2 
JOHN LEWIS CHILDS, FLORAL PARK, QUEENS CO., N. Y. 
General Instructions. 
WHAT WE DO. 
Free By Mail.— We send Seeds, Bulbs and Plants free 
by mail, at the prices named in this Catalogue. This 
brings them to the very doors of our customers without 
trouble or expense. 
By Express.— If a package is ordered to go by express 
we do not pay the charges; but somewhat larger plants, 
shrubs and fruits can be sent in this way, and we always add 
extra ones, enough than more to pay the cost. All the large 
express companies carry our goods at very low rates. 
We Guarantee that every package we send out shall 
reach its destination in good condition, and that everything 
shall be received exactly as ordered. If a package is lost, or 
any of its contents injured on the way. we will send again. 
We also guarantee everything true to name. 
We Pack all plants carefully in strong wooden boxes, 
•which insures their safe transit through the mails to the 
remotest part of the country, or abroad. 
We Fill all orders as soon -as received, if the stock is 
ready. Customers who wish their order, or any part of it, 
■booked for shipping at a later date, should state the fact. 
To Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, most of the countries of 
• South and Central America, and the West India Islands, 
we can send goods in large parcels by mail, postpaid. We 
■can ship to other foreign countries by mail, only in 8 or 12 
•ounce packages. 
England, Ireland or Scotland.- We have so many 
■customers in Great Britain that we, at frequent intervals, 
fill their orders and ship the parcels in bulk to our agent in 
Liverpool, from which point they are forwarded to their 
■destination by rail or parcel post. 
Discounts.— We make the following discounts to those 
who will get up a club or order largely for their own use. 
Considering our very low prices, we think them very liberal. 
Please notice that these discounts cover everything offered in this 
Catalogue, and nut merely seeds by the packet. 
Those sending $ 1.00 can select articles amounting to$ 1.10 
“ 2.00 ” “ 2.25 
4.00 
“ 4.60 
tfc 
5.00 
“ 5.75 
6.00 
“ 7.00 
10.00 
“ 12JI0 
25.00 
" 30.00 
50.00 
“ 62.00 
100.00 
“ 125.00 
We advise the formation of large clubs, and the above dis¬ 
counts will certainly pay anyone for some trouble in that 
direction. See also, our splendid premiums to Mayflower 
■clubs, on cover. 
WHAT BUYERS SHOULD DO. 
Forward Money with the order, and at our risk, when 
sent by post-office money order on Floral Park; greenbacks 
or gold or silver coip, by registered letter; bank draft or 
express company’s money order. 
Stamps.— Please do not send postage stamps in pay- 
j ment for goods if it can be avoided. Letters often get damp 
; in transit, causing stamps when enclosed to stick together 
and to the order, frequently resulting in the destruction of 
both. We shall return such as come in bad order, and we 
must deny discounts and extras to orders which are paid for 
j in stamps. 
Silver or Gold coin when sent in letters should be sewed 
or pasted up in strong paper or cloth to prevent its breaking 
through the envelope, which is frequently the case when 
enclosed loose. 
Be Sure to write your name and address plainly. We 
have on our hands hundreds of orders of last year without 
j names, others without post-office or State, and some with 
• the name or post-office written in such a careless or illegible 
manner that it is impossible to read them Keep a correct 
copy of your order, that you may know when the package 
arrives if all is correct, as people often forget what they 
ordered, and complain without cause. 
Please Write yourorder plainly and distinctlyby itself, 
and not mix it up with anything else you may wish to say. 
Those Who Send a- neat, plainly written order will be 
| sure to have it filled correctly and with despatch, and will 
also receive some valuable "extras.” Always carry out the 
price of each article, and after adding the amounts together 
and deducting the discount, remit the exact sum. 
Order Early.— We strive to fill all orders within a day or 
two after they reach us, but this is frequently made impos¬ 
sible by a, great rush of business about planting time. Do 
not wait until you need your seedsand bulbs before ordering. 
Anticipate planting time by getting your orders in early. 
Important. —It, occasionally happens that an order is 
lost in coming to us, or the. goods in going to the customer; 
therefore, if any who order do not hear from us within a 
reasonable length of time, they should send a duplicate 
order, naming the date on which the former“one was sent, 
and the amount of money enclosed, and in what form. This 
will enable us to investigate the matter, and fill the dupli¬ 
cate order with despatch. No inquiries will receive attention 
which do not contain duplicate, etc., as here mentioned. 
Floral Park--Our Establishment. 
In our Catalogue of last year we published a two page description of our establishment, in all its detail. We cannot 
spare the space for it this vear but on the opposite page will be seen a bird s eye view of that portion of I loral Park which 
lies in the immediate vicinity of our seed store, greenhouses, bulb house, printing establishment, etc. Of course, only a 
very small part of our 200 acres of flowers is represented in this picture. Floral Park is situated on Long Island, is partly 
within the city limits of Consolidated New York, and is on the line of the Long Island Railroad, which runs directly 
through our premises—our grounds bordering upon it for a distance of more than a mile, and presenting a floral display 
which is unequaled on the continent. Though we cultivate 200 acres of ground here, it is not a tenth part of the acreage 
required to produce our entire crops, and-FIoral Park is really more ol a trial garden than a seed farm. 
Our greenhouses, are in four sets, or blocks ; are of large size, ranging from 100 to 200 feet in.length, and 12 to 20 feet 
in width—and cover several acres. Our principal seed store, which is a large brick and iron fire-proof structure, was erected 
in 1S90. It consists of four stories and basement, and is the finest seed house in America. It is fitted with every con¬ 
venience for filling orderes promply and accurately. Besides this we have several other large buildings which are used for 
storage and special work which the main building cannot accommodate. In all there are over twenty substantial buildings 
connected with our establishment. Among them is one enormous brick bulb house, containing 16,000 square feet of floor 
space, and filled completely with Gladiolus and other Bulbs. The printing house is a large brick building, 150 feet in 
length, separated from all others. In this is located a powerful steam engine and an electric light dynamo. The finest 
presses and other machinery known are used for turning out the large edition of The Mayflower and our job work of 
various kinds. Our Catalogue is also printed and bound here, amounting in numbers to about one and one half million 
copies annually, at a cost of about $100,000, which is the largest catalogue job executed in the world. The entire village 
of Floral Park has been built up by our business in the past i 5 years. We publish and sell at 10 cents per copy an album 
of Floral Park views, showing 25 half-tone photographic views of our establishment, grounds, buildings, etc. 
