J 
af 
$Y 
» ' the table, I asked Col. McIver if they were Georgia Rattlesnake, 



AS A FINAL WORD: 
_ resents a fair average specimen of this remarkable melon. 
* 
Coat Off, Sleeves Rolled Up! 
fo represents my position the coming season accurately. I go into 1894 with the knowledge that hard work and plenty 
of it will be required these hard times, if I want to continue my success of previous years, 
Times are hard, and no 
one knows better than myself what 50-cent Wheat, 12-cent Wool, etc., with short crops of many other things mean to 
many thousands of my customers. 
With these facts constantly before me, I have prepared my Annual Catalogue for 1894, 
and even a hasty glance at the following pages will convince every reader that, notwithstanding the phenomenally short 
seed crops both at home and abroad, I have placed such prices on Maule’s Seeds as have not been known before. 
Last season so far surpassed my highest expectations that during the month of April alone almost $10,000 in cash had 
to be returned to customers for goods I could not furnish. Never before in the history of the American seed trade was so 
much cash returned Ly a single house for goods of which they were sold out. 
How do I account forit? Simply from the 
fact that there are 226,196 people in these United States who know Maule’s Seeds not only grow, but always produce just what 
they are expected and represented to do. 
Thanking once again all my old friends who stand by me year after year, I will 
now address a few words to those who may receive this book this year for the first time: 
az _Facts About this Business for New Readers.__ osm 
By January 20th, 1894, 254,264 (by actual count) copies of this catalogue 
will bein the hands of American seed buyers. In addition, more than 
a quarter of a million people who have never sown Maule’s Seeds, pos- 
sibly never even heard of them before, will have a chance to read the 
pages of this book the coming Spring. These facts may interest them: 
Nothing shows so well the size of any mail order business as the post- 
age paid UncleSam. From Oct. Ist, 1890, to Oct. Ist, 1891, I paid the 
Philadelphia Post Office $20,860.56 for postage. From Oct. 1st, 1891 to Oct. 
1st, 1892, $29,206.14. From Oct. 1st, 1892, to Oct. Ist, 1893, my postage bills 
amounted to $25,755.70,a total amount of postage for three years of $75,822.40. 
These figures must be right, for if you think a moment, I would not 
dare, even if I wished to make a misstatement, mix Uncle Sam with it. 
I now have on my books 226,196 names of customers at 35,495 different 
Post Offices. During ’91, 92 and’93 I have given away as extras 869,348 
packets of garden and flower seeds, besides the thousands of extra 
plants with plant and small fruit orders. In addition, during the last 
ten years, I have presented to my customers more cash as premiums for 
prize vegetables and prize clubs than all other seed companies in America 
put together. My seed warehouses, 1711 Filbert St., 1710 Cuthbert St., 1934 
and 1936 Jones St., Philadelphia, are fitted up with all the appliances for 
conductinga mail order seed business, and have been pronounced by 
Novelties and Specialties for 

b) 
QA. able new things in a single season. 
all the finest for the purpose in America. An invitation is always 
open and the latch string hanging out for all my customers and others 
visiting Philadelphia to call and inspect my facilities for filling, in an 
intelligent and satisfactory manner, 4000 to 5000 separate mail orders in 
asingle day. I might give many other statements to show the size of 
this business, but my space is limited; suffice to say, I have claimed for 
years that I have been doing right here in Philadelphia the most satis- 
factory mail seed trade direct with customers in America. 
Finally tonew readers I would say, you cannot afford to run any 
chances this year. You must make every dollar count. In times like 
these, the papers will be full of phenomenal seed and plant offers. 
Many seedmen may even advertise to give their seeds away. Beware of 
all such offers. Did you ever get anything for nothing? Then why not 
send your order, large or small, direct to a house whose foundations 
have always been, not only seeds that will grow, but will also prove as 
represented? For years 1 have guaranteed my seeds to do so, or money 
would berefunded. This guarantee has not cost me $100 in fifteen years. 
My prices are right. (The reduction in Onion seed alone means $14,000 
less than received last year if I sell the same quantity). The seeds are 
right. (Ifthey were not, could such a business as this have been estab- 
lished ?) Then may I not hope for a share of your patronage? 
Never before have I been able to offer so many desir- 
First and fore- 
most the Freeman Potato has proved a perfect wonder, just as I have always insisted it would, and has fairly rivaled the 
Early Rose in the days of its greatest popularity. The demand for ’94 promises again to far exceed the supply. 
The Lupton Cabbage and the Sugar Watermelon are the two novelties of the year. 
The Lupton has been worked up to its present standard after years of hard work 
While Col. McIver, of South Carolina, has spent twenty years in perfecting his 
other house will in any way approach them. 
' by the greatest cabbage grower in America. 
Nothing that will be offered by any 
Sugar Melon. The Irish Daisy Potato is a fit companion to the Freeman, and will prove itself this summer the coming late 
potato for the American potato grower. 
Prizetaker Onion is now listed in almost every catalogue; but you should send to headquarters so as to be sure of obtain- 
ing the genuine article. 
Maule’s Earliest Tomato, The Tip Top Nutmeg Melon, Mammoth Luscious Sugar Pea and Japan- 
ese Climbing Cucumber are four good new things to be included in,every order, to say nothing of Lathyrus Sylvestris, the 
Wonderful Pea, Japanese Millet or the dozen other sterling novelties scattered all through this book. 
A SURE CURE FOR HARD TIES. 
In conclusion I want to say a few words to every reader, old custom- 
er or otherwise. Nothing is soconvenient in every household as a little 
ready cash. Why not raise a few extra vegetables this year for those 
neighbors of yours? Nothing pays so well for the work required. A 
load or two of nice Cabbage, Sweet Corn or Tomatoes can always be dis- 
posed of at the right time in your neighborhood. Many of my custom- 
ers, whose orders years ago amounted to one or two dollars, have fol- 
lowed this advice in a small way at first,and to-day their orders fre- 
both pleasure and profit as the result of their labor. 
quently run from $25 to $200. Vegetables from Maule’s Seeds sell them- 
selves, and you will be astonished at your success if you try this scheme 
just once. Make out your regular order, then go over it, add 50 cents or 
$1.00 for Cabbage, Tomato or seed of any vegetable you have been extra 
successful in growing, with the idea of selling the surplus, and I warrant 
you will never regret the outcome. 
No Business to-day is Paying a Larger profit than a Well 
Conducted [Market Garden. 
I must reiterate my thanks to every customer who sent me an 
order last year, and I hope that each and every one have had 
For ’94 I trust we may all see a brighter outlook ahead and 
that all, rich or poor, can congratulate themselves that whether we have hard times or good times, we are 
living in the greatest and most enlightened age, and in the grandest country the sun ever shone upon, 
YOURS TO COMMAND, 
C@VWVeBVoELBVUEBsEDBDsB 
The New Mclver Sugar Melon. 

It is with great pleasure that I offer my customers, for the first time, seed of the besé 
Watermelon ever put before the American public. 
In describing this variety, I can- 
not do better than quote from a letter received from Prof. Massey, of Raleigh, N. C., under date of September 16th, 1893 : 
“As I was the first to bring this melon to public notice through the 
columns of THE PRACTICAL FARMER, it is natural that you should ask me more 
about it. My notice of this melon was prompted solely by the fact that I was satis- 
fied that it was the best Watermelon I ever ate. Having not the slightest financial 
interest in the sale of the seed, I feel perfectly free to give my opinion in regard to 
it. In August 92 I went to South Carolina at the invitation of Col. E. R. McIver, 
President of the County Agricultural Society, to make an address at their annual 
meeting. During my stay I was the guest of Col. McIver at his beautiful plantation. 
It was in the height of the Watermelon season, and in addition to his general activity 
as a progressive planter, Col. McIver I found was an enthusiast in Watermelon 
culture. Ina nook on the beautiful lawn around his house, shaded by some fine 
evergreen oaks, a table was built, long enough to accommodate a score of guests, as 
4 special altar of sacrifice for Watermelons, and then every day during my stay 
dozens of them were sacrificed. Itisa point of etiquette in’ South Carolina never 
to offer a guest Jess than half a Watermelon, no matter how large, and the quantity 
of the sweet pulp I made away with that week I feel ashamed to guess, At any 
rate I survived it, and brought a forty-pounder away with me to make alunch of 
on the train home, and still I live. When I first saw the melons being piled out on 
i? l Q ‘No sir,” said he 
g0 a little closer, and when you try them tell meif you ever ate a Rattlesnake 
\ melon equal to them,”’ I then noticed that the shape was different from the Georgia 
melon. Col. McIver informed me that this melon had been grown by him for 
consequently would advise early orders. 
Copyrighted, 1893, 

many years from seed originally from the West Indies, and that although he had 
tried all the new melons, he had yet found none equal to it. Now it is admitted 
that the Florida Favorite is a melon of good quality, so one morning the Col. sent to 
another patch and had a fine Florida Favorite brought in, split in two, with some 
of his own, and the spoons were handed around for all to compare the two. There 
was no getting around the fact that the McIver melon was far superior in sweetness. 
One of the greatest excellencies of this melon is its ability to withstand wet weather. 
The summer of ’92 was very wet up to the end of July, and was then succeeded by 
prolonged drought. The wet weather had caused nearly all Watermelons to crack in 
the centre and become hollow, but we never found one of the Sugar Melons cracked in 
the slightest degree, and there was a total absence of anything like stringiness, which 
makes Kolb Gem_and others so objectionable. In fact I feel like begging pardon 
for mentioning Kolb Gem on the same page with the Sugar Melon. Having 
enjoyed this superb melon so much at Col. McIver’s hospitable home, I felt con- 
vinced that such a melon should be known to the Horticultural World. I have 
grown nearly every Watermelon in the catalogues, old and new, and can sincerely 
say that this melon is the best of all, and leaves nothing to be desired in a Water- 
melon that I can conceive of. I only regret that my professional engagements 
prevented my accepting the earnest invitation to meet these kind people in this 
summer, and one of the things I most regretted was that I should miss that feast of 
Watermelons under the oaks at Col, Mclver’s.”’ 
Yours truly, 



y. F. Massey. 
_ The above letter covers the ground so fully, and describes so tersely the superior qualities of Sugar Melon that I do not 
think I can improve upon it. The illustration on opposite page is painted accurately from nature, an@ in every re spect rep-= 
3 In conclusion would say I sent out a few samples of the seed of 
_ this new melon for trial last season to the most celebrated melon growers in America, and their unanimous verdict was that 
_ without exception the New Sugar Melon was the most perfect and thoroughbred it had ever been their pleasure to raise, and 
in flavor it was far ahead of anything they ever conceived of in a Watermelon. 
I have only a limited supply of the seed, 
Packet, 20 cents; three packets, 50 cents. 
