flowers, he must use the best of seeds. 
to produce. 
D. M. FERRY « Go’s 
—=1897 = 
SEED ANNUAL. 
oy needs but little experience to learn that if he would have fine vegetables and beautiful 
As we have had opportunities for extensive observation and a wide and varied experience, 
prospective planters may be interested in an account of how we grow the best seeds it is possible 
On our Oakview Seed Farm, which is devoted to the production of the pedigree 
stock seed from which the seeds we offer are grown, we plant the best seeds obtainable; then we 
go over the crop, plant by plant, ruthlessly destroying the inferior and carefully selecting and saving 
the best. 
As soon as we have secured a sufficient quantity of seed from selected plants, it is sent to be 
grown for us in a locality where the conditions of soil and climate are best adapted to the perfect 
development of this particular variety. 
It is the product of such stock seed that we offer for sale. 
In order that we may know the results of our efforts and be certain that we are offering the 
best seed possible, we maintain Trial Grounds where samples of the seeds grown by and for us are 
planted side by side with the best seeds from other sources. 
We also secure samples of new varieties 
offered by other seedsmen, and whenever our trials show these to be of superior merit, we lose no 
| time in procuring seed and giving the variety a place in our Catalogue. 
Our customers may rest assured that anything especially recommended by us has been carefully 
tested and found to be what we claim for it, and that if some highly lauded sort is not included in 
our list, it is because we have found it practically the same or inferior to some we offer. 
Our prices this year will be found very low, as low as is consistent with the high quality of 
our seeds, and we appeal, with greater confidence than ever before, for the trade of the large and 
rapidly increasing number who realize that in seeds, quality is the paramount consideration. 
OUR TERMS ARE STRICTLY CASH WITH THE 
ORDER.—We do not send C. O. D., as the cost of collecting 
return charges is quite an unnecessary item of expense, 
and the prices being given, we can conceive of no necessity 
to warrant goods being so sent. 
HOW TO SEND MONEY.—Remittances may be made 
AT OUR RISK by any of the following methods, viz.: PosTanL 
Money ORDER, DRAFT ON NEW YORK OR CHICAGO, OR EXPRESS 
_Co’s Money ORDER. 
The rates charged for Postal Money Orders and Express 
Money Orders are now so low that these are the best ways to 
remit. We will bear the expense of sending money in either 
of these ways. Deduct the cost of the order from amount 
sent. Express Money Orders can be obtained at ALL offices 
of the principal Express Companies. They are CHEAP and 
ABSOLUTELY SAFE. 
When Money Orders cannot be obtained, letters containing 
money should always be registered. Money in ordinary letters 
is unsafe. If currency is sent by express, the charges should 
be prepaid, and if local checks are used, 25 cents must be 
added to cover the cost of collection. 
FREE OF POSTAGE OR EXPRESS CHARGES._ packers, 
OvuncEs, Two OuNCcES, QUARTER PouNnps or Pounps, ordered 
at list prices, will be sent free by mail or express. 
Customers ordering enough for a freight shipment, 100 
pounds or more, or desiring to pay their own express charges 
may deduct 8 cents per pound from prices of this catalogue 
on all seeds quoted by the pound or less. 
PINTS AND QUARTS._pinrs, Quarts and Four Quarts, 
ordered at list prices, FIFTEEN CENTS PER QUART, TEN CENTS 
PER PINT, must be added for postage or express charges, and 
they will then be sent free. 
PECK, BUSHEL AND BARREL LOTS.—where Peck, 
BUSHEL or BARREL lots are ordered, the freight or express 
charges must be paid by the party ordering. 
"Where perishable or other goods are ordered to be 
sent by freight or express to such great distances that the 
cost of transportation will nearly or quite equal the value of 
the goods, we must decline to ship unless purchasers remit us, 
in addition to the price of goods, sufficient funds to prepay 
transportation charges. When this requirement is not com- 
plied with, we reserve the right of declining the order and 
returning money to the person ordering. 
SEEDS BY MEASURE. One-rourtu BUSHEL and over 
sold at BUSHEL RATES; FOUR QUARTS and over up to one- 
quarter bushel sold at FouR-QUART RATES; less than FOUR 
QUARTS sold at QUART OR PINT RATES. 
SEEDS BY WEIGHT._we supply HALF POUND and over 
at POUND RATES; less than HALF PouND lots are charged at 
OUNCE, TWO-OUNCE Or QUARTER-POUND RATES; 25 LBS. and over 
at 100 LB. RATES WHEN QUOTED. 
BAGS._To every order for one-quarter bushel and upwards, 
to the amount of two bushels, 15 cents must be added fora 
new bag in which to ship. 
SEEDS IN PACKETS.—We offer the following induce- 
ments to those wishing to purchase seeds in packets: Select 
packets to the value of $1.15 and send us $1.00; for $2.35 send 
$2.00; for $3.60 send $3.00; for $4.85 send $4.00; for $6.15 send 
$5.00; for $12.50 send $10.00; for $26.00 send $20.00. The seeds 
will be sent by mail, postpaid, but these low rates apply to 
seeds in PACKETS ONLY, and at CATALOGUE PRICES, and not to 
seeds by weight or measure. 
NAME AND ADDRESS SHOULD ALWAYS BE GIVEN. 
We frequently receive letters containing money and orders, 
which we cannot fill because the sender has FAILED TO SIGN 
HIS NAME OR THE P.O. ADDRESS is omitted, and the post mark 
being blurred, we are unable to fill the order, no matter how 
much we desire todo so. Use our Order Sheet and Envelope 
whenever you can, filling out the blank and signing your name, 
and you will have no cause to censure us, 
GUARANTEE. Complaints made that seeds are not good, 
should quite as often be attributec to other causes as to the 
quality of the seeds. There are hundreds of contingencies 
continually arising to prevent the best seeds always giving 
satisfaction, such as sowing too deep, too shallow, in too wet 
or too dry soil; insects of all descriptions destroying the 
plants as soon as or before they appear; wet weather, cold 
weather, frosts, chemical changes in the seeds induced by 
temperature, etc. For the above reasons it is impracticable 
to guarantee seeds under all circumstances. 
We give no warranty, express or implied, as to description, 
purity, productiveness, or any other matter of any seeds we 
send out, and we will not be in any way responsible for the 
crop. If the purchaser does not accept the goods on these 
terms they are at once to be returned. 
D. M. FERRY & CO. 
Derroit, Micu., Jan. 1, 1897. 
