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12. SEED CATALOGUE AND GARDEN GUIDE.

[image] EMERALD GEM MUSK MELON.

MUSK MELON. One ounce will plant about 80 hills, two pounds to the acre.
The soil best adapted to the culture of melons is a warm, rich, sandy loam. Plant in hills five or six feet apart each way, ten or twelve seeds in a hill. When they begin to vine, thin out, leaving only four of the most thrifty. As melons are very sensitive to cold, they should not be planted until the settled warm weather begins--in this latitude about the middle of May. Cultivation should commence as soon as the plants appear above the ground, and be kept up once a week until the vines interfere too much. You will be pleased with our melon seed.
EUROPEAN MIXED.--See novelties. Pkt. 10c.
OSAGE GEM.--See novelties. Pkt. 10c, oz. 25c.
GRAND RAPIDS.--The main characteristic of this melon is its extreme earliness; has been on the market two weeks earlier than any other sort and sold readily at $2.50 per dozen to the hotel and fancy grocers, while melons grown in the south were practically unsalable. The flesh is pure yellow clear to the rind; skin finely netted. To obtain the best results, and to show its remarkable earliness and productiveness, we would advise our customers to pinch off runners, thus throwing growth into fruit, making it of larger size and earlier. Pkt. 5c, oz. 15c, ¼ lb. 50c, lb. $1.50.
EMERALD GEM.--This is undoubtedly the finest in flavor of any variety of musk melon. It is also the earliest to ripen, and while too soft to stand shipping any great distance to market, it is unequaled for home use or nearby markets. Vines of strong vigorous growth and very prolific. If fruits are gathered as soon as they ripen, the vines will continue bearing throughout the season. The melons are rather small and flattened at both ends. The skin is a rich, deep emerald green, smooth and free from netting. The fruits are heavily ribbed, with narrow bands of lighter green between the ribs. Flesh very thick, with thin rind and small seed cavity, crystalline appearance, and of rich salmon color. Seed scarce this year. Pkt. 5c, oz. 20c, ¼ lb. 60c, lb. $1.75.

[image] NEW EARLY HACKENSACK MUSK MELON

BAY VIEW.--One of the most prolific melons in cultivation. It has been grown to weigh from 15 to 20 lbs. and from 15 to 18 inches long. Hardy, vigorous and continues a long time in bearing. Pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, ¼ lb. 30c, lb. $1.00.
MONTREAL MARKET.--This is a very large fruited variety of superior quality. They are nearly round in form, slightly flattened at the ends, with very large, broad, heavy ribs. Dark-green skin, thickly covered with heavy nettings. The flesh is two inches thick, light-green, melting and of delicious flavor. This is one of the handsomest varieties to grow for exhibition purposes. Pkt. 5c, oz. 15c, ¼ lb. 50c, lb. $1.50.
BANANA.--Attains a length of from eighteen inches to three feet, three inches, and is from two to four inches thick. Flesh very thick, of a salmon color. It looks almost like an overgrown banana; smells like one hence its name. Pkt. 10c, oz. 25c.

[image] ROCKY FORD MUSK MELON.

WINTER PINEAPPLE or SANTA CLAUS.--This is distinct from any other variety. Has almost solid flesh, which is light green, unusually spicy, and having a rich, aromatic pineapple flavor. As it does not ripen on the vines, it should be picked before hard frost and kept in a cool dry cellar, where it will keep for months and when wanted for use place in a warm room to ripen. Pkt. 10c, oz. 25c.
IMPROVED GREEN NUTMEG.--A greatly improved strain of tho [the] old Green Nutmeg. Fruit of a fair size, very rich, melting and of exquisite flavor, flesh light green. Very productive. Pkt. 5c, oz. 15c, ¼ lb. 45c, lb. $1.25.
NETTED GEM.--A most excellent small melon and very popular with melon growers. It is finely netted and looks nice on the market. Flesh green and particularly rich and juicy, so that it seems to melt in the mouth. Pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, ¼ lb. 25c, lb. 65c.
PAUL ROSE.--We have been greatly pleased with this and consider it one of the finest sorts. It is the result of a cross of the Osage and Netted Gem combining the sweetness and high flavor of the former with the fine netting and superior shipping qualities of the latter. It is of peculiarly sweet, rich, delicious flavor and a long keeper. If you are a gardener, plant it and catch top of market prices. Pkt. 5c, oz. 15c, ¼ lb. 40c, lb. $1.25.

[image] OSAGE MUSK MELON.

IMPROVED EARLY HACKENSACK.--This valuable variety is ready for market fully ten days ahead of the well known Hackensack, which it resembles in size, shape and quality. They are almost equal in size to the old Hackensack, weighing from five to ten pounds each. It is also very productive, averaging from five to six melons on the vine, all which are deeply netted; flesh light green. Pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, ¼ lb. 35c, lb. $1.20.
ROCKY FORD.--This new variety, which might be described as an improved Netted Gem, has everywhere been in great demand by the high class hotels and restaurants. Hundreds of carloads of them have been shipped from the little town of Rocky Ford, Colorado, to Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Newport, Boston, and other cities, driving out the home grown. The melons are of just the right size for table use, slightly oval in shape. The flesh is thick, of a light green color, and a fine, juicy, luscious flavor. It is very early, and is wonderfully productive. Pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, ¼ lb. 25c, lb. 75c.
OSAGE.--One of the best melons on the market for family use and also greatly liked by gardeners. The skin is thin, of dark green color and slightly netted. The flesh is salmon color, remarkably sweet and spicy in flavor, extremely thick and delicious to the rind. The seed cavity is very small. It is seldom that one of poor quality is found. The whole crop is very even and extra heavy, owing to the thickness of the meat. All lovers of fine melons should try the Osage. Pkt. 5c, oz. 15c, ¼ lb. 40c, lb. $1.25.
MIXED MUSK MELON.--All of the above and a few other kinds grown separately and the seed mixed together. Will produce melons throughout the whole melon season. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, ¼ lb. 30c, lb. $1.00.

WHAT THE OHIO FARMER SAYS:
The Ohio Farmer, published at Cleveland, O., which we believe has the largest paid circulation of any agricultural weekly in America, and who also publish the Michigan Farmer of Detroit, writes us as follows: "It is with sincere pleasure that we are able to report that in the fifteen years that you have been advertising in our publications, we have not received a single complaint from any one of the many thousands of our readers with whom you have done business. When you consider the great number of chances that there are for slight errors, misunderstandings and that sort of thing in the seed business, it is certainly a phenominal [phenomenal] record and one of the exceptions in this line of business, as our records show there has not been even a single complaint received by us."
I have bought my seeds from you for over 25 years and have no reason to find fault.--O. Burton, Sibley, Iowa.
Enclosed find my order for seeds. I have purchased seeds from you for the past eight years, and find them just as advertized [advertised].--Mary F. Nicholson, New Virginia, Iowa.

DO NOT NEGLECT TO SEND FOR A FEW FLOWER SEEDS FOR YOUR WIFE.