3

ELLIS T. PEIRCE, President.
M. KURTZWEIL, Vice- President.

ESTABLISHED 1871.
INCORPORATED 1889.

M. L. PAGE, Secretary.
CHAS. N. PAGE, Treas. and Mgr.

OFFICE OF
Iowa Seed Company,
613-615 LOCUST STREET.
Des Moines, Iowa, January 1, 1895.

[image] Our New Store--44x132 feet. [\image]

To Our Friends and Customers:

In presenting this, our twenty-fifth annual catalogue, we wish to most heartily thank you for the orders which you have sent us. At the beginning of this, our quarter-centennial year, we are inclined to take a retrospective view. This business was started in a small way by the late Mr. S. L. Fuller, and five years later, when the present manager began his labors, it was beginning to be known outside of this locality, but we received only 300 to 500 orders per year, while now that many orders at a single mail is a common occurrence during the busy season, and our CHOICE IOWA SEEDS are well known in every state and territory as well as in a great many foreign countries, and are considered by our customers "the best in the world." From the few hundreds of plain sixteen-page catalogues we first sent out, our list has grown until we now issue as fine a catalogue as there is publisbed in the world, with four or five exceptions, and this catalogue will doubtless be seen by half a million persons. Doubtless many of our friends, and we consider all of our customers personal friends, will be interested in our new buildings, shown on this page, which were erected this year, and you will notice what is said about them on page 17. We claim to now have the best and most conveniently arranged seed store in the west. Call and see us when in the city.
Iowa is truly the garden spot of the United States, and the soil and climate is peculiarly adapted to the growing and maturing of seed crops. Many of the best posted and most particular eastern seed firms now have seeds grown here for them, and we also ship to some of the large European dealers. To western planters we would suggest the advisability of ordering direct from us instead of sending east. For nearly a quarter of a century we have been located here, and have devoted much time and labor to testing, experimenting, selecting and improving our various choice strains of seed. If you think our years of practical study of varieties suitable to this locality would be of value to you, we solicit your orders and will do our best to please you. The crop of many kinds of seeds is very short, but we have done our best to keep prices down.
If times are hard and money is scarce this year, you should secure a good supply of seeds, put in a few hours spare time, and become a producer of the actual necessities of the family in the vegetable line, and if you have sufficient ground raise a surplus to sell in exchange for groceries, etc. If you want profitable employment during the winter and spring months, we can make it pay you to talk to your neighbors for us. Write for TERMS TO AGENTS.

NOVELTIES.--We devote considerable space each year to testing the various so-called novelties offered by the seed dealers of this and other countries, and whenever we discover anything desirable we offer it to our customers. In each department of this catalogue we offer a number of well tested novelties, which we are sure will prove satisfactory.

FARMERS.--It will pay every farmer to thoroughly examine our field seed department. This is a specialty with us and we believe that there is no seed firm in the country which gives more close attention to growing and handling farm seeds. We have many desirable new sorts, and it will pay you well to renew your seed corn, oats, etc., with better and more profitable varieties. Iowa grown seeds are the best.
Again thanking you for past favors, and respectfully soliciting a continuance of your patronage, we remain,

Your friends,
IOWA SEED COMPANY.

[image] Warehouse A. [\image]

SUGGESTIONS TO CUSTOMERS.

ORDER EARLY.--The best time to order is just as soon as you receive this catalogue, as we can always give your orders more of our personal attention if they come in before the rush of the spring trade. Please use the order sheet, as it makes it more convenient for us in filling orders. Terms are invariably cash with order, as we keep no book accounts in our mail order department, and the expense of sending goods C. O. D. is quite large. Postage stamps received as cash.

SHIPPING DIRECTIONS.--In ordering, please state whether it will be convenient for you to receive your goods by express, and if so name your nearest express office, as all orders weighing two pounds and upward will be forwarded by express if posssible. There are five express companies and fifteen railroads centering at Des Moines, so that quick shipments can be made to any town in the United States.

CHARGES PREPAID.--All seeds, bulbs and plants, except those noted, are sent prepaid by mail or express by the quickest and most direct route, unless ordered otherwise, and we guarantee their safe arrival. Seed sold by the peck or bushel, field seeds, potatoes, implements, and other heavy goods, are sent by freight or express, purchaser paying charges.

TESTING.--All seeds are carefully tested, and nothing sent out which we do not believe to be good in every respect.

OUR PRICES.--Our constant aim is to make the highest quality the first consideration, and next to put our prices as low as good reliable seeds can be sold.

DISCOUNTS.--ON ALL ORDERS FOR SEEDS IN PACKETS the purchaser may select twenty-five cents' worth extra for each one dollars sent us. This refers only to seeds in packets, not in bulk. For other discounts see heading of the respective classes of goods. Each year we put up thousands of packets of seeds for free distribution amoung our customers, by adding liberally of them to orders. We will allow you a discount of ten cents per pound on vegetable seeds, such as are listed as prepaid, if you are willing to have them sent by express or freight at your expense.

SMALL ORDERS.--If you only want a single packet, do not hesitate to send for it. We take as much pains to fill small orders promptly and correctly as we do large ones.

WHAT WE GUARANTEE.--That all money sent us for seed shall reach us if sent by registered letter, P. O. or express money order or bank draft, made payable to our order. That your order will be filled promptly and well. That goods ordered will reach you safely. KEEP A COPY of your order. Frequently persons think that they have ordered articles which they have omitted, and blame us for not sending them.

[image] hand [\image] NOTICE.--The importance of GOOD SEEDS cannot be overestimated, and we are certain that after a trial all our customers will agree that our seeds are the purest and best to be had. Still, when it is considered how many are the contingencies on which the success of any crop depends, our customers will readily see that it would be sheer folly for anyone to warrant them to produce a perfect crop, and we want it distinctly understood that while we exercise the greatest care to have all seeds pure and reliable, and also true to name, we do not give any warranty, express or implied. If the purchaser does not accept the seeds on these terms and conditions, they are to be returned at once, and money that has been paid for same will be refunded. No officer, agent or employee of this company is authorized to make any warranty whatsover. However, we have so much confidence in our seeds that we hereby agree to refill any retail order for vegetable or flower seed free of charge should they prove otherwise than as we represent them. We know of no responsible seed firm in the world who guarentees seeds any further than this. Compare with other seed catalogues and you will find that we are right.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY.--As this book will probably go into the hands of many who are unacquainted with us, this question will naturally arise, and in answer to the same we refer you by permission to the Valley National Bank of this city, to the postmaster, and any of the various express companies.

MARKET GARDENERS and others who buy VEGETABLE SEEDS IN BULK to the amount of $5.00 or more, are requested to send for our Market Gardeners' Price List. This list for market gardeners is intended only for large buyers, and is exclusively for those who order vegetable seeds alone by weight of measure amounting to $5.00 or over. Club orders which call for this amount of bulk seeds altogether are entitled to these prices.

WE ARE ALWAYS PLEASED TO RECEIVE SAMPLES OF ANY NEW, RARE OR SUPERIOR SEEDS YOU MAY SEND US FOR TRIAL.