DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF SEEDS. 
3 
ON * THE - THRESHOLD 
* * * OF * THE * * * 
TWENTIETH - CENTURY 
4T If 
O S THE threshold of the Twentieth Century, and after an existauce of twenty-nine 
years, it seems timely and fitting to take a somewhat retrospective and pros¬ 
pective glance of the seed and plant situation as it presents itself. When 
Eugene Germain started this house in 1871, Los Angeles had scarcely emerged from its 
atmosphere of a Mexican pueblo, the throb of commercial supremacy as the leading 
center of a wide area of country, had scarcely taken its inception. There was only one 
railroad, of about twenty miles to the port of San Pedro, travel was limited, and the 
great fruit business, the shipping of midwinter vegetables, the growing of seed, our im¬ 
mense orange, walnut and kindred industries, were still undeveloped. Hence, in its 
career, the Germain Fruit Company, successors to Eugene Germain, the founder, has 
not only seen the building up of these great industries, but it has been part and parcel 
of the onward trend of the great southwest. Taking its inception in small beginnings, 
it has gradually grown until it is the oldest and leading seed house south of San 
Francisco and west of the Missouri river. Confining its early operations to the hand¬ 
ling of garden, field and orchard products, it soon recognized the possibilities of 
Southern California as a seed-growing section, and has ever encouraged by every means 
within its power a diversified and enlightened agriculture and horticulture. Appreciat¬ 
ing these pregnant facts, the Germain Fruit Company early felt the desirability of 
opening a first-class seed, plant and bulb department to its already extensive fruit and 
produce business. Its motive in so doing was twofold, viz: First, to supply the 
growers of the southwest with only fresh and reliable seeds, and second, to encourage 
the commercial production of seeds, bulbs and plants within the confines of the State. 
Needless to add, in both of these laudable ambitions, it has been eminently successful. 
As an evidence of this it is only necessary to state that through its efforts the marketing 
of the native alfilaria and burr clover seeds, the exporting of California native flower 
seeds and bulbs, the building up of the large business in exporting Calla, Freesia, 
Amaryllis, Canna and other bulbous plants, is largely due. Last season its shipments 
in the above specialties amounted to thousands of dollars. In this connection it is re¬ 
freshing as well as gratifying to state that the Germain Fruit Company’s efforts in the 
introduction of valuable economic and ornamental plants has been recognized by the 
national government through its department of agriculture and allied branches. In the 
main these new acquisitions have proven of value, and many of commercial importance. 
A feature of this establishment is its extensive corps of correspondents in the Australian 
Colonies, in South Africa, in New Zealand, the Phillipine Islands, South and Central 
America, Old Mexico, and the leading horticultural centers of Europe. In these efforts 
its has been successful in adding much to our agricultural wealth and development. 
It was in 1884 that the Germain Fruit Company opened an exclusive seed house. In 
the same year it succeeded by reason of purchase to the business of Porter Brothers, 
