Good plants, well-rooted, true-to-name, ready to grow 



You Can Get Them 



We expect to have available an adequate supply of good True-to-Name Straw- 

 berry Plants, fully up to our usual standard, for all our old customers and friends wdio 

 receive this catalog. A survey of all the plant growing sections including growers in Mary- 

 land, Delaware, Michigan, Arkansas and North Carolina indicates that there is not now 

 in the hands of growers much over 50% as much stock as these growers actually sold in 

 the spring of 1930. Our own yield per acre of good plants is certainly not over 50%. 



In view of this situation we are practicing some economies in order that the price 

 increase necessary to help meet the additional cost of production may be held as low as 

 possible. For instance, we are reducing our advertising expense by buying less space in 

 the farm papers. Also, as you have probably observed, this catalog is less expensive than 

 last year's. Furthermore, it is being sent to less than one half our total list of names, 

 going only to those who have bought plants from us or made inquiries about them dur- 

 ing the last two or three years. 



You will note some increase in our prices for this season on page 15. We pledge 

 you here and now that if the growing season of 1931 is anywhere near normal our prices 

 for the fall of 1931 and spring of 1932 will average no higher than they were in 1929. 



We hope sincerely that you who receive this Berry Book, who are mostly old cus- 

 tomers and friends, have not been hit severely by the Nation-wide drought last summer, 

 but it is inevitable that a great many of you have been. At any rate we wish for you all 

 a most happy and prosperous 1931. 



Our reasons for believing that Allen's plants are the best you can buy are detailed 

 on the next page. Please read these over, and consider further that we are the only large 

 plant growers who handle strawberry plants exclusively. Look at other catalogs. Most 

 of these firms are entirely reputable and honest, but we do feel that W. F. Allen and his 

 three sons spending all their time in this business and handling no other nursery products, 

 that somewhere in the process of cleaning, grading, packing and promptly shipping, we can 

 usually do a little better than the man or firm who handles a little of anything. Consider 

 also the severe drought in all plant growing sections this summer, which has inevitably 

 made a larger percentage of under-grade plants in the beds than usual. In a situation like 

 this the willingness to grade carefully and the facilities for seeing that it is done are more 

 important than usual. We like to believe that in our forty-seven years experience in sell- 

 ing strawberry plants, we have built up a reputation for sending out only True-to-Name 

 plants that are dependable in quality and results. You will find the plants we send you this 

 season fully up to our usual standard, strong, well rooted plants, True-to-Name, ready to 

 grow, dependable in results. May we have your ofder? 



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