To Our Friends and Patrons. 
^TL/E are again before you with our Garden Seed Annual for 1895. The past 
* ^ season’s business was never more gratifying to us, and our most sincere con¬ 
cern is the hope that perfect satisfaction resulted from every favor intrusted to our 
care. We beg to tender our heartfelt thanks to all our patrons of the past, and are 
willing to abide their judgment as to our being worthy of future patronage. With 
our fifty-four years' experience in the trade, it is apparent to us that the best way 
to build up a desirable business is by actual merit, rather than by bombastic adver¬ 
tising. 
We have been very successful this season in securing complete stocks of all 
kinds of seeds, and this in the face of great difficulties on account of the partial 
failure of some varieties in foreign countries. 
The larger part of our seed stocks are grown upon our extensive farms in the 
States, and also across the Great Lakes, in the Dominion of Canada, our entire stock 
of Peas coming from that country. Some varieties, however, do not seed as well 
here as in the eastern climates, and we have special arrangements for the production 
of such varieties in France, England and Germany. By reference to our lists, our 
patrons will find that we have not been negligent of their wants in the line of novel¬ 
ties. We have searched the earth, from one end to the other, so to speak, for 
things not only new, but of actual value. We have also culled our list of many 
varieties, which were good enough in their day, but which are now supplanted by 
the newer products of the grower’s genius. 
We desire to call the attention of the public to our constant endeavor to improve 
on all varieties which we deem worthy of cultivation. For instance, in cases where 
seeds are grown from roots produced the previous year, such as beets, carrots, 
turnips, onions, etc., our idea is that only the perfect-shaped and healthy specimens 
should be planted, thus having a tendency towards continual improvement, rather 
than degeneracy. All these things, we believe, are duly appreciated by a discrimin¬ 
ating public, in pleasing whom is our best reward for care and labor thus expended. 
Almost under the shadow of the great hills that fringe the eastern suburbs of 
Rochester our establishment is most beautifully situated. Large lawns, dotted here 
and there with bits of choice shrubbery, etc., completely surround the main build¬ 
ing, which fronts on Monroe avenue. 
Back of this and facing on Laburnum Crescent, a large space is devoted to the 
trial grounds and hot-houses, where tests of different stocks and new varieties, and 
all kinds of experimenting are going on during the season. 
It is a great pleasure to us to entertain persons who take an interest in the cul¬ 
tivation of flowers, plants, etc., and visitors are always welcome. 
The summer season is, of course, the opportune time to view the beauties of 
nature. During the winter months, in this northern latitude, the ground is usually 
covered with the “ white mantle of Jack Frost,” and all our energies are then 
directed toward the work in the mammoth building. 
Here hundreds of employes are busy as bees, in assorting stocks, filling orders 
and shipping to all parts of the country. 
We will close our introductory with the hope that 1895 may prove a banner year 
for all, and that we may serve the people to their utmost satisfaction in a vocation 
to which our lives are devoted. 
With best wishes, we beg to subscribe ourselves, 
Respectfully yours, 
CROSMAN BROTHERS e 
