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A. W. MASSER SEED HOUSE 
“THE OLD RELIABLE SEED HOUSE” 
SEED ^MERCHANTS wholesale and retail 
BULBS : : FERTILIZERS : : INSECTICIDES 
FARM SUPPLIES, IMPLEMENTS and REPAIRS 
DOG, BIRD AND POULTRY SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT 
910 PENN STREET : : : READING, PENNA. 
January, 1934. 
DEAR FRIENDS: 
This our thirty-second letter of greeting to you comes in what we believe to be the wake of the most 
trying times ever experienced by any individual whom we are privileged to address. 
Is it not, therefore, a relief to realize that we are at the threshold of a better day even though the relief 
be in a measure small at the outset? Nevertheless the fact that the trend is upward and forward should 
bring to our hearts a thankfulness seldom experienced in the past four years. There no doubt will be further 
discord and discontent in our struggle forward, as demonstrated by the feeble and futile endeavors of a 
few Tories to balk our President in his gigantic undertakings to bring us back to a period of normalcy. 
Be this as it may, the fact that we have a man leading us who is sincere and is trying to effect measures 
which will do the most good for the most people and who is not catering to a few favored interests to further 
his own personal gain should instill into all real Americans renewed patience backed by vigorous courage 
and faith that he will, with our co-operation, bring us out into the light. 
A great many communities are already well on the way in their march forward because there has been 
a quicker response, in their particular community, in the co-ordination between banking and the various 
phases of business and agriculture. We of Berks County have not been so fortunate because of the large 
number of banks operating on a restricted basis and the fact that those banks doing business as before 
naturally could not carry the enormous financial burden necessary to meet the demands of business and 
agriculture in any normalizing process. The natural result of all this had of necessity ended in practical 
stagnation of business and agriculture. This period of chaos is nearly ended as we are quickly approaching 
the time when the majority of our restricted banking institutions will have met the necessary requirements 
for opening, either under their old title or as a new bank. 
Again we are trying to convince you of our sincerity to help all those interested in gardening, be they 
farmers or city folk, by holding our prices on seed down, in the face of increased growing prices, to a point 
within the reach of all. We purposely, because of economic conditions, have chosen this course the past 
four years and from the loyalty displayed by our old friends and the increased volume brought about by 
the addition of new customers we are pleased to tell you that we have chosen wisely. 
We do not believe it necessary to go into the subject of quality again this year because we believe we 
have well demonstrated, in the past thirty-two years, our determination to handle nothing but Quality 
seed. We do however want to tell you about a new feature that we have insisted upon from our growers. 
It is this. We have made a positive ruling that we would accept no seed that did not display a tag showing 
a record of test, together with the date tested. In this way you have double assurance of Quality because 
upon arrival of seed we check against the record shown. This test will be rigidly maintained at all costs 
and we shall insist that each lot of seed received from our growers must meet fully the high germinating 
standards which we have set. Because of this added feature our seeds in the future will be known as 
“MASSER’S TESTED SEED”. 
Remember it is better to plant “MASSER’S TESTED SEED” to begin with because you know the 
first cost of seed is of minor consideration compared to the ultimate costs of growing successful crops. 
Play safe, plant “MASSER’S TESTED SEED”. 
I give no warranty, expressed or implied, as to description, purity, productiveness or any other matter of 
any seeds, bulbs or plants I sell on my premises or send out, and I will not be in any way responsible for the 
crop. 
To our old customers and friends who have favored us in the past we feel deeply grateful. To our pros¬ 
pective new customers and friends we wish to assure that your favors or orders will be given the same efficient 
and reliable service that now, after Thirty-two Years of forging ahead, has become second nature to us. 
Wishing you every success in 1934, we are 
Yours sincerely, 
Aug. IV. Masser 
WE DO OUR PART 
