'TIFTY YEARS 
'"pHB first 50 years are the hardest. It was in the fall of 1888 
that the writer, then a slim lad of barely 21 years, affixed his 
signature to a three-year lease on some 17 acres of land two and 
one-half miles west of Spokane. This property, known as the 
Morgan Homestead, contained bearing fruit trees, small fruit 
plantings and meager equipment for vegetable gardening. 
With positively no knowledge of soil tillage, with no experi¬ 
ence in production or cultivation of the vegetable kingdom, forti¬ 
fied only with a strong determination to succeed, I undertook 
production and distribution of fruits and vegetables to the hungry 
workers of Spokane, that they might build the foundations to a 
mighty city of the future. 
The following incident is related to exemplify my early inex¬ 
perience in my life work: 
One fine April day in 1889 my lady landlord, Mrs. Morgan, in¬ 
specting the premises, noticed the untouched asparagus bed, 
which had grown up, because of inattention, to a two or three foot 
height. Asked why I hadn’t marketed the asparagus, I replied 
frankly that I didn’t know what the plant was, but rather 
assumed it belonged to the willow family because it grew so fast, 
especially on warm days. The next day, acting on newly found 
advice, I cut all the asparagus, tall and short, the old tough 
shoots and the tender, into lengths seven or eight inches long, 
and took them to market. I went first to the leading food store, 
and proudly offered my wares. The owner replied: “Fresh Spo¬ 
kane asparagus? Sure, we’ll take all you have.’’ He visited my 
wagon to see his purchase and as I exposed the asparagus for 
his inspection, his features gathered a frown, gave me a piercing 
inquisitive look and then sheepishly (I thought) said: “I can’t 
use this grass. I believe we have some coming from the com¬ 
mission house.” This change of mind in my prospective cus¬ 
tomer was staggering and disappointing to me. I decided to 
offer my product to less pretentious merchants and sought 
secondary grocery stores. I spotted one that was just opening 
up a new store. “How much do you want for your grass?” “Only 
15 cents a pound for the lot,” I replied. After he consulted the 
commission house who reported none on hand but might have 
some in a few days at 22 cents per pound, my novice vegetable 
merchant replied, “Bring it in.” I did. I w'as learning something 
every day. 
The fifth of August that year found the entire business section 
of our city in smouldering ashes. Everything combustible was 
destroyed, which Included all food stocks. The few packages on 
the home pantry shelves soon were depleted. Transportation was 
slow in those days and reserves unknown in western merchan¬ 
dising. Those of us who were engaged in producing natural 
food required no urge to fill every available acre with seeds and 
pljints. Disposition of any product at remunerative prices re¬ 
quired no salesmanship. The difficulties were in production 
because of help scarcity. 
OF PROGRESS" 
Two years as grower, salesman and cook were trying on the 
boss, especially so was the kitchen department. I met, fre¬ 
quently, one particular girl for over a year and on Christmas 
day we were married. That partnership is now 48 years old. 
The vicissitudes that attended each day’s outlook, the antici¬ 
pation to be owner and manager of an industry, the picture of 
the future that contained areas of glass gardens, nurseries, 
children and homes—these were surely the controlling factors 
that forged the link and the tie that bound. After ten years in 
our original home, one of our aspirations was consummated in 
the purchase of a twenty-acre home. Then the real w’ork began, 
as all who have had this experience will testify. 
The first requisite was a twelve by sixty greenhouse aug¬ 
mented by numerous hotbeds and cold-frames. While the busi¬ 
ness had been built largely as a retail, the increased acreage and 
the soil adaptability rather tended to a wholesale business in 
many specialized productions such as celery, cauliflower, aspara¬ 
gus, etc.; yet, still catering to the retail trade with many other 
varieties. The natural evolution of this phase of the horticul¬ 
tural industry was at once adopted in the increased production 
of plants, both inside as well as outside. Acres of strawberry 
plants were grown together with root crop plants. One hundred 
thousand of our asparagus roots set the first asparagus planta¬ 
tion in the Imperial Valley, California. British Columbia and 
Alaska have set many thousands of our roots and plants. The 
Kelly Gardens are known — and we believe favorably — in all 
Pacific and Mountain states. Clean culture and constant vigi¬ 
lance have produced plant stock that never has been questioned 
by inspection officials. 
Greenhouse area has increased to care for our flower and 
florist stock productions. The propagation and growing of orna¬ 
mental trees and shrubs are assuming considerable proportions 
and with the beautiful evergreens, a complete nursery is attained. 
Tulips, Narcissi, Gladioli and Lily bulbs are grown in acreages 
for which our lands are well adapted. Our slogan, “If it’s a 
plant, we grow it,” seldom disappoints. 
We have attempted in this foregoing article a word picture 
from memory, covering the fifty years of our efforts. Now, past 
the proverbial “three score and ten,” the founder and writer 
must lay down his implements and permit younger minds and 
hands to carry on from here, just as we had done, and related 
in the first lines of this article, fifty years ago. That our son, 
Harry, and his wife will, we are sure, present a more interesting 
picture to you when you pass this way fifty years hence. 
We want to express our sincere appreciation to the thousands 
of friends and customers throughout the west for the business 
confidence reposed in us, and we express the hope that you will 
permit the Kelly Plant Gardens to assist in any service that 
pertains to horticultural life. 
A. A. KELLY. 
WHEN ORDERING 
—write name and address plainly. Order early in 
order to insure delivery of stock wanted. Remit¬ 
tance must accompany order. Stamps are accepted 
up to ifl-OO. Money orders, express orders, bank 
drafts and certified checks preferred. Because our 
merchandise is extremely perishable, we do not 
ship C. O. D. Owing to the fact that there are in¬ 
variable shortages of some varieties, we kindly ask 
that customers state their permission for us to 
substitute the nearest variety to the one ordered in 
case we should be sold out. 
Because all of our business comes with a rush 
in an extremely short portion of the year, mistakes 
sometimes creep in. In case of complaint, please 
write us promptly. We will do all in our power to 
immediately and courteously rectify the error. 
While we hold ourselves in readiness, on proper 
proof, to replace free of charge all stock that may 
prove untrue to label, or refund the amount paid, 
we give no warranty expressed or implied as to 
description, quality, productiveness or any other 
matter of any stock, seeds, bulbs, or plants we sell. 
OUR SERVICE PLANT 
2 
In a Good Plant the Crop is Half Grown. 
KELLY PLANT GARDENS 
