6 
EIGHTY YEARS OF GROWING 
D. M. FERRY, FOUNDER OF 
I N 1852, Dexter Mason Ferry came to Detroit from New York State with 
the intention of earning enough money to go to college. He obtained a job 
in S. Dow Elwood’s bookstore, and in his spare time studied bookkeeping. 
Soon, he had two jobs—one selling books during the day, the other keeping 
books at night for M. T. Gardner & Co., a small seed house. He earned the large 
sum of $800 a year, leaving his seed house salary with the partnership, at in¬ 
terest. In 1856, he became a partner. The name was changed to Gardner, Ferry 
& Church, then to Ferry, Church & Co. In 1867, D. M. Ferry, with C. C. Bowen, 
whom he had met as a competitor, and H. K. White took over the business and 
established it as D. M. Ferry & Co. 
From the beginning, D. M. Ferry realized that, since the merit of seeds 
could not be determined by their appearance, gardeners would have to depend 
largely for their protection on the reputation of the seedsmen from whom they 
bought. He believed also that gardening could be properly encouraged only if 
reliable seeds were readily available to home gardeners. Spurred on by these 
convictions, he planned to place in the stores of dealers throughout the country 
assortments of the best seeds obtainable, put up in packets. Thus began the 
"commission box” business of D. M. Ferry & Co. 
