Three Generations of Seed Growers 
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Father, Sons and Grandson 
HOW OUR SEED BUSINESS BEGAN 
1st Generation 
BEGINNING in the ages of the old Cradle and Rake when everything on the farm was done by hand 
and back work, Dad started farming with Mr. Greenlee, a pioneer farmer of old reliable bcotch 
parents In those days land of course was cheap, but money was scarcer than hen s. teeth and crops 
very poor on account of inferior seed and lack of proper cultivation, so you may know it was niighty 
hard sledding for a good many years; still I guess it was a good thing, for those lean seasons when it 
was hard to produce enough to pay the interest on the mortgage set Dad to thinking and hguring how 
to make both ends meet and he concluded the best way out was to use extra care in selecting his seed, 
breeding it up to the highest standard possible and to spare no labor in preparing and cultivating the 
seed beds after planting. This worked out well and really was the motive or incentive instilled m him 
in pioneer days, transplanted to us boys a few years later, which makes it possible to serve you today in 
a pleasing and particular manner. 
2nd Generation 
It was during those early days that John and Leonard were born and as we grew up under Dad's care- 
ful instructions we naturally followed his trend of thought, so at the age of 13 we both started worl^ng 
out on a small truck farm at the enormous wage of 40c a day. Well do I remember my first day: Ihe 
boss started John picking peas and I weeding asparagus and honestly the rows looked a mile long. We 
stuck to it though, even if it was hard work and I'll never forget if I live to be a hundred how proud 
we were when we took our first pay home to mother. She too, was proud of us, for while we worked 
hard and were dirty, she knew it was honest work and Dad needed the money and we were glad to help 
even though it was only a little. 
"AS YOU SOW SO SHALL YOU REAP" 
Well, this went on for a few years. Mother insisting we go to school winters and garden in the 
summer. As time passed we realized more fully the necessity of planting good seeds to produce good 
