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ay Ist Generation 
COL. C. W. GURNEY 
Founder—i1840-1913 
of the Northwest. Col. C. W. Gurney 
began his life work in the seed and 
nursery business upon leaving the 
service in the Civil War. Almost the 
Rk entire last fifty years of his life were 
devoted to making this mid-west a 
better place to live in. He was a firm 
believer in promoting plantings 
throughout the entire country. 
It is from such distinguished heri- 
tage that the Gurney Seed & Nursery 
Co. of today emanates. 
2nd Generation 
GEO. W. GURNEY 
President 
Dear Folks: , . 
IT hope that most of you have read my 
message on page 2. This new catalog 
marks the beginning of another season 
and < honestly hope it proves to be very 
suecessful for each and every one of you. 
Many of you folks need advice on 
pruning, planting and the like. Why 
~ don't you drop me a line or send a letter 
to Sid. Our entire organization has but 
one thought in mind—to better serve you 
in every way possible. ‘The Best Possible 
Stoek at a Fair Price” bas always been 
our motto and I intend to see that the 
folks here at Gurney’s live up to it. 
3rd Generation 
SID. W. GURNEY 
Vice-President 
Sid's main job, among his many, 
is to see that the thousands of orders 
coming in are kept straight and 
moving out as rapidly as possible. 
He has spent his entire life in this 
business and is always glad to help 
any of you folks in any way that he 
can, 
Many of you probably enjoy his 
“Planter” program on Saturday 
mornings, when he spends 15 min- 
utes answering questions on growing 
things. If you live in the vicinity of 
radio station WNAX, Yankton, S. D., 
listen to his program at 9:15 A.M. 
each Saturday. 
. y 
Northern Grown Is Always Best 
Right here at Yankton is where we grow most all of our stock and that 
means it has to be extra hardy so that it can stand our cold winters and 
hot, dry summers. 
and vigor to stand this severe climate, we just don’t have it to ship. 
In other words, if our stock doesn’t have the extra vim 
That 
is the kind of nursery stock you get when you order from Gurney’s. 
There is nothing so important in a plant as the ability to get started right, 
and keep on growing, even if the weather conditions and soil aren’t just right. 
True to Name 
One thing you can depend on when 
you buy from Gurney’s is that what 
you get is what you ordered. Re- 
gardless of whether it is seed, nurs- 
ery stock or chicks—it will be true 
to name. We have been in this 
business for over 87 years, and we 
intend te be in it at least 87 more 
years, so we are not going to start 
now to try to fool our customers. It 
oats be done, and we don’t intend to 
My Ie. 
State Inspected Stock 
All nursery stock shipped from 
Gurney’s carries a state inspection 
label that certifies our stock has been 
inspected and found free from dis- 
ease, insects, etc., and has passed all 
state laws as to quality. We want 
you to have the very best possible. 
Place Your Order Early 
If possible, please order in Jan- 
vary or February. This gives us 
plenty of time to get your order 
booked and all ready for shipment 
the moment the weather breaks in 
your locality. Barly planted stock 
does better because it has a chance 
to take advantage of early moisture 
and get established before the hot, 
dry period. : 
How to Make Remittance 
Your check is good with us here 
at Gurney’s. In fact, to make it 
easier for you. to order, you will no- 
tice we have put a check blank on 
the bottom of every order blank. You 
are welcome to use it or, if you wish. 
a bank or money order will be fine. 
We do not encourage cash payment; 
however, if you insist, please register 
your letter for your own protection. 
it is embarrassing to both of us when 
eash is lost and there is probably no 
question but what you sent the cash 
and it never reached our organiza- 
tion. Ric: ? 
Please—No C.0.D.’s 
One of the reasons we can sell 
better goods at lower prices is be- 
cause we do not maintain an expen- 
sive department to handle C.O.D.'s. 
Anytime you order something C.O.D. 
you have*to pay the post. office's 
¢.O.D. charge. Why not save that? 
me How We Ship 
Most items such as garden seed 
and merchandise are shipped at once. 
Nursery stock is shipped at the 
proper planting time in your locality 
—and that is why we may fill your 
order in several, shipments. Most 
nursery stock is quoted postpaid on 
shipments made through postal 
e 4 (see back of order envelope). 
Exceptions are so noted in the cata- 
log and generally include stock too 
big to ship parcel post, such as big 
trees, B&B Evergreens, etc. Items 
q ed “Express Not Prepaid’’ will 
transportation collect. List 
ur nearest Express Station on your 
er ; 
ie S 
, ee fee, x 
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woe 
Listen to Gurney’s 
Radio. Programs 
Listen to station WNAX each Tuesday, 
Thursday, and Saturday at 6:45 in the 
morning for our “Farm Facts’? program. 
Lots of information and tips on farming. 
Also listen to our “‘Planter’’ program, 
with Sid Gurney, over WNAX at 9:15 
every Saturday morning. Send in your 
planting problems to be answered the fol- 
lowing Saturday, 
Bene 
Your Headquarters for Seeds, Trees and Baby Chicks 
This is a front view of the main Gurney Building that houses the Retail 
Store, Garden Seed Department, Gurney Cafe and the Nursery Storage and 
Shipping Rooms. 
At the right is the big elevator that stores the thousands 
of bushels of those famous Gurney Golden Hybrids.. 
At the extreme right is 
the lIield Seed Department where all Field Seeds are cleaned and processed. 
Extra Payment In Nursery Stock 
Many times we have to ship postpaid items with nursery stock going 
express collect. 
To help make up for the little\extra express charges, we 
put in extra nursery stock—always more than enough to make up for the 
additional postage. 
This doesn't happen too often, but when it does, 
we 
always go out of our way to see that the customer gets his money’s’ worth 
and then some. 
Free Gifts With Your Order 
It takes lots of old-fashioned courtesy to maintain a friendly business. 
That is the reason we make it a practice to include a free gift with every 
order we receive. We won't tell you what that gift is going to be but we 
know it is going to be something well worth while. 
Hope you enjoy it, as it 
is our way of saying ‘‘thank you” for the fine order. 
We Need Pictures 
The only way we can make this page in the catalog more interesting is to 
receive more pictures from you—the customer. 
matter, 
and have your picture taken. 
use it in our next catalog. 
had good 
= 
of the entire purchase price. 
expense, 
UMN 
=| 
CT 
Gurney’s Nursery Stock Guarantee 
We guarantee our nursery stock to be all state inspected, free 
from disease and first-class in every way. 
our stock to be absolutely true to name. 
you can have your choice of replacement free or a full refund 
Examine the nursery stock carefully when you receive it. If 
you are not pleased in every way, return it promptly at our 
We will be glad to replace it at once or refund your 
money in full, whichever you prefer. 
After you have planted it, if it fails to grow owing to weather 
conditions or other factors over which we have no control, we 
will replace it at one-half the original price the following season, 
if you notify us not later than October 1, 1953. 
your report with a remittance of one-half the original purchase 
price and we will take care of the rest of it. 
fair and we stand behind this guarantee 100%. 
Sri 
And letters too, for that 
If we sent you a tree or a shrub that is doing well, stand beside it 
Send the picture in to us and we will try to 
We enjoy hearing from you folks whether you 
luck or bad—it’s our business. 
We also guarantee 
If it proves otherwise, 
Accompany 
That is plain and 
HA 
ill 
_also 
Satisfied GURNEY CUSTOMERS 
READ WHAT THEY SAY 
Gurney's: Received the ship- 
ment of plants and they ar- 
rived in fine condition. | thank 
you so much for sending them 
and think these will do well as 
they look very nice. 
Mrs. Andrew Nelson 
Foxholm, N. D. 
Gurney Seed Co. 
Gentlemen: The Crocus | or- 
dered from you last fall were 
the admiration of my neigh- 
borhood. The flowers the larg- 
est | ever saw. 
Mrs. Jennie McCoy 
Churbusco, Indiana 
Gurney Seed & Nursery Co. 
Dear Sirs: Got the strawberry 
plants O. K. and set them out 
that evening. Got the Mum 
Collection the day | mailed my 
letter. They are growing and 
the Canterbury Bells. 
Thanks for the free gift. 
Gertie M. Borden 
Arriba, Colo. 
Thank you for replacing the 
unsatisfactory nursery stock. 
A. L. Griffin, 
Belleville, Kansas 
Gurney Seed & Nursery Co. 
Dear Sirs: 
The strawberry and rasp- 
berry plants arrived in good 
condition and are growing sat- 
isfactorily. Thanks for the ex- 
tra shrubs sent. 
Sincerely yours, 
Mary E. Stratton 
Ried), Bx; 
Newberg, Ore. 
Dear Gurney'’s: 
1 can’t say enough good 
about Bug Dust. | haven’t had 
a bean beetle, nor a rose bug, 
nor any aphids or Jap beetles. 
People look at our garden to 
see for themselves that this is 
true. 
Yours truly, 
Mrs. Marie K. Tress, 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Gurney’s Nursery Co. 
Dear Sirs: 
The iris that | ordered from 
you arrived and | am well 
pleased with it. Hope to do 
business with your company 
in the future. 
Sincerely, 
Mrs. Carl E. Taylor, 
Albencarle, N. C. 
Gurney’s 
Gentlemen: The order of roots, 
etc., came Fri. A.M. imme- 
diately after a fine rain. All 
were in fine condition. Set 
them out and all look good. 
Fern Leaf Bleeding Heart has 
unfolded new leaves barely 
showing when they came. 
Mums never Knew they had 
been moved. 
Respectfully, 
Mrs. F. J. Jensen 
Almond, Wis. 
Gurney’s 
Gentlemen: | received the 
plants today and in good con- 
dition. Have had real success 
with all nursery stock from 
you boys. Thanks a lot. 
Always, j 
Emil A. Olsen 
Donnelly, Minn. 
% 2 o 5 a ae 
Mrs. Hattie Hogan 
Roy, Montana 
and her Gurney Windbreak 
HOW TO PLANT A WINDBREAK 
A good windbreak which will protect the home and feed lot from 
winter winds, is easy and inexpensive to plant, and 
practically takes care of itself. 
Besides, it is a source of firewood, lumber and posts. 
You 
also have a never-ending source of satisfaction in having some- 
thing green and cooling right at hand for both man and animal. 
Gurney’s have been supplying quite a share of the entire country 
with hardy windbreak trees for 3 generations. 
You will find below 
cold, winter winds. 
a drawing of a 
You have a large assortment of trees you 
typical windbreak for 
can choose from according to your taste and needs, but it is a 
general practice to put the low-growing 
with the tallest varieties 
from the outside. 
lower-growing types. 
in the rows about 24 
Then finish out on the inside rows with 
trees on the outside, 
of the way in 
the 
Evergreens are very fine on the inside rows. 
3%s%o EN 
00 FF. ————— > G0 ev one 
Here Are Qur Suggestions: 
Rows 1 and 2: Caragana, 
Russian Olive, Native Plum 
seedlings, Willow or Mulberry. 
Set the plants 4 to 5 ft. apart 
in the row, These are the snow 
catcher rows. Leave 40 to 60 
ft. between them and the next. 
Rows 3 and 4: Green Ash, 
Chinese Elm, Hackberry, 
American Elm, Box Elder or 
Silver Maple. Plants6 to 8 ft. 
apart in the row with rows 
8 ft. apart. 
Rows 5 and 6: Use your tall 
trees here—Soft Maple, Cot- 
tonwood, American Wlm, Chi- 
nese Elm, Black Walnut, Hack- 
berry or Norway Poplar. Plant 
these 8 ft. apart in the row 
with rows 10 ft. apart. 
Rows 7 and 8: More tall 
trees, especially in row 7. 
Cottonwood, Norway Poplar, 
American Elm, Hackberry, 
Chinese Elm, all 8 ft. apart in 
row. Or, Colorado Blue Spruce, 
Black Hills Spruce, Scotch 
Pine or Norway Spruce, all 8 
ft. apart, with rows 8 to 10 ft. 
apart. 
Rows 9 and 10: Pine, Spruce 
and Cedar are-fine in here, or 
use the Russian Olive and 
Ciaragana. If Evergreens used, 
set 8 ft. apart in row. For 
Russian Olive and Caragana, 
set 5 to 6 ft. apart in row. All 
rows should be 8 ft. apart. 
An Easy Way to Plant 
A quick, easy way to plant windbreak trees is to first take a 
walking plow and throw out a deep furrow along the row of 
trees to be planted. 
well out of trench.) 
(Plow fast enough so as to throw the dirt 
Second, put each individual tree against 
the straight edge of the furrow and throw the loose dirt back 
in over roots. 
Pack firmly with feet. 
CUT ALL SEEDLING 
TREES BACK TO LESS THAN HALF THEIR HEIGHT AS 
SOON AS PLANTED (except Evergreens which need no prun- 
ing). 
Keep well cultivated the first two summers, 
“Northwest’s Largest Seed and Nursery House’’—GURNEY’S, Yankton, So. Dak. 
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