures the premiums at your Fair? If so,ask him 
i about Maule’s Seeds; the chances are he knows all about them. 
a 
bo atl a ills 
2 
: : (CopyRIGHTED. 
~The Mavie Seed Business is 25 Years Old This Year. 
During the existence of this business more than five million 
seed catalogues have been distributed, in addition to many 
million pamphlets, circulars, and other priited matier. Since 
1889 Maule’s Seeds have not been sold to dealers: but can he 
obtained only direct from headquarters in Philadelphia. I am 
not o.ily the original American house adopting this method; 
but for many years no other house dared follow my footsteps. 
All these facts are well known to my old friends, and they 
are simply reiterated here for the benefit of new readers: 
but I cannot forget under any circumstances to thank the 
more than 560,000 customers whose names are now on my 
books, for the share each individual one has had in building 
up this enormous business. The kind words spoken by my 
friends to their friends and neighbors the last twenty-five years 
have been the best advertisement this business has ever had, 
in fact have been the foundation of the whole structure. and 
in this, my Silver Anniversary Year, my one regret is that I 
cannot take each one by the hand and thank them personally. 
For 1902 I hand you a book I am proud of. Never in the his- 
tory of the seed trade has a single house been able to present 
anything like the aggregation of new things I have to offer my 
customers this year. These yellow pages are simply filled 
to overflowing with the choicest lot of the most desirable 
novelties in vegetables ever gotten together in the space of a 
single book; while the other departments, flower seeds, plants, 
bulbs, etc., also contain everything new or old known to the 
trade worth growing. For my Silver Anniversary Year I 
have made preparations for the largest business I have ever 
done, and trust I will not be disappointed. Wishing you alls 
prosperous New Year, I remain 
Yours to command, 
SSeS 
EIGHTEENTH STREETS 
MAULE BUILDING, MARKET AND 
Aut Rights Reserveo.) 
