A FFU/ WORH^ ABOUT THE PAST, THE 

 n I LYT TTV/I11AJ PRESENT AND future 



Twenty-one years ago, I made my first bid 

 to the public for patronage in the plant busi- 

 ness by issuing a very small four-page circular. 

 My first stock was bought with fifteen dollars 

 of borrowed capital. From this small begin- 

 ning the business has grown more or less each 

 year, until as much as twenty-two thousand 

 dollars' worth of plants have been sold in a 

 single season, representing from six to seven 

 millions of plants, weighing when packed ready 

 for the mail and express between seventy and 

 eighty tons. From the first, it was my motto 

 to send out first class plants that would so 

 please my customers that they would continue 

 to send their orders to me. This, to a very 

 great degree, has been accomplished, as many 

 of the customers who bought from me when I 

 first commenced the business, are still sending 

 me their orders. To be sure, in twenty-one 

 years of plant business, we have had. a few 

 complaints, but I think as small a proportion 

 perhaps as any one in the business who has 

 handled as mkny orders, and I am sure that no 

 one has tried harder to have every customer 

 satisfied. For this large increase in business, 

 I feel very thankful to my many customers. 



The growing sea s on of 1904 was an unusual- 

 ly bad one and my stock of plants was very 

 much smaller than for several years previous. 

 Owing to this fact, I did not solicit new cus- 

 tomers through the advertising columns of the 

 Agricultural press, but did all in my power to 

 take care of my old customers, to do which I 

 had to buy quite a few plants; these, in every 

 case, were bought from those who -sent out good 

 stock, or where I had furnished plants and 

 knew the stock to be pure and good. Never- 

 theless, in some cases, it was not quite up to 

 the standard of my own home grown plants. 

 To illustrate, quite a good many of my custom- 

 ers wanted William Belt; my own stock was soon 

 exhausted, and in order to take care of my cus- 

 tomers who wanted this variety, I bought all 

 the good plants that could be found in Maryland, 

 Delaware and New Jersey ; and I wish to say 

 that if any of my last year's customers found 

 the plants not quite up to their expectations, it 

 was not my intention, and I assure them that 

 I did everything possible to fill their orders in 

 the 7ery best manner possible under the un- 

 favorable circumstances. THE SEASON OF 

 1905, I AM PLEASED TO SAY, HAS BEEN 

 QUITE A DIFFERENT ONE, AND MY PRES- 

 ENT STOCK OF PLANTS IS THE LARGEST 

 AND ONE OF THE FINEST THAT I HAVE 

 EVER GROWN. By referring to the bottom of 

 the last cover page, you can get a glimpse of 

 how they look. This illustration is a photo- 

 graph that fairly illustrates my supply for the 

 present season, consisting of about sixty acres, 

 all of which are grown expressly for plants and 



are at present in the 

 best condition, not a 

 weed having been al- 

 lowed to grow in 

 them through the 

 whole summer. lam 

 preparing to fill or- 

 ders for from eight 

 to ten million plants, 

 all of my own grow- 

 ing, and consisting 

 of ninety-nine varie- 

 ties. 



The gold prize 

 offers made in 1903-4 

 have been, paid. Jas 

 per announcement 

 elsewhere in thife cat- 

 alogue. The two va- 

 rieties taking 

 first premium 

 are offered for 

 sale. They 

 are "Chesa- 

 peake" and 

 " Virginia". 

 One is an ex- 

 ception ally 

 valuable late 

 variety, and 

 the other on« 

 a very valua- 

 ble early one ; 

 both of which, I 

 have no doubt, 

 will become stan 



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A GOOD PLANT, 

 dard varieties as they become known. It ha-* 

 been my pleasure to introduce Glen Mary, New 

 York and Kansas. The Kansas has proven valu- 

 able in some sections bat does not seem to be 

 a general favorite. The New York is growing 

 more popular every year, and for several sea- 

 sons, notwithstanding I have grown more each 

 year, I have not had enough to supply the ^de- 

 mand. The Glen Mary is no doubt, one of 4 the 

 most popular fancy berries in the country to- 

 day. Throughout the West, North and Middle 

 States, it is acknowledged by almost every one 

 to be one of the very best grown. This variety 

 is not however, especially recommended for the 

 South. It is my wish and I believe it will be 

 realized, that the Chesapeake and the Virginia 

 will be even more popular than the New York 

 and Glen Mary. 



For many years, dewberries have also re- 

 ceived considerable attention from me, and my 

 present crop of Lucretia and Austin plants is as 

 large and as fine as I have ever grown, and as 

 an evidence of the popularity of this valuable 

 fruit my trade has grown larger and larger each 

 year. In yesterday's mail, I had an order 



