A GREAT SEED HOUSE. 
(A short extract from an article in the Florists’ Exchange, of October 5th, 1895.) 
“There are but few seed firms in existence that can show such a record of growth and advancement as that of Peter Henderson & 
Co. It seems almost incredible that in so few years such a gigantic concern could have been reared. A great institution. Magnificent 
seed-cleaning machinery and great numbers of people are employed, the general public certainly never forming the least idea of the 
immensity of the business transacted. The house of Peter Henderson & Co. has long since established a name for itself for the reliable 
quality and purity of the large quantities of seed handled by it. Thinking some information regarding its working, in detail, would be 
of benefit and interest to our readers, an interview was sought and obtained. 
‘¢ Our first visit was to the 
PETER HENDERSON & CO., NEW YORK. 5 1 
A Farm of some 
100 Acres. 
“The [ain Another 
Object Object 
of the Yo of the 
rial any | eS ES LYS "Trial 
Grounds i a Grounds. 
“‘Then, again, there is the 
eternal craze for novelties to be 
catered for, which is part and parcel 
of a seedsman’s life. He must be 
abreast of the times, and should 
seek to be first in the field with 
genuine introductions. Here, then, 
74 comes the value of such a farm—a 
safety-valve, as it were, to protect 
: Za both the seedsman and the buying 
-\(Z@ public. All new things are tried, 
\ ) their merits properly recorded, and 
3 ly good or bad points carefully noted. 
More than that, comparisons with 
existing novelties are possible; and 
more often than not the supposed 
new thing is found to be aduplicate 
of something already in existence, 
and perhaps not as good. 
««The public is spared an infliction, 
and the seedsman’s reputation is 
: saved, and not only his reputation 
: | . but his pocket and that of the horti- 
AK cultural public, for often a party 
N offera to supply seeds of some 
supposed new thing or seeds of 
extra grade, which, when tried 
here in honest comparison, 
prove to be greatly lacking 
novelty or improve- 
ment, and no purchase 
istheresult. Enthu- 
siasts and novelties 
are numerous, 
g consequently the 
{7 number of tests are 
Y large. ‘Many are 
sown, but few are 
ZOA® 
NONG 
Is to test rather than to grow 
seed crops which have been 
grown in bulk by farmers through- 
out the United States, Canada and 
different parts of the world. The 
deliveries from these sources are 
large, and coming from such varied 
directions, it is of vital 1mportance 
to the house to havesomeknowledye J 
of these crops with regard to purity 
and germinating power. Each de- Uy 
livery is tapped upon arrival, and (va 
these samples go to Hackensack to “s 
be grown and tried under severe 
tests—no nursing, no coddling, no 
high feeding, but a real out-and-out 
test upon a soil that is the best 
possible one for such a purpose, 
viz., sandy loam. No irrigation or 
water is given, so that with our dry 
hot summer the test is crucial. 
Those tests that approach anywhere 
near a standard of perfection can 
hardly be anything but satisfactory } 
elsewhere, and thus the firm is { } 
largely protected by this knowledge, - 
«These ‘trial ground’ crops rep. 
resent what is going on on a 
larger scale in the fields of the 
various growers in this and 
other countries. By these 
tests the firm isable to tell 
what crops and partic- 
ular stocks — they 
must watch most 
in the matter of 
‘roguing’ and ‘selec- 
tion’—no mean factor 
in assisting definite con- 
clusions to be arrived at in 
addition to the expert knowl- 
edge of the house. 
Our Red Trade=-Mark (Registered). 
Every package of seeds, large or small, sent from our establishment, bears our RED TRADE=MARK, and whether you 
purchase directly from us or through other dealers, you will be perfectly justified in refusing any package of seed not 
bearing this trade-mark. 
We have been reluctantly forced to adopt this method for the protection of our customers and ourselves, as every season we have cases where unscrupulous dealers foist 
a cheap and inferior article on purchasers under the name of ‘‘ Henderson’s Seeds.” Insist that every package you buy bears our ked ''rade-Mark, which we here illustrate. 
SPECIAL NOTICE. While we exercise the greatest care to have all Seeds, Plants and Bulbs pure and reliable, we do not give any 
warranty, express or implied. If the purchaser does not accept the goods on these conditions they must be returned at once, and the money that 
has been paid for same will be refunded.—P. H. & Co. 
_ Correspondence, Advice, etc. We are always glaa to give any | Gardeners’ and Head-Farmers’ Situations. We have at all 
information in our power to our customers on any subject pertain- | times a number of practical gardeners’ and farm-managers’ names on 
ing to our business, but, to avoid error, this should always be writ- | our books who are in want of situations. If parties desiring such 
ten on separate paper to that used for orders. | will write to us we shall be glad to put them in communication with 
Beware of Fraudulent Traveling Agents. Every season we | men that we deem suitable. To aid us in making a selection we ask 
have complaints from Retail buyers in different sections of the coun- | full particulars, whether a married or single man is wanted and the 
try of parties who fraudulently represent us and collect money in our nature of the situation to be filled, also about what they expect to 
name. Our customers are warned against paying money to any one pay and any other particulars. We make no charge for this seryice, 
in this way. All remittances should be sent direct to our firm, ‘either to employer or employee, 
