®Our Mursery Guarantee 
FIRST: We guarantee our Nursery stock to be abso- 
lutely TRUE-TO-NAME. If it proves otherwise, you 
can have your choice of Replacement Free or a Full 
Refund of the entire purchase price. 
SECOND: We guarantee our Nursery Stock to be 
strictly high quality, exactly as described in this 
catalog. We further guarantee it to reach you in 
good, live, thrifty growing condition. If you are 
not completely satisfied when you examine it on 
arrival, return it at once at our expense and you 
can have your choice of Replacement Free or a 
Full Refund of the entire purchase price. 
THIRD: Our Nursery Stock is strong, heavy-rooted 
and vigorous. It is dug and handled and packed 
with the utmost care. But, if it fails to grow for 
you, we will replace it at half-price the following 
season. We can’t control weather conditions and 
other factors which might affect its growth, but we 
will share the loss with you and meet you half way. 
You must report your losses to us by October 1, 
GLOXINIAS 
Gorgeous velvety flowers in brilliantly beau- 
tiful colors! Gloxinias are truly a most won- 
derful flower. The blooms open to 2% to 3 
inches across and they come on week after 
week. And, they are about the easiest of all 
house plants to grow. You can plant your 
Gloxinia bulbs from February: until late 
May and have a succession of flowers. 
Use a S-inch pot and get good rich sandy 
loam. Plant the bulb about one inch deep. 
Place it in a warm sunny window. Water it 
sparingly until growth appears and then 
water every day. After flowering the bulbs 
should be saved for planting another season 
and so on for many years, Here are four of 
the finest. 
BLOOMING SIZE BULBS 
1954. 
GOVERNMENT INSPECTED NURSERY STOCK. Certificate 
No. 97, State of Iowa. The Earl May Seed Co. of 
Shenandoah is authorized to sell and ship Nursery 
Stock of its own growing or obtained from approved 
‘ sources. The Certificate expires September 1, 1954. 
Signed by Clyde Spry, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, 
Your Choice Alike or Assorted 
3 for $1.00, Postpaid 
69. Emperor Frederick, Scarlet, bordered white. 
70. King of the Reds. Deep blood red. 
73. Prince Albert. Ruffled dark violet. 
76. Queen Wilhelmina. Soft rose pink. 
and H. M. Harris, Iowa State Entomologist. 
\ 
ONE CHRYSANTHEMUM 
ONE KING OF BLACKS 
CARNATION 
ONE ACHILLEA 
(THE PEARL) 
THESE VALUABLE PREMIUMS 
With Early Nursery Orders 
Premiums pictured below are given on Nursery Orders only, from this 
catalog. Garden Seed Premiums on Page 27. Sorry, no premiums on Farm 
Seed or Hybrid Corn. 
Early orders are always a great help to us, and we express our appreciation of them with these 
premiums. Even though the nursery stock isn’t shippéd until planting time, we can get all of 
the “book work” done ahead of the last minute rush. This really makes a saving for us in worry 
as well as work, and we are glad to say “thank you” for early orders with these premiums. If 
you send your order early, you are welcome to your choice of the premiums below. But we must 
reserve the right to select the premiums sent with later orders. 
If you order only flowers or other perennials, please select premiums from 
these pictured on the left. i 
If you order only trees, roses or shrubs, please select premiums from these 
pictured on the right. 
If your order includes all fypes of nursery stock, choose any premium. 
Any 1 Premium on Nursery Orders of $4.00 to $6.00 
Any 2 Premiums on Nursery Orders of $6.00 to $8.00 
Any 3 Premiums on Nursery Orders of $8.00 to $10.00 
Any 4 Premiums on Nursery Orders of $10.00 or More 
You are entitled to more than one premium with the larger orders, and can have them alike 
or assorted. However, you may not accumulate premium credit over several orders. Please ask 
for your premiums each time an order amounts to $4.00 or more. Please be sure to write your 
choice on your order; otherwise we will have no idea what you want and none will be sent. We 
may run out of some of the premiums as the season progresses, and in that case we reserve the 
right to send you our choice of premiums, 
PERENNIAL PREMIUMS 
1. One Large-Flowering Decorative Mum 
2. One Snow-White Double Baby’s Breath 
3. One King of the Blacks Carnation 
4. One Achillea (The Pearl) 
REMEMBER TO ORDER EARLY TO QUALIFY FOR 
YOUR CHOICE OF THESE FINE PREMIUMS. 
NURSERY PREMIUMS 
5. One Floribunda Rose 
6. One Montmorency Cherry Tree 
7. One Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) 
8. One Hydrangea P.G. 
GLOXINIA SPECIAL 
Order No. 75 
One each, listed at the left. 
ALL 4 ONLY $1.25, POSTPAID 
ONE 
ONE MONTMORENCY 
CHERRY 
ONE BUTTERFLY BUSH 
(BUDDLEIA) 
ONE 
HYDRANGEA P.G. 
Page 19 
