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Specialties and Novelties for 1890.

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Iowa Seed Co.'s

New Market Gardener's Beet.

This is undoubtedly one of the best novelties ever introduced, and it receives much praise from our customers each year. Its shape is well illustrated by the accompanying engraving. As will be noticed, it is very symmetrical, with small tap root and but few fibrous roots. Unusually small tops. At the age of the Egyptian it is larger, while it continues to grow until late in the fall, attaining a large size and making a good selling and eating beet for winter. By the first of October they measure eight inches in diameter and average six pounds each in weight. One sowing only is necessary to produce early beets for market and main crop for winter use, which is not the case with any other variety.
Color outside is deep blood-red; inside layers of blood-red and light red alternately. When cooked they are a beautiful dark red throughout, fine grained and unsurpassed in quality. As this variety grows almost entirely under ground, it should be grown in light, loose soil. It will not do well in hard or clayey soil. Summing it all up, we find in it the Best Beet for Early Market, the Best Beet for Winter Use, and owing to the small tops permitting them to be grown close together, and the peculiar shape of the bulb, it is the Most Profitable Beet for the Market Gardener and for the family garden of any we know of. We want each one of our thousands of customers throughout this country to give this Beet a trial, and we know they will find we have not given it too high praise. Per pkt. 10 cts.; oz. 20 cts.; 1/4 lb. 65 cts.; lb. $2.00.

Iowa's Challenge Peas.

An extra early variety of superior merit, which is a great favorite with Des Moines market gardeners. We can in all confidence say that after a trial of nearly all extra early varieties offered to the trade, we have not found one possessing more merit, hence its name. For the market gardener it has no superior. It is not only extremely early and prolific, but it is of most luscious flavor. All the good qualities of the extra early are most nearly brought to perfection in the Challenge. Vines eighteen inches. Per pkt. 10 cts.; pt. 30 cts.; qt. 50 cts.; postpaid.

January 25, 1889.--I would rather have your seeds than any others. I have always found them first class and more of them for the same price than other seedsmen give.--Wm. A. Bean, Blue Mound, Ill.

Dwarf Velvet Okra.

Why not try Okra this year? You will like it, and especially if you try this splendid new variety. It is extra nice for soups, stews, etc., and also much liked when pickled. This variety is very distinct in appearance, and unlike other varieties, the pods are not ridged, but are perfectly round, smooth, and of an attractive white velvet appearance, and of superior flavor and tenderness. The plants are comparatively dwarf and of compact branching growth; the pods are of extra large size, and produced in great abundance. Per pkt. 10 cts.; oz. 20 cts.; 1/4 lb. 50 cts.; lb. $1.75.

November 19--Your seeds were all splendid and true to name. The Vine Peach was a decided success, and my onions were first on the market.--T. A. Jones, Beacon, Iowa.

April 1, 1889--I tried your Vine Peach last year and found them excellent for pickles and pies.--E. J. Belfrage, Sergeants Bluffs, Ia.