XIII. 



The first mentioned Catalogiie deserves special notice. It is printed on 

 beautifully tinted paper, and contains 224 pages, and some 250 engravings. 

 They have studied utility rather than display in preparing this work, and we do 

 not hesitate to pronounce it one of the most complete, comprehensive, useful and 

 instructive seed catalogues we have yet seen. It is almost indispensable to gard- 

 eners, farmers and florists. 



EXTENT OF THEIR TRADE. 



The territory over which the business of this firm extends, is very great, 

 but the bulk of it is concentrated in the Western, North-Western, Middle and 

 Southern States. We can only bound its extreme limits by the Atlantic on 

 the East, the Pacific on the West, Hudson's Bay on the North, and the Gulf of 

 Mexico on the South. They infonn us that America, in its broadest and most 

 complete sense, is their field, as it is not unusual for their orders by mail to bear 

 the post marks of nearly every State, Territory and Province of North 

 America. 



OYER FORTY TRAVELING AGENTS. 



A system is practiced by this house of having a traveling agent visit every 

 merchant whom they have supplied with seeds throughout this vast territory, 

 every season after the seed selling time is over, to close the account of the past 

 and receive an order for the coming season. This seems to be necessary in order 

 to keep their large business well in hand, but is attended with great expense, as 

 it requires over forty traveling men during six months of the year to perform this 

 labor. 



THE EMPLOYES. 



This enterprising firm furnishes constant employment for about 200 girls 

 and 75 men and boys, and during the busy season, extra assistance is required. 

 The girls are mainly engaged in labeling boxes, making paper bags, and putting 

 up seed Many branches of skilled labor are represented among the men 

 employed, viz : carpenters, coopers, printers, painters, etc. As a rule, the 

 mechanics and girls work by the piece, and the compensation is in accordance 

 with the labor performed. The traveling agents, when not on the road, are. 

 mostly engaged in the wholesale or retail departments, and in the offices. 

 Messrs. Ferry & Co. pay their employes well, being willing they should share 

 in the prosperity of the house ; and the result is apparent to the observer, in the 

 contented, smiling faces everywhere seen throughout the establishment. 



IN CONCLUSION. 



Detroit can well be proud of the enterprise that has built up such a gigan- 

 tic business in comparatively so short a period. Her sister cities may excel her 

 in some other branches of industry, but they cannot in this. We feel warranted 

 in saying that in facilities for supplying everything in their line, in the quality 

 and quantity of seeds they sell annually, and in the rapid growth and extent of 

 their trade, D. M. FERRY & CO. ARE SECOND TO NO SEED ESTAB- 

 LISHMENT IN AMERICA. 



