18 



,-. JOHNSON .-.&.•. STOKES .-. PHILADELPHIA .-. 



J 



ol79S09'5 Dixi^ U/aterm^lop - - 



See eoloFed illustration painted fpom nature on back of this book. 



The Great New Watermelon, Surpassing the Famous Kolb Gem 



as a Shipper and Without a Peer in Fine Quality and Productiveness. 



$100 



Third heaviest 



CASH PRIZES FOR THE HEAVIEST JOHN- 

 SON'S DIXIES GROWN IN 1892. 



$50 to the grower of the heaviest, $30 for Second heaviest, $20 for 

 Conditions of competition accompany all orders for seed. 



\fz) lOTHING we we have ever introduced has met with such large sale and brought us so many 

 strong recommendations from truckers and melon growers iu all sections of the 

 countr\^ Johnson's Dixie was the only watermelon that was in demand at g'ood 

 prices and realized profit to the growers on New York, Philadelphia and Boston 

 markets the past summer. 

 Our attention was first attracted to this rdelon by a few appearing on our markets in the summer 

 of 1889, and selling rapidly at double the price of Kolb Gem, or any other variety, owing to their large 

 size, very distinct and handsome fresh appearance and fine quality. It is a cross between the Kolb 

 Oein and Old Fashioned i>Ionntain Sweet, made by one of the largest truck and melon growers 

 of North Carolina, surpassing the former in shipping qualities and fully equalling the latter in fine 

 eating quality and flavor, being a week to ten days earlier than either, with a remarkably thin rind, 

 almost impenetrable, which preserves it for a great length of time, keeping three times as long as either 

 before showing decay. Its great productiveness is shown from the fact that the past two seasons they 

 matured from six to eig'ht larg"e melons to the vine, while Kolb Gem rarely produced more than two 

 or three. The vines grow strong and rapidly with more laterals than any other melon and have thesingu- 

 lar and verj' valuable quality of rooting" from every joint, adding greatly to the productiveness and 

 life of the vines. The meat is more scarlet, finer and of much better quality These strong claims have 

 been more than verified by ourselves and hundreds of other growers the past two seasons. 



FROM THE LARGEST MELON GROWER OF FLORIDA AND THE SOUTH. 



W.M. M. Girardeau, who is well known as the largest melon grower in Florida and the South. Sept. 1, 1891, writes: 

 "Seeing .lohnson's Di.xie watermelon so highly recommended, and being much interested as a large melon grower in 

 anything new in my line, I decided to try a few acres of this variety. I phmted twelve acres in them and must say was very 

 agreeably surprised. I had a splendid yield of very fine large melons, in every way superior to the Kolb Gem, both as to 

 shipping and table qualities. I found them to ripen out to within one-fourth inch of inside of rind, and although full ripe 

 thrt outer rind was even tougher than the Kolb Gem, and bore transportation much better: besides it overcomes the greatest 

 objection I ever had to Kolb Gem, its shape. The ' Dixie ' is what we call a long melon and shows up so much better in a 

 ear and much more easily packed. It will certainly supersede Kolb Gem and all others as a shipper." 



FROM THE LARGEST MELON GROWER OF NEW JERSEY. 



IsRAEi- L. Bi.ACK, Gloucester Co., N. J., Oct. 20, 1891, writes-? "The ouly melon that would sell in Pliilndelphia and 

 New York markets this season was .lohnson's Di.\ie. It netted me three times the price of Kolb Gem and other varieties. 

 Kolb Gems were shipped back to many growers ; no sale alongside Dixies. From their good eating and sliipping qualities 

 this must become the leading melon in all other markets, asthey are now in PJiiladelphia, New York, Newark, Che.ster and 

 other places. It is the only watermelon grown now in this section worthy of cultivation and I shall pUmt no other the 

 coming season. I have grown melons all my life and have never seen one equal Johnson's Dixie." 



FROM THE LARGEST MELON GROWER OF NEBRASKA. 



Chaun'CEY p. Coy, of Nebraska, a good authority, and who is probably the largest melon grower in the United States, 

 his annual plantings amounting to several hundred acres, writes: "I have carefully noted the new melon. Johnson's Dixie, 

 and find it very much superior in all respects to Kolb Gem, the color is noticeably different, being a inuch darker green ancl 

 more beautifully striped, giving one tlie thought at a little distance of the bloom on a green gage plum. The form is longer 

 while the quality is awa.v ahead. Kolb Gem flesh is coarse while Johnson's Dixie is extremely sweet, juic.v and tender." 



Joluisoil's Dixie is, without doubt, .the most important novelty in melons ever introduced and 

 like all good things is being counterfeited, beware of spurious seed offered at low prices. 



Prices tor 18J)2. Seed of our own growing from stock seed selected by the originator. Per 

 pkt., loc. ; oz., 25c.; j4- lb., 70c.; lb., $2.25, post-paid ; 5 lbs. and over, by freight or express, $2 00 per lb. 



We have many hundred testimonials of just such as are published below, and regret our limited 

 space forbids the publication of more of them. As will be noticed, they come from well-known growers. 



Jos. B. Clements & Co., Commission Merchants, Dock 

 St., Philadelpiiia, say: "The Di.xie is the coming melon. 

 Brought halfagain as much as other kind.<=. In quality equal 

 to Old Mountain Sweet. Best in this market for twenty 

 years." 



Freeland Titds, Pedrickto-wn, N. J., Sept. 10, 1891, 

 writes : "Johnson's Dixie is the finest melon ever grown 

 here, best in quality and outyielded all others. The.v will 

 entirely take the place of Kolb Gem and all others. The 

 only melon that yielded any profit to growers this season." 



J. F. VanLenderen, Drayton Island, Fla., writes: 

 "Dixie melon very fine. I got S30 to S40 i>er himdred for all 

 I shipped and could not begin to supply the demand." 



W. W. Monroe, Pine River, Wis., March 2, 1891, writes: 

 "Johnson's Dixie watermelon is the earliest and best I have 

 ever raised or seen." 



A. J. Clayton, Red Valley, N. J., Sept. 20, 1891, writes: 

 "I have raised watermelons for over twenty years, but have 

 never yet found a variety equal to Johnson's Dixie." 



J. B. Butts, Americus, Ga.. Oct. 15, 1891, writes: "John- 

 sou's Dixie is the best melon of the age. It is the hardiest 

 and most prolific I ever grew." 



Aaron Paul, a well known and exten.sive melon 

 grower at Sewell,N. J., says: "Johnson's Dixie is the best, 

 hardiest and most productive melon I have ever seen or 

 grown. My patch was a sight to Ijehold, averaging seven to 

 eight fine, large melons to the vine, ^vhile its eating quality 

 is unequalled by any other variety known to me. Its fine 

 appear:ince and shipping qualities are to my mind so much 

 superior to Kolb Gem as to place it beyond comparison. Its 

 extreme liardiness to both cold and wet weather is simply 

 wonderful, and 1 doubt if its equal exists." 



