1913

[Image advertisement for IOWA SEED Co. There is a young girl, barefoot and wearing a white dress. She is smelling red roses on a rose bush. She is looking up at large roses of various colors. Red, white, pink, and yellow.]

ESTABLISHED 48 YEARS

KAISERIN ETOILE DE FRANCE YELLOW COCHET CHAMPION OF THE WORLD BESSIE BROWN

ANNUAL CATALOGUE FOR 1913

YOU CAN HAVE ROSES ALL SUMMER BY PLANTING THE

EVERBLOOMING ROSE COLLECTION 5 SUPERB ROSES FOR 50CTS. POSTPAID.

SEEDSMEN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IOWA SEED CO. DESMOINES, IOWA. U. S. A

ONLY ONE QUALITY THE BEST

[image, Top Right: Black and white drawing of a blooming rose.] [image, bottom left: Various garden vegetables arranged in a display, cabbage corn melons turnips beetroot cauliflower onions and radish.]

EVERBLOOMING ROSE COLLECTION Satisfactory Sorts Chosen for This Special Offer Because They Bloom Very Freely and Continuously

FIVE FINE, STRONG PLANTS POSTPAID FOR 50 cts

Fine Two-Year-Old Plants for Immediate Blooming Postpaid to any Address $1.00

FORM AND SHADES OF COLOR SHOWN IN ARTISTIC PICTURE ON FRONT COVER PAGE OF THIS CATALOGUE

It is impossible to convey on paper the loveliness of the Rose. The artist has palated from nature and you can form some conception of the beauty of our blooming roses, but we cannot show in this manner the dewy freshness, splendid substance or delightful fragrance of these queenly blossoms. No flower that blooms is so popular as the rose, and the varieties offered in this collection will delight the grower with sturdy growth and bountiful returns. Our choice of these varieties for this offer was determined by consideration first, the production of bloom; second, hardiness and vigor of plants; third, harmony of colour; and we know from experience in growing roses for many years and from comparative tests of hundreds of varieties that our selection of kinds for this collection will please our friends who favour us with orders for this Everblooming Rose Collection. The young plants offered are vigorous growing plants from 2 1/2 inch pots, while the two-year-old plants will be either dormant or growing plants depending upon the time of filling the order. Dormant plants will be sent as long as stock lasts after which growing plants will be supplied. In either case we guarantee them to reach you in good condition.

Kaiserin.

The picture does not do it justice it is in our opinion the finest white everblooming garden rose. It is as hardy as any of this class and will winter safely with protection. Buds are of faultless shape, and develope into great large double flowers of soft pearly white, lightly tinted with lemon at the centre. Is exquisitely fragrant and a free bloomer. Worthy of first place in our first bargain offer. Each 15c; two-year-old 30c.

Bessie Brown.

This is called by rose specialists the finest new variety which has been brought out for many years past. It is a hybrid tea variety which originated in England. Blooms are very large in size, full double and of perfect shape; color, creamy white flushed and tinged with pink, especially at the at the edges of the petals which are shell shaped. It was awarded eight prizes at the great English floral exhibition. Blooms freely; is of the sweetest fragrance, and is just the thing for wearing. Each 20c; two-year-old plants, each 35c.

Etoile de France.

This great French Rose well deserves its name, "Star of France." It makes a fine upright bush, has beautiful deep-green foliage, and the flowers, which are glorious in their form and fragrance, are borne with amazing profusion- in fact it is always in bloom. Large, massive, deep full, cup formed flowers are produced singly on long, stiff stems, while the color is absolutely new- clear red or crimson velvet, and the fragrance is exquisitely sweet. It's a gem of the first water. Each 20c; two-year-old plants, each 40c.

Yellow Cochet.

The cochets are the hardiest of the everblooming roses. They winter with only slight protection. The buds are peculiarly long and pointed and open into very large flowers. The color of this variety is deep sulphur yellow, and is generally accorded first place among yellow roses for outdoor planting by rose specialists. It makes a good plant, and bears abundantly. There is continuous popular demand for yellow everblooming rose of adequate hardiness, and we offer the Yellow Cochet to meet this want. Each 15c; two-year-old, each 35c.

Champion of the World.

Champion in form, champion in bloom. Claimed to produce more flowers during a season than any other variety of rose. The illustration hardly equals in beauty the flower as the blossoms are perfectly double to the center. Color is a bright, rich deep pink, shining and beautiful, not surpassed in loveliness by any other variety. Grows a fine bush, with deep green foliage and will be the cherished favorite with everyone who plants it. Each 15c; two-year-old plants 30c.

American Beauty Rose Collection

Who has not heard of the American Beauty, the rose famed in story, poetry nad song? The cut flowsers are frequently sold during the winter as $10.00 to $25.00 per dozen. What flower lover has not hoped some day to have a "garden of roses" with American Beauties galore? This collection has proven very popular and we are growing vast numbers of plants for the immense demand. Read carefully the list of varieties fully described in the Plant List and notice the low prices. American Beauty, White American Beauty, Black Beauty, Striped Beauty, Pink Beauty, and Moss Beauty.

SPECIAL: One strong plant each of the above six roses for 75c. One large two-year-old plant of each for $1.50. By mail to any town in the United States.

"Complete Garden Collection" 35 Varieties Best Garden Vegetables FOR $1.00 All Good Desirable Sorts Sure to Please You.

Consists of one full size packet each of Improved Golden Wax Beans, Old Homestead Pole Beans, Eclipse Beet, Henderson's Snowball Cauliflower, Washington Wakefield Cabbage, Shortstem Drumhed Cabbage, Oxheart Carrot, White Plume Celery, Early Sunrise Corn, Country Gentleman Corn, Emerald Cucumber, Improved Ground Cherry, American Mammoth Brussels Sprouts, Monarch White Rice Pop Corn, Continuty Lettuce, Improved Hanson Lettuce, Rocky Ford Musk Melon, Duke Jones Water Melon, Large Red Wethersfield Onion, Mammoth Prizetaker Onion, Iowa Challenge Peas, White Icicle Radish, Rosy Gem Radish, Improved Table Guernsey Parsnip, Market Gardener's Parsley, Ruby King Pepper, Early Crookneck Squash, Hester Squash, Bloomsdale Spinach, Mammoth Sandwich Island Salsify, New Stone Tomato, Matchless Tomato, White Egg Turnip, Purple Top Strap Leaf Turnip, Monarch Ruta Baga, and Garden Lemon.

Total of 35 Full Sized Packets Sent Postpaid for $1.00 At Our Regular Price They Amount to About Two Dollars

NOTICE: These collections are all put up ready for mailing before our busy season begins, and therefore cannot be changed or divided. Varieties described in Vegetable Seed Dept.

It is a Bargain. Can a Dollar be better Invested?

The best investment I ever made with one dollar was this spring when I sent to you for garden seeds. I wish you could see my garden, it is just grand, - Mrs. David Horton, Caseville, Mich.

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Seed Catalogue and Garden Guide.

Expected Expansion for 1913 How we have prepared for increased trade this season We have made but few improvements or additions to our equipment this past year; but enough has been done in each department to place it in readiness to handle an increased trade of at least 40 per cent over last year. In 1912 we exceeded even our most sanguine expectations in volume of business, but as we have had a steady growth each year since 1908, we believe this growth is to continue and have prepared accordingly. Our strength for the coming year lies in our personal organization. In each department we have employed new people of ability to assista our trained experts of many years' experience. We have most carefully selected these people as our business now demands a larger force of permanent employes whos value to us and to our customers increases with each year of service. We take great pride in our employes and they in turn give to our house the best there is in them in service and loyalty. With these people at your command, to serve you honestly and well, and with the splendid equipment which we have furnished to assist them in their work, we feel assured that no other seed house in the country will serve you better for at less expense to you. We have immense stocks of the finest seeds in our elevator and warehouses. Our greenhouses are filled with vigorous young plants of exceptional strength and beauty. Our organization is strong; full of energy and the spirit of service; and our entire equipment is thoroughly up to the minute in readiness to care for your orders. We want your business, with the promise to do our best to make our trading mutually profitable.

[Images] Fifth St. Warehouse Store and Office Mail Order Building Seed farms - 8600 acres Altoona Corn House Greenhouses

Our Establishments The Iowa Seed Store is so well known in Des Moines that it would be difficult to find even a child in this city of 100,000 inhabitants who does not know its location. It occupies the large building at 613-615 Locust street, within a few blocks of the postoffice, express offices and the principal railroad passenger stations. The large store room is full of interest to everyone who has a farm or garden, or who loves flowers. Here are located the offices and correspondence department. During the busy season we receive 2,000 to 7,000 letters every day. We are always glad to have our customers call and see us.

Thirty-Two Greenhouses erected during the past few years are devoted to growing plants for the mail order trade, and contain a greater variety of plants than any other greenhouse establishment in the west. They are located convenient to the electric car line, fronting five blocks on 31st street, from Center street north to Kingman Boulevard, one of the finest driving streets in the city. Here we devote fully twelve acres to flowers, making the finest display to be found in the west.

Mail Order Building is located at 208-210-212 South Eighth street, about six blocks from our store. The railway tracks beside the building give us excellent facilities for handling carload lots, and we are centrally located between the various freight depots so that small shipments can be made promptly. Our machinery is operated by five electric motors, and we claim that our mills for cleaning seed cannot be surpassed. We can readily fill 2.000 to 4,000 orders per day in this building, and they are handled in such a careful way that errors seldom occur. Most of our employes have been with us many years, and no "green hands" handle seeds in bulk.

The Warehouse on South Fifth street we have occupied for many years for storage purposes only. Large lots of seed which come in after harvest are thoroughly cleaned and then put away in this building for the spring trade.

Seed Corn House - We have a very large trade in seed corn and to care for it properly we erected this building on our seed farm at Altoona. We now hav capacity for 25,000 bushels of seed corn, every ear of which can be given the personal inspection of an expert.

Our New Grain Elevator. - Just completed at Altoona, with 12-bin capacity, for caring for our seed grain, the demand for which is expanding to enormous proportions. Photograph on page 39.

Seed Farms. - It requires the seed crop from about 8,600 acres to supply our trade and the farms are widely isolated so as to avoid any mixtures. Some seeds cannot be grown to advantage here, and we contract with practical seed growers elsewhere to grow for us.

IOWA SEED COMPANY, DES MOINES, IOWA. 3

VEGETABLE SEEDS

Our stock of vegetable seeds we are sure cannote be excelled either in quality of selection by any firm in the country, as we watch our growing crops with great care taking pains to isolate and keep pure and true to name. Every variety listed is desirable and has our reccommendation. Our packets are, we believe, as well filled as any reliable seed dealer's in the United States, and, in fact, a comparison has shown that they contain more seed on the average than those of any other firm whose packets we have secured. We pay the postage at these prices except on Beans, Peas and Corn at the peck or bushel rates.

We make it a rule to carefully test all seeds as soon as received from the grower or as soon as they are brought in from our seed farms. We also carry on extensive trials on our grounds by which we are en abled to offer only those strains of seeds which come up to the standard of purity and excellence and are of the highest vitality and the result is that we rarely have com plaints as our Choice Iowa Seeds are sure to please.

[Image of vegetable plants growing in rows labelled Seed Testing and Trials]

ASPARAGUS

(One ounce will grwo forty feet of drill.) For asparagus roots, see page 38.)

Asparagus is so easily grown and such a large quantity is produced on a small amount of ground that every garden should contain a bed. A bed ten feet square requiring 50 plants will give abundant supply for any ordinary famity. Soak the seed 4 hours in tepid water; sow early in spring in rows a foot apart; keep clean by requent weeding and hoeing. Ask for free circular giving instructions for making an asparagus bed.

Columbian Mammoth White. A new and entirely distinct variety, that produces shoots shich are white and stay shite as long as fit for use. Is more robust and vigorous in habit, and throws up larger shoots and fully as many as Conover's Colossal, and requires no earthing up in order to furnish the white shoots so much sought after. Per Pkt. 5 c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 20c, lb. 60c .

[Image of a bundle of white asparagus labelled Columbian Mammoth Asparagus]

Palmetto. Stalks frequently measure 2 inches in diameter, and even when 12 inches long are perfectly tender when cooked. Pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 20c, lb. 60c.

Conover's Colossal. The standard variety. Pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 20c, lb. 50c.

Articoke

This vegetable is a great delecacy, highly valued in all parts of Europe, and also one of their most prominent table vegetables in California and other parts of the country. It is a perennial producing the large flower heads, which are the part eaten, the second season and every year thereafter. The young stalks are also sometimes tied and blanched like celery, but the are not equal to the flower heads. Cook like asparagus and serve with cream or butter sauce. Sow seed early in hotbeds or box in the house, and when weather becomes settled transplant in rows four feet apart and two feed in the row. WHen started early sometimes blooms the first year.

Large Green Globe. The best variety for general use; buds large; scales green; very think, fleshy. Pkt. 10c, oz. 35c, 1/4 lb. $1.00

[Image of artichoke flowers, labelled Large Green Globe Artichoke]

Borecole, or Kale

(One ounce will produce about 3,000 plants.)

In a hardier vegetable than cabbage; excellent for greens during winter and spring; splendid food for poultry. Cultivate like cabbage.

Extra Curled Mossback. A most attractive variety; fine crimped leaves, light green, admirable for garnishing. Best cooking. Pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 30c, lb. 80c.

[Image of Kale head labelled Extra Curled Mossback Kale]

Dwarf German Green or SIberian. Popular. Pkt. 5c, oz. 10c, 1/4 lb. 25c, lb. 75c .

Thousand Headed. Grown mainly for forage, but also an excellent garden vegetable. See farm seed department. Pkt. 5c, 1/4 lb. 20c, lb. 50c .

Brussels Sprouts

[Image of Brussels Sprouts plant labelled Brussels Sprouts]

(One ounce will produce abut 3,000 plants.)

Of the cabbage family, producing numberous heads on the stem, of most delicious quality, as well as cabbage-like head at the top. Use and cul tivate the same as winter cabbage.

American Mammoth. A new and greatly superior va riety of American growth which forms heads ready for pick ing about three weeks earlier than other varieties. It makes stronger plants and more heads. A profitable crop for market gardeners. Pkt. 10 c, oz. 35c, 1/4 lb. $1.00 .

English. Pkt. 5c, oz. 15c, 1/4 lb. 45c.

Broccoli

(One ounce will produce about 3,000 plants)

Growth and habit like the cauliflower, except that it is more hardy, and the heads are not as compact. It is not desirable for warm or dry countries, but is of special value in the north. Cultivate and use the same as Cauliflower.

Early large White. The most popular sort. Has medium sized creamy white heads. Pkt. 5c, oz. 35c .

[Image of head similar to cauliflower, labelled Extra Large White Broccoli]

Asparagus roots are offered on page 38. You save a year's time by purchasing roots