DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



regard to his ovm work from a walk through these fertile fields, and a careful inspection of their 

 culture and management. 



We have always endeavored to secure the highest quality both in the seeds we grow and 

 those we purchase. The latter class we have always carefully tested, not only as to vitality but 

 as to quality of product as well, and a portion of our seed farms has been set apart as a test 

 garden for this purpose. \Yith the increase of our business, and from the necessity' of importing 

 many varieties on account of their demonstrated superiority when grown abroad, this depart- 

 ment has yearly become of greater importance, until we have been obliged to establish a sep- 

 arate test garden. 



Here are collected and grown under similar conditions, samples of all the different varieties, 

 the different stocks of each variety and the scores of new sorts which are annually sent out. A 

 careful record of their development is kept and the slightest difference in their value accurately 

 noted. 



This garden has been placed under the charge of Prof. Will W. Trac}-, who, as our eastern 

 and Michigan friends will know, was formerly professor of horticulture and botany in the Mich- 

 igan Agricultural College, and is not only an enthusiastic, but an able and thoroughly scientific 

 horticulturist. Since leaving the college on account of ill health, he has been engaged in seed- 

 growing in northern Michigan, so adds to the scientific training of the professor the' skill and 

 experience of the practical gardener; and his keen powers of observation and extended experi- 

 ence enable him quickly to detect any admixture or tendency to degenerate exhibited by the 

 samples under his care. Professor Tracy has ever}- facility afforded him for the development to 

 a high degree of perfection of everj^ sample entrusted to his care, and we are enabled from his 

 records and our own daily inspection of the growing plants to judge to a nicety of the relative 

 values of the stocks offered by different growers. 



The garden is easily accessible, being located on Woodward Avenue, ^A-ith horse cars passing 

 every five minutes, and we think an examination of the perfect specimens of all the most 

 improved varieties of vegetables and the new sorts not yet given to the general public, would 

 amply repay any one interested in gardening for a visit to these grounds, and would convince 

 them that the cuts and descriptions given in the following pages are not overdrawn. 



On another page we give a representation of our new seed warehouse, one of the largest 

 buildings used for mercantile or manufacturing purposes in the city of Detroit. It occupies bne- 

 half of the entire block bounded by Randolph, Croghan, Brush and Lafayette streets, and is of 

 easy access to the depots, boats, post office, custom house, the telegraph, elect rot)^ing, litho- 

 graphing, printing and binding offices, as well as to our seed farms and test garden, with all of 

 which it is often necessary for us to be in hourly communication. 



The building extends 300 feet on Brush street and 120 feet on both Croghan and Lafayette 

 streets. It has a very handsome exterior of brick and stone, is four stories high with a deep, 

 light, airy basement under the whole. The aggregate area of the several floors is between four 

 and five acres. As an indication of the growth of our business we would state that if each year 

 since we moved into our store on Woodward avenue — twenty years ago — we had added one of 

 equal size, their combined floor surface would fall considerably short of that of our new building, 

 to say nothing of the capacity of our large store houses on the seed farms. 



We have devoted two pages to interior views of the building. The first shows our mail 

 order department, a room 120 by 140 feet, in which we execute every order we receive which is 

 accompanied by a remittance. The second is a view of a room of the same size devoted to put- 

 ting up seeds in papers and assorting boxes for our wholesale trade with merchants. 



Our wholesale bulk seed and retail departments are located on the ground floor, and the 

 offices in the second stor\' fronting on Brush and Croghan streets. 



The building is lighted throughout by electric lights and heated entirely by steam, both of 

 which are supplied from our box factor)' which is located directly opposite the Brush street front. 



