HARRIS' RURAL ANNUAL FOR 1897 
AND CATALOGUE OF 
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MORETON FARM SEEDS and PLANTS 
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JOSEPH HHRRIS CO. 
Postoffice Address, MORETON FARM, MONROE CO., N. Y. 
Telegrams Should be Sent to COLD WATER, N. Y. 
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j ABOUT OUR BUSINESS. 
j This is the 18th edition of our Rural Annual and Catalogue of Moreton 
jrm Seeds. 
\ Before we issued our first catalogue in 1879 wo had been raising such 
»ds as Cabbage, Mangels, Carrots, Potatoes and other field seeds for some 
Sirs, and had established some fine strains and new varieties of these 
[ds. We have ever since continued to raise seeds on a larger scale, 
i We have, as far as we know, the largest Seed Farm owned by any seeds- 
[n in this country doing a retail business. 
J Our farm embraces 250 acres of choice land near Rochester, N. Y. In 
0 we built a seed house on the farm and have since then conducted our 
Illness there. Our business increased so much that In 1889 a Postofllco 
established on the farm under the name of 11 Moreton Farm.” 
» We are on the main line of the New York Central Railroad, and letters 
ilresscd to “ Moreton Farm ” reach us two or three hours sooner than they 
juld if we were In a city where the mall would have to be sorted and 
Ivered. A letter mailed In New York City at 8 p. m. reaches us at 8.30 
1 next morning, and a letter mailed at Chicago beforo midnight, reaches 
|it5.45p. m. the next day. 
j ORDERS PROMPTLY FILLED. 
r All orders, as far as possible, are filled and despatched on the day they 
! received. It sometimes happens that orders to bo shipped by freight or 
Jress are delayed a day or two, but are always gotten off promptly when 
*ither permits. 
; SHIPPING FACILITIES. 
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•All freight shipments are made from Rochester, whore wo have the 
lowing railroads: 
! New York Central, Rome, Watertown & Ogdonsburg, 
[ Erie, Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg, 
| Lehigh Valley Western New York «fc Penna., 
» West Shore. 
,d the following express companies : 
! American, National, United States, Wells, Fargo <fc Co. 
is gives us the best possible shipping facilities and lowest rates to all 
Ints. 
! OUR SPECIALTIES. 
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* We make a special point of raising Seed Potatoes of the newest and best 
rietles; Cabbage, of which we select the finest heads from which to raise 
Jl; Celery, Tomatoes and other vegetables of which we have produced 
he very fine strains. We also raise Pure Bred Pekin Ducks and Bronze 
rkeys. 
: BUY DIRECT FROM THE GROWER. 
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jThe advantages to be obtained from buying seeds, plants, potatoes, etc., 
£ct from the grower, instead of from city seedsmen, are many and 
'loos. Take potatoes, for instance ; most seedsmen have their stock of 
il potatoes delivered to them in the fall, and store them in warehouses 
jere they are exposed to considerable light and air and, consequently, 
fink and sprout long before they can be shipped to the purchaser and 
Inted. This shrinking and sprouting is, as we all know, very injurious 
}he seed. 
' On the other hand, where potatoes are kept on the farm and stored in 
»t cellars and pits, they remain in ported condition until time to plant in 
t spring. 
PRICES. 
Another advantage in buying direct from the grower is that you obtain 
lower prices. While wo always mako our prices ns low as possible, we 
cannot and will not attempt to compote with a class of dealers who sell old, 
mixed, and carelessly-grown scedsat low prices. If wo wished to deal in such 
stock wo could compete in prices ; but wo do not. It actually costs us two 
or threo times as much to raiso somo of our solootcd strains of cabbage, 
tomatoes, etc., as it would to buy ordinary seed; but our seed is worth ton 
times as much to any grower. Take onion seed, for instance. It is obvious 
that we cannot sell seed raised from selected bulbs, throwing out all that 
arc not of perfect sliapo or color, at as low a prlco as soed raised from any 
onion that will throw up a sood-stalk, regard loss of its quality. All seed 
that will grow is not good, by any moans; but, of course, tho seod must 
grow to be any good. 
THE POTATO CROP OF 1896. 
Although tho acreage planted to potatoes was ncaily as largo as in 1895 
tho yield was much bolow tho phonomonal production of that year. Tho 
season was in most sections apparently vory favorablo to tho crop, but 
owing to blight, which was vory prevalent, tho ylold was greatly reduced. 
The Importance of selecting varieties that resist the blight, and also of 
using seed from unaffected vines, could plainly bo seen in our trial Hold. 
Somo of tho older varieties, such as White Star, Hebron, Burbank, etc., 
wore badly affected, while such new varieties as Carman No. 1 and No. 3, 
Money Maker, Dutton’s Seedling, Early Harvest, eto., were practically freo 
from both blight and scab. We think there is a oloso connection between 
these two diseases. Wo noticed that where thcro was tho most blight thoro 
was tho most scab also. 
While tho yield in this county was not much ovor half that of last year, 
our crops of tho newer vurlotlcs turned out fully as largo and in somo 
cases larger crops than in 1895. 
We give below some of tho yields under ordinary field culture on our 
farm the past season : 
Eaki.y Vahietiks—E arly Harvest (white). 230 bu. per acre / 
Early May (pink). 265 bu. per acre 
Hebron (blighted)...,,. 115 bu. per acre 
Late V a hi eties—D utton’s Seedling (average). 305 bu. per acre 
Washington (new). 325 bu, per acre 
Carman No. 1. 290 bu. per acre 
Great Divide. 285 bu. per acre 
Common Varieties. 125 to 160 bu. per acre 
It must be remembered that these yields were on a large acreage and 
noton small plats, where most of tho largo yields wo seo reported in tho 
papers and catalogues are made. 
in mn west. 
Mr. Henry Field, of Page County, Iowa, reports the following yields: 
Carman No. 3 (14 rows).. 425 bu. per acre 
Carman No. I (16 rows) .8n8 bu. per acre 
Rural New Yorker No. 2.310 bu. per acre 
Great Divide.249 bu. per acre 
galzer’s Hundredfold. 160 bu. per acre 
Mr. Field Fays: “As to quality, Carman No. 1 stands first, with No. 3 a 
I close second.” 
