THREE GENERATIONS of 
SEED and PLANT GROWERS 
Father, Sons and Grandson 
THE HISTORY OF OUR SEED BUSINESS 
• We apologize to our old customers for this reprint. 
• We want our new customers to know all about us. 
• Maybe our old friends would also enjoy reading it again. 
THOMAS CONDON (The Founder) 
1st Generation 
JOHN R. CONDON 
(President) ' 
LEONARD R. CONDON 
(Secretary-T reasurer) 
Beginning: away back in the ages of the old Cradle 
and Rake when everything on the farm was done 
by hand and back work. Dad started farming with Mr. Greenlee, a pioneer 
farmer of old reliable Scotch parents. 
In those days land of course was cheap, but money was scarcer than 
hens’ teeth and crops very poor on account of inferior seed and lack of 
proper cultivation; therefore you may know it was mighty hard sledding 
for a good many years; still, I guess it was a good thing, for during 
those lean seasons, when it was hard to produce enough to pay the in¬ 
terest on the mortgage set Dad to thinking and figuring how to make 
both ends meet, and he concluded the best way out was to use extra care 
in selecting his seed, breeding it up to the highest standard possible and 
to spare no labor in preparing and cultivating the seed beds after plant¬ 
ing. This worked out well and really was the motive or incentive in¬ 
stilled ia him in pioneer days, inherited by us boys that prompted us a 
few years later under Dad’s supervision to engage in the Seed growing 
business in a large commercial way. 
2nd Generation It was during those early days that John and 
Leonard were born and as we grew up under Dad’s 
careful instructions we naturally followed his trend of thought, so at 
the age of 13 we both started working out on a small truck farm at the 
enormous wage of 40c a day. Well do I remember my first day: The 
boss started John picking peas and I weeding asparagus, and honestly 
the rows looked a mile long. We stuck to it though, even if it was hard 
work, and I’ll never forget if I live to be a hundred how proud we were 
when we took our -first pay home to Mother. She, too, was proud of us, 
for while we worked hard and were dirty, she knew it was honest toil 
and the folks needed the money, and we were glad to help even though it 
was only a little. 
"As You Sow So Shall You Reap" Wel1 t 'V s (1 we,lt °. n t . for a few 
• years, Mother insisting we go 
to school winters and garden in summer. As time passed we realized 
more fully the necessity of planting good seeds to produce good crops, 
for we saw many failures from poor seed; consequently, we went into 
the seed-growing business on our own account, and today we personally 
grow on our own farms and rented ones thousands of bushels annually 
of beans, peas, corn, radishes and other seed crops, so we are still actual 
farmers and really more so than ever before, and we know full well the 
necessity and wisdom of planting only the best seeds that grow, for the 
old proverb, “As you sow so shall you reap,” is more in evidence today 
than ever. Being actual producing farmers and gardeners, we know your 
needs in seeds and understand your wants, your trials and your troubles, 
so please do not hesitate to inquire for any information on gardening 
and farming not given in this book. We are here to serve you, and we 
want to help you this year to grow Bigger, Better and More Profitable 
Crops. 
The Trial Grounds Tell the Truth ° n our famous Rock River 
e 11 ” Wl ®" na > Tnc MHTn Valley Seed Farms at Rock¬ 
ford, Illinois, we conduct one of the most extensive Trials of Vegetables, 
Farm and Nursery Crops, Flowers, etc., in the country. You are cordially 
invited to visit us and inspect these growing crops. Our display of 
Tulips, Paeonies, Gladiolus and other flowers will be a gorgeous sight 
from early spring until late fall. 
3|*#J Generation I n closing' we want to introduce to you, Leonard 
Condon, Jr., who, since his graduation from College 
10 years ago has been in charge of the Garden and Flower Seed Depart¬ 
ments. Booking forward with pleasure to serving you this year, we are, 
Yours sincerely, 
CONDON BROS., SEEDSMEN 
LEONARD CONDON, Jr. 
(Vice President) 
Living in the country farming our own farms, and with the most modern cleaning 
equipment in the world, we are in position to give you the very finest qualities on 
Garden, Farm and Field Seeds at the LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES. 
Our Nursery stocks are all State Certified, and the growing of same, as well as the 
filling of your Nursery orders will be under the direct supervision of an expert 
Nurseryman, who has been in our employ for many, many years. 
NOTICE: 
We cannnot accept Canadian or other Foreign Postage 
stamps as they are of no value in the United States. 
mmHHE 
4th Generation 
LEONARD THE 3RD 
Arrived Oct. 22nd, 1939 
9-Lbs. All Well. 
Dec. 20, 1940—Now 28 lbs. 
More Than A Million 
Planters Use Condon's 
Seeds, Plants and 
Bulbs Annually 
E very thing 
GUARANTEED TO 
PLEASE or Money 
Refunded 
HOW TO ORDER 
Use enclosed order sheet and en¬ 
velope if possible; If not, any 
kind of paper will do, only Be 
Sure to Sign Your Full Name 
and Address, giving your Post 
Office, County and State, your 
Rural Route, Box or Street Num¬ 
ber. Be sure to state just how 
you wish order shipped, and re¬ 
member if you order part from 
Postpaid Prices in body of Cata¬ 
log and part from Not Prepaid 
Prices, we will ship All Not Pre¬ 
paid by Express or Freight un¬ 
less instructed differently, as the 
charges would not be increased 
any. For this privilege we add 
extras to well satisfy our cus¬ 
tomers. 
REMITTANCES 
Remittances must accompany or¬ 
ders. They should be made by 
postal or express money order, 
bank draft, or check. If currency 
is used, the letter should be 
registered. For amounts less 
than a dollar stamps are accept¬ 
able. No C.O.D. shipment will 
be made unless 25% of purchase 
price accompanies the order. 
Illinois customers please add 3% 
to your order to cover Illinois 
Sales Tax 
If you send your personal 
check add 10 cents to cover cost 
of banking exchange. 
OUR GUARANTEE -GREATER VALUES FOR LESS AT CONDON'S 
We guarantee our seeds and plants to be just as represented. If they prove otherwise, we will refill the order free of chai’ge, or 
return your money if complaint is made within nine months of date of purchase, but it must be understood we do not guarantee the 
crop, thereby, in common with all reliable seedsmen, we give no warranty, express or implied, as to description, purity, productiveness, 
or any other matter of any seeds, plants, bulbs, shrubs, trees or any goods we send out, and we will not be in any way responsible 
for the crop. Subject to these conditions, purchase is made at the moderate prices charged. CONDON BROS., SEEDSMEN. 
NOTICE— 
With every order, regardless of size, for Seeds, 
ED EC CEEffNC U/Ul* Plants, Bulbs or Shrubs, we will include FREE 
rivEE 5EEW^ ■“ TV ITll Every WlQCr a nice assortment of new novelties in Vege- 
