14

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 wearther 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 hotels 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. 20c; 1/4 lb. 60c; lb. $2.00.

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 and nearby markets. Vines of strong
vigorous growth and very prolific. If fruits are
gathered as soon as they ripen, the vines will continue
in 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, crystalling in appearance, and of rich salmon color. Seed
scarce this year. Pkt. 10c, oz. 20c, 1/4 lb. 65c, lb. $2.25.

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, 1/4 lb. 35c, lb. $1.15.

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; 1/4 lb. 50c; lb. $1..65.

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 slamon color. It looks almost like an overgrown
banana; smells like one, hence its name. Pkt. 10c; oz. 25c

Princess, or Perfection. - This splendid variety is
nearly round, with heavy, netted, dark green skin; the flesh
is of a rich salmon color, and in flavor it is sweet and luscious
beyond description. They ripen early and grow to a good
size, often weighing 8 to 10 lbs. each. Pkt. 5c; oz. 15c, 1/4 lb.
40c; lb. $1.25.

Improved Green Nutmeg. - A greatly improved
strain of 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; 1/4 lb. 45c; lb. $1.35.

Nutted Gem. - A most excellent small melon and very
popular with melon growers. It is finely netted and looks
nicely on the market. Flesh green and particularly rich
and juicy, so that it seems to melt in the mouth. Pkt. 5c; oz. 10c;
1/4 lb. 25c; lb. 75c.

Paul Rose. - We have been greatly pleased with this new
variety, and we consider it one of the finest sorts. Is is the
result of a cross of the Osage and Netted Gem, and combines
the sweetness and high flavor of the former with the fine netting
and superior shipping qualities of the Netted Gem. It is
of particularly 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; 1/4 lb. 40c; lb. $1.25.

[Image: Rocky Ford Musk Melon.]

[Image: New Early Hackensack 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; 1/4 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; 1/4 lb. 25c; lb. 75c.

[Image: Osage Musk Melon.]

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.

Mixed Musk Melons. - All of the above and a few other
kinds grown separateely and the seed mixed together. Will produce
melons throughout the whole melon season. Per pkt. 5c; oz.
10c; 1/4 lb. 35c; lb. $1.20.

Pleased Customers.

All the seeds purchased from the Iowa Seed Co. have
given excellent results. I have some of your Majestic Tomatoes
weighing 1 1/2 lbs. each. The Pharaoh's Dream
Sweet Corn is without any doubt the finest corn I have ever
seen; your Eismark Cucumbers are of the finest quality and
enormously productive. I have a number of plants of the
Gold Nugget Tomato bearing over 100 fruits on each plant.
The fruit is of fine taste and very juicy when eaten raw.
This tomato is the finest for preserves. -Mrs. Geo. Barcis,
Hannibal, Mo.

I have bought my seeds from you for over 25 years, and
have no reason to find fault. -O. Burton, Sibley, Iowa.

Enclosed my order for seeds. I have purchased seeds
from you for the past eight years, and find them just as advertised.
-Mary F. Nicholson, New Virginia, Iowa.

Do not neglect to send for a few flower seeds for your wife.