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IOWA SEED COMPANY, DES MOINES, IOWA. 17.

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THE MOST DELICIOUS OF ALL MELONS
THE PRINCESS

THE PRINCESS.--This splendid variety is nearly round, with heavily netted, dark green skin; the flesh is of a rich salmon color, and in flavor is sweet and luscious beyond description. They ripen early and grow to good size, frequently weighing eight to ten pounds each. This is a grand new variety which it will pay you to try. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 25c, lb. 80c.
IOWA MASTODON.--The most extraordinary new variety ever offered and will create a sensation wherever seen. See description on 2nd page of cover and try it this year. Per pkt. of 15 seeds, 25c.

NEW WINTER PINEAPPLE.--This melon in appearance is entirely distinct from any other variety ever grown in this country. The outside skin, instead of being netted, is deeply corrugated. They have the thickest flesh of any melon, with but a small seed cavity. Indeed they might be said to be almost solid. When ripe the outside skin is of rich yellow, intermingled with light green. The flesh is of a light green color, unusually spicy, melting and delicious. But the most remarkable and valuable feature of this new melon is its wonderful keeping qualities. They do not ripen on the vines like other muskmelons, but have to be picked before hard frost and laid away in a cool, dry cellar, where they will keep sound and sweet for months. When wanted for use they must be brought into a warm room, where they will ripen up in a few days. They are hardy and very prolific. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 15c, 1/4 lb. 40c, lb. $1.25.

[image] Winter Pineapple.

SHUMWAY'S GIANT.--Of monstrous size, cream yellow, early, absolutely distinct, and with seeds more than twice as large as other sorts. A whole field of them will average 15 to 20 pounds each, and select specimens weigh more. Sweet and luscious with fine, melting, thick, salmon-colored flesh. Never stringy. The flavor is pleasant, not high, nor rank. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 35c, lb. $1.00.
MONTREAL MARKET.--Uniformly of large size, averaging from 15 to 20 pounds in weight. Flesh very thick and of fine flavor. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 25c, lb. 65c.
PERFECTION.--Rich color and luscious flavor. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 25c, lb. 75c.

[image] BAY VIEW.

BAY VIEW.--This variety is one of the largest, most prolific, best flavored and finest melons in cultivation. In flavor it is luscious, sweet and deliciously rich. It has been grown to weigh from fifteen to twenty pounds and from fifteen to eighteen inches long. It is hardy, vigorous, and continues a long time in bearing. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 20c, lb. 60c.
CHAMPION MARKET.--A superb variety destined to become very popular. Almost a perfect globe in shape, and densely netted, making it one of the handsomest cantaloupes known. Flesh is thick, light green color, and rich, sweet flavor. Very productive. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 25c, lb. 85c.
IMPROVED CANTALOUPE.--Large size, flesh light yellow, delicious flavor. Per pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 20c, lb. 50c.

[image] CHAMPION MARKET.

OUR NEW STORE.
As a rule we do not care to talk about ourselves or our business, as the value of our Choice Iowa Seeds is an almost exhaustless theme, but at this time as doubtless a hundred thousand readers of this catalogue will be interested in our new store, we deem it only justice to them to devote a small space to it.
For the past four years we have been greatly crowded for room, and our trade has grown so rapidly that our store on Walnut street became inconvenient, and each year we have been compelled to have storage in other localities. Last spring we had three warehouses besides our main building. During the past summer there has been erected an elegant, stone front building, size 44x133, arranged with all the conveniences for our business, and it is said to be the most perfectly arranged seed store in the west for a mail order trade. It is down in the business part of the city near the postoffice, express offices, telegraph offices, banks, etc.
The main store room is 44x68 feet, and here is kept a complete stock of nearly 2,000 kinds of seeds, besides a great variety of hand garden tools, gardeners' and florists' supplies, etc. At the rear of this room are the general offices, where the orders are booked and much of the correspondence is done amid the busy clicking of typewriters. Here also is the desk of the president of the Iowa Seed Co., and of the bookkeeper and cashier. Immediately back of this is the private office of the manager, who has general oversight of the business. Here all purchases are made, and all catalogues and price lists prepared. This room is connected by speaking tubes with all parts of the building and by a convenient telephone with all business firms of this city, and with most of the important towns within a radius of one hundred miles. The mail, which is almost constantly arriving on about thirty trains per day, is opened here by old and trusted clerks, and all important letters are answered before leaving the room. The orders are then assorted and after booking go to various departments for filling.
In the large back room are the offices of the receiving and shipping clerks and a place for filling field seed orders. Upstairs is the mail order department, which is in charge of the vice-president of this company, who has spent a lifetime in growing and handling seeds. Here also are the store rooms, work room, cleaning room, and the largest and most complete printing office that we know of in the United States that is connected with a seed store with possibly two exceptions. In the basement is a most excellent storage room for seed potatoes, and for filling potato orders; also for storing berry boxes, flower pots, bulbs, dormant roots, onion sets, etc. The entire building is rat-proof and lighted with electricity.
About five blocks away is "Warehouse A," which is also shown on the first page of this catalogue. It is a large building, size 66x132 feet, four stores and basement, built very strong so as to hold the immense quantities of seeds and other goods with which it is filled. It is located beside the railroad, so that cars can be loaded and unloaded at the door. Here we store large amounts of seeds, and they are hauled up to our Locust street store as needed. No orders are filled from this building except carload lots. Both buildings are supplied with electric elevators.