TflT? Great "No. 400" Tomato 

 ijo logger Narqeless. 



Read tl^e Story \ 



of the I 



Greatest 



ar>d best advertised 



Vegetable N°^ e fty 



of trje Gerjttiry. 



••• 



^^gp^f^ 4. 



OX our first page we make the sweeping claim that we have been Identi- 

 fied with either the originating or introduction of more new and valu- 

 able seeds and plants than any other house in the country, a statement 

 ^ that thousands interested in the development of horticulture would 

 quickly corroborate. Yet we must admit that with, perhaps, the single excep- 

 tion of that wonderful novelty first Introduced and named by us, the BUSH 

 LIMA BEAN, we never offered anything that has, within soshortatime, created 

 the same great interest, or which possesses more real merit, than the phenome- 

 nal Tomato distributed by us last year under the No. 400. Undoubtedly our 

 offer of $250 foi the best name stimulated an interest In the variety ; but over- 

 shadowing that feature was the fact, that we never for a moment lost sight of. 

 that' the variety Itself was the grandest and most valuable Tomato the world 

 has ever known. Hundreds who took no interest In the name contest, but who 

 planted the variety on our statement of its merits, have told us that in offering 

 it last year we had not sung its praises half as loudly as,lt deserved. To that 

 charge we plead guilty, and will endeavor this season to make amends for Our 

 scant tribute to No. 400 by detailing at greater length the manifold merits 

 of PONDEROSA. 



The PONDEROSA possesses every good quality to be found in a., 

 tomato The vines are strong and vigorous and easily carry their enormous 

 ■weight of fruit. Its massive or ponderous fruits are almost perfect in form, and 

 so free .from ridges or corrugations as to seem nearly as smooth as glass : and 

 when we come to size, weight and solidity, no other Tomato begins to approach 

 it. When we state that single Tomatoes weighing nearly FOUR POUNDS have 

 been grown, and that specimens weighing two and three pounds each are of 

 common occurrence, some idea may be formed of what this leviathan is like. 

 The skin i* exceedingly firm, whicn will cause it to be largely .grown for ship- 

 ping purposes. On the back cover of this catalogue we have tried to portray 

 the color of the skin of PONDEROSA. Excellent as the work is, it does 

 not do justice to the rich crimson of the original. The distinctive hue of the skin 

 permeates the fruit in like intensity from circumference to centre, so that when 

 sliced for the table its tare beauty never fails to elicit general admiration Its 



remarkable solidity is happily expressed in one of our testimonials, which say3 

 " that it is nearly as firm as an apple." A marked peculiarity of this variety is that 

 it is almost seedless, and while this characteristic commends its use to c 

 persons, this •same peculiarity makes us pay' five times as much to have the seed 

 grown as that of any other sort. Large fruits or vegetables axe usually obtained 

 at the expense of earliness, but here the PONDEROSA again steps In and 

 floors our preconceived ideas on this point by demonstrating that it is as early 

 as most of the older sorts wh09e only merit is that they are early. One patron 

 writes that he had splendid tomatoes of the PONDEROSA in 100 days 

 from sowing the seed. Its flavor Is delicious, whether used raw or cooked. A 

 canner who grew it last year says it is going to be a grand sort for him, because 

 the tomatoes are so large and smooth that there is no waste In handling 



Last season we exhibited this Tomato in front of our seed stores in Cort- 

 landt Street, New York, and it elicited the admiration of thousands. A frequent 

 comment passed upon It there was : " Why, one is enough for a need." And so 

 it was. 



We feel that we have told the leading merits of this glorious Tomato, but 

 If the unsolicited testimonials on the other side of this sheet are read, still 

 further praise of PONDEROSA ""M be found. 



BEWARE OF TOMATO SEED sold this 



year, either as "PonderOSa," tne 

 "400" or even as "Henderson's 

 400." Genuine seed can be obtained only 

 iu packets that are scaled xcilh our red Treuie- 

 Mark Label. Reject any seed that c 

 bear our label, form of which is here shown. 



Price. 20 cts. per packet. 6 packets for 

 $1.00. 12 packets for $1.75, 25 packets foi 

 $300. 



Free by mail at price* named. 



