WISEMAN-DOWNS COMPANY, INC. 
1 
“ W^EMEMBER that there is nothing stable in 
<§) human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation ® 
in prosperity or undue depression in adversity . 9 9 
—SOCRATES. 
BUSINESS RULES AND PROCEDURE 
PLEASE ORDER EARLY, thus enabling us to for¬ 
ward promptly—as a rule the day after the order is re¬ 
ceived. During the March and April rush we may fall 
a day or two behind; if any greater delay is likely we 
will advise. If goods ordered do not arrive in a reason¬ 
able time, send a copy of the order with letter of in¬ 
quiry. This will be a great help in expediting adjust¬ 
ment. 
THE ORDER BLANKS accompanying this catalogue 
will be convenient for customers and facilitate our fill¬ 
ing orders (extra ones mailed on request). 
PATRONS IN SIGNING ORDERS are requested 
to use prefix Mr., Mrs. or Miss. Married ladies should 
invariably use husband’s initials. 
WE GUARANTEE THE SAFE ARRIVAL in United 
States of all goods forwarded by express. 
WE FORWARD AS CUSTOMER DIRECTS by 
Parcel Post, express, freight or steamer, in accordance 
with our offers elsewhere in this catalogue. When no 
shipping instructions are given, we send according to 
our judgment. 
ALWAYS GIVE FULL ADDRESS —This is very 
important, yet is sometimes omitted by customers; in 
fact, some orders and letters reach us lacking both name 
and address. 
REMITTANCES may be made by Express Money 
Order, P. O. Money Order or Bank Draft; if stamps or 
cash send in a Registered Letter. We must decline 
sending goods C. O. D. unless 25% of their value accom¬ 
panies the order. Plants we do not ship C. O. D. 
ACCOUNTS —Parties having no account with us— 
who order goods without remittance—must furnish satis¬ 
factory reference. Baltimore city reference preferred on 
account of the shorter delay pending investigation. 
WE MAKE NO CHARGE FOR SHIPPING AND 
CARTING of goods to any railroad station, steamship 
line or express office in Baltimore City proper. 
TO PREPARE A 
The Cold Frame is simply a frame set on the ground, no 
bottom heat being applied. It is banked up on the out¬ 
side during the Winter with marsh hay, straw or coarse 
litter. The soil is prepared by forking in and thoroughly 
mixing to the depth of 10 or 12 inches a liberal quantity 
of old, well-rotted manure. The manure of an old hot¬ 
bed is good for the purpose. The frame is prepared in 
the Fall, and young Cabbage, Cauliflower and Lettuce 
plants are set out in it in time to get well established 
before very cold weather. Cauliflower and Cabbage 
should be set down to the first leaf and the soil made 
firm around the plants. The seed is usually sown, in 
this vicinity, from the 15th to the 20th of September. 
The young plants will be ready to transplant in about 
WE MAKE NO CHARGE FOR PACKING, except 
special for foreign shipments, as tin-lined cases, double 
sacks, etc., then we charge cost. Cloth bags we charge 
for, viz.: A peck, 10c.; K bushel, 12c.; 1 bushel, 15c.; 
2 bushesl, 30c. All Grass Seed bags are furnished free 
excepting for Timothy and Clover. 
QUESTIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE —We en¬ 
deavor to answer promptly all letters of inquiry—which 
should be on separate paper from orders—but we can¬ 
not undertake the planning of gardens and grounds. 
ERROR IN THE FILLING OF ORDERS —We use 
the greatest care in filling, checking and packing orders. 
Yet should anything be omitted we will promptly for¬ 
ward when advised. Keep a duplicate copy of your 
order for comparison. 
WE GIVE NO WARRANTS, EXPRESS OR IM¬ 
PLIED, as to description, quality, productiveness, or 
any other matter of any Seeds, Bulbs, Roots or Plants 
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. 
GARDENERS ’ AND FARMERS’ SITUATIONS— 
We have at all times the names of pr^ctilal gardeners 
and farm managers in want of situations on our books. 
If parties desiring such will write us, we shall be glad to 
put them in communication with men that we deem 
suitable. To aid us in making a selection we ask full 
particulars. We make no charge for this service. 
TESTIMONIALS FROM CUSTOMERS —We are 
always pleased to hear from our customers regarding 
the results of their gardens. We appreciate the number 
of unsolicited testimonials we receive annually, and are 
glad to publish as many as space will permit. Photo¬ 
graphs of gardens, and particularly of individual vege¬ 
tables, flowers or truits, are always very gladly received 
by us. 
COLD FRAME 
25 to 30 days. During cold nights and stormy days the 
beds should be closely covered with the sashes, and these 
further protected by straw mats or shutters. Cauliflower 
needs more and closer protection than Cabbage, and it 
is rather more tender. During mild days admit air 
freely, the object being to keep the plants in a dormant 
state, without actual freezing, so that when Spring 
comes they are in a forward state for setting out early 
crops. Seeds of Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce and Rad¬ 
ish may be sown in a Cold Frame in the Spring from the 
last week in February to the first week in March. The 
frame should stand in a warm and sheltered spot, and 
be kept from freezing by mats or a thick covering of 
straw during cold nights. 
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING A HOTBED 
In this vicinity from the first to the latter part of 
March is quite early enough to make a Hotbed. The 
time must vary according to the latitude. Provide a 
quantity of fresh horse manure from the stables, and add 
to this, if they can be had, one-third to one-half its bulk 
of leaves. Mix them thoroughly, tramping down the 
mass in successive layers and form into a large pile, so 
that ferementation will proceed even in severe cold 
weather. In two or three days fermentation will be ap¬ 
parent by the excape of steam from the heap. Now 
turn again, and allow the heap to remain two or three 
days longer, or until the second fermentation com¬ 
mences. Make an excavation or pit 2 K feet deep and of 
a size suited to the number of plants required. The 
pit will be better if built up of brick. It should be made 
in some dry, sheltered spot, facing the south or east, if 
possible. Hotbed sashes are usually 3x6 feet, and one 
or two sashes will give early plants enough for a small 
family. The frame for sashes should be 18 inches high 
at the back and 12 inches in front, which will give the 
proper slopte to catch the sunlight. Cross-pieces should 
be placed for the sashes to slide on, to facilitate opening 
and shutting the frames. When everything is ready, 
the manure is placed in the pit and trodden down firmly 
in layers to the required depth, 2 to 2 Y* feet. Then 
put on the sashes and keep the pit closed until the heat 
arises. At first it will probably be 100 degrees or more, 
which is too hot to sow the seed in, but in two or three 
days it will subside to 90 degrees or a little less, when 
the soil may be put on to the depth of 6 to 8 inches. The 
heat may be readily ascertained by plunging a ther¬ 
mometer into the manure. The soil should be of well- 
rotted sod (or common garden soil will do), mixed with 
about one-third of fine old manure, and in this the seeds 
may be sown thinly in drills 2 or 3 inches apart, and 
afterwards (as soon as out of the seed leaf) either thinned 
out or else transplanted to another frame. Air must 
be given every mild day by raising the sashes at the 
back. Water with tepid water whenever necessary, and 
during cold nights and snow-storms keep covered with 
mats or board shutters. Tomatoes, Peppers and Egg¬ 
plants should be sown in a separate frame from Cab¬ 
bage, Cauliflower and Lettuce, as they require more 
heat. The same directions may apply to Hotbeds made 
on the surface of the ground, except that the manure 
should be at least a foot wider on all sides than the frame 
