V. M. FERRY <£* CO’S JJESCRIFTI VE CATALOGUE. 
5 
quality of the seeds we sell, but that offered by others. In addition to the standard varieties, we 
plant many hundreds of samples of so-called “ new and improved sorts.” If any of these are prom¬ 
ising, we immediately visit the originators and examine the sorts as grown in field culture, when, 
if satisfied of their value, we secure stocks, either to offer immediately, or to improve by careful 
selection. It has often been the case that we have seen a kind, which we have tested on our 
grounds and discarded for some fault, brought out as a highly prized novelty, only to soon drop 
out of cultivation because of the fault which ought to have prevented its introduction. 
We know, then, what good seeds are. Can we produce them ? We think an hour spent 
AX OUR GREENFIELD SEED farms 
near Detroit will convince the most skeptical that we can and do. 
Of all crops, one of Onion seed is the most uncertain, as is indicated by the great fluctuation 
in price, according as the general crop is a good or poor one. We have not failed to produce a 
good crop of Onion seed for the last eighteen years. This remarkable certainty of result is 
obtained from thorough preparation and liberal manuring of the soil, skillful cultivation and 
management. Some idea of the extent of these farms may be formed from the statement that 
in 1886 we produced on them 
OVER 60,000 POUNDS OF ONION SEED, 
besides many thousands of pounds of other seeds. 
We have found that seeds grown in a climate and under conditions which favor the highest 
possible development of a particular variety will produce a product much superior to that from 
seed of the same variety grown in a less favorable locality. Acting upon this, we have 
endeavored by extensive correspondence, personal examination and experiment to ascertain the 
best locality for each variety and to have our stock of that sort grown there. As a result, we 
have seeds grown for us on farms scattered from eastern Long Island to western Oregon, and 
from northern New York to Georgia. All of these crops are grown by contract, and under our 
direct supervision and inspection, from stock seed carefully selected and supplied by ourselves. 
When we state that, independent of our home farms and outside of the Grass, Clover, Fodder 
Corn and other similar farm seeds, 
8,000 ACRES WERE PLANTED IN SEED CROPS FOR US 
IN 1883, 
some idea of the extent to which we possess the confidence of planters may be formed. These 
crops when grown are all sent to our 
MAMMOTH SEED WAREHOUSE 
at Detroit, and after being tested and recleaned, are packed and shipped to our customers. 
This building was erected by us in 1887, and is as nearly fire-proof as it is possible to make 
a building of that size. In its arrangement it is the most complete of any seed warehouse in this 
country. Although it contains nearly 
SIX ACRES OF FLOOR SURFACE, 
it is not sufficient to furnish us all the room we need. We annually occupy several other build¬ 
ings a portion of the year, besides taxing the warehouses on our Greenfield seed farms to their 
utmost. In addition, we occupy in Windsor, Ontario, across the river from Detroit, a large 
warehouse for the promotion of our large Canadian trade. 
In our warehouse our great army of eight hundred employees, exclusive of those at work in 
our box factory or on our farms, are busily employed inspecting, cleaning and packing l’'e seeds 
required to fill our orders. From the lowest to the highest they are made to feel that care and 
accuracy in their w'ork is more essential than speed. We also have a system of records and 
checks, suggested by years of experience, which makes a mistake almost an impossibility. 
Does not this mammoth and ever increasing business, developed from a small beginning, 
demonstrate that we can and are satisfying our customers, and are worthy of their confidence? 
