R. H. SHIM WAY 
Prospects for 1936 Are the 
Best in Years 
Dear Customers and Friends: 
A long, long time ago before the inventions 
of the Rubber Tire Buggy—The Bicycle—The 
Automobile—The Radio—and the Airplane— 
my annual catalog was the Garden Guide that 
your Mother and Father looked anxiously for¬ 
ward to receiving annually. It was then, as 
it has always been down through the century, 
the leading American Seed Catalog. 
Many who receive this, my 66th Annual 
Catalog, have been customers here for more 
than half a century. 
You younger men and women will remem¬ 
ber the joy and satisfaction your parents re¬ 
ceived in planting my Northern Grown Pedi¬ 
greed Seeds. You will recall my Motto then 
as now and always was “Good Seeds Cheap— 
None Better at Any Price.” 
When I mailed out my first seed catalog in 
1870, which by the way was the first Illus¬ 
trated Seed Catalog in America, we were j ust 
recovering from the effects of the Civil War 
—times were hard then as now. Some people 
in those days thought we would never recover 
and that the Nation could not endure. Well, 
you know instead of those predictions coming 
true we came out of the depression and hard¬ 
ships, and the people and the Nation rose to 
greater heights than ever dreamed of before. 
We did likewise in 1873, in 1893 and again in 
1907, and you can be assured we shall do so 
again very shortly. Right now while I am 
writing to you things are much improved over 
a year ago. Millions of men and women have 
gone back to work—prices are 100% better 
than last year. It is my firm conviction be¬ 
fore corn planting time conditions will be fast 
approaching normal. 
All during those distressing periods—1873 
—1893—1907—1935—the house of R. H. 
Shumway Seedsman has gone forward grow¬ 
ing Better Seeds and selling them for less 
money than any Mail Order Seed House in 
the world, and today in presenting you with 
this free copy of my 1936 Annual Catalog I 
feel safe in saying again as I have for nearly 
three-quarters of a century, “You cannot buy 
better seeds any place on earth no matter 
what you pay.” 
Compare My Prices—I Will Not Be 
Undersold 
M 
[Y first seed catalog, published in 1870, 
was a 16-page book—size 6x9, total 
edition 4,000. Today 88 pages—size 10 x 
13i/ 2 —edition over 500,000. That year Rock¬ 
ford had a population of 5,000 people. Today 
our fair city boasts of 90,000 inhabitants. 
The great Chicago fire did not occur until the 
following year—to be exact, October 7th, 
1871. Horse and Buggies—Covered Wagons 
—Mud Roads—Log Cabins were the things 
of luxury then. Compare those conditions 
with today and surely you will agree with me 
that this has been a Century of Progress. 
As I sit here reminiscing of the days gone 
by my mind prompts me to compare my first 
seed catalog with the copy I am sending you 
today. Surely everything has progressed and 
I know you will enjoy this, my 1936 Annual 
Catalog better, and find it more instructive 
and easier to order from than any catalog 
you ever received. 
May I suggest that you and your good wife 
and family look through the catalog carefully 
—one writing on the order sheet the things 
you need—the other member of your family 
checking the items in the catalog so you will 
have a copy to check your list by when ship¬ 
ment is received. It pays to keep a copy of. 
your orders, for while my force is old experi¬ 
enced help they are human and sometimes 
omit an item, and when made known I 
rectify errors promptly. 
Everybody will want a garden this 
year. No investment that you could 
make would yield returns equal to a 
small investment in good garden and 
flower seeds. 
A modest garden will afford you fresh 
vegetables all summer long with sufficient 
quantity to can and store for winter consump¬ 
tion. Send your orders in early please for 
everything you need, and if there is any spe¬ 
cial information on garden or farming prob¬ 
lems that come to your mind feel free to write 
me about it. 
I will include with your order a liberal 
assortment of free seeds of special merit 
for trial purposes. 
This year I wish to add some new customers 
from your neighborhood, so I am enclosing a 
postal card that I ask you to pass to a neigh¬ 
bor or friend who gardens and let them re¬ 
ceive a copy of this beautiful and instructive 
catalog. 
“You know” when I start writing this page 
of the catalog it is hard to stop—there are so 
many things I desire to say to you, my old 
friends. This is especially true when I re¬ 
view before me copies of my 66 catalogs that 
really are sacred to me for they hold within 
themselves the joys and hardships of a life¬ 
time. 
I am indeed grateful to Almighty God for 
his many blessings during all those trying 
years and likewise grateful to you my old 
friends and customers. 
It will be a pleasure to serve you again this 
year for everything you need in Seeds, Plants, 
Bulbs, Shrubs and Fruits. 
May I urge you at this period to hold fast 
to the things that are good. Have faith and 
confidence and all will yet be well. 
Yours most sincerely, 
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS 
