D. M. Ferry & Co.

I think it touched 60 degrees outside yesterday.  Was 45 an hour ago, but rain coming this afternoon.  Better than snow, eh?  Regardless, got a tank full of oil, just short of two cords of wood, and a wood stove with a newly functioning blower.  Bring it on.  Well, kinda.  I'd rather mild weather all winter as I recall in Northern California.

Going back to Radio Shack today to return the fan and useless AC/DC converter.  I wonder if Brian will be working.  I'll be nice.  I'll just tell him we were able to solve it a different way.  No need to slap him.

Hunh ... some new show coming on National Geo channel about survivalists.  Lots of guns, things blowing up, and some kid throwing a metal star with razor edges into a tree from several paces away.  I wonder if they'll focus on useful things - water, food, shelter, getting off the grid - or if they'll just portray the people as militias waiting for trespassers.  Funny how television producers explain things with which they have no basis to understand.  Speaking of which, ESPN seems to be cutting production budgets - its been on for 15 or 20 minutes, and is already into repeats.  {Click} goes the Power Off button.

I bought a very large seed box yesterday.  D. M. Ferry & Co.  Interior label mostly intact.  Probably 1890s.  Remarkably, she wanted only $70 for it.  I wouldn't have paid the minimum $300+ it was worth, but at $70 it was hard to walk past.  Doing some research, I can't find any of this size.  Most are at least less high - made to be a store-counter display.  This one seems to be for salesman storage.  She threw in a vintage seed packet, too.  All I said was, "What about this seed packet?"  "Oh, I'll throw that in."  "OK, then!"  It was the only Ferry packet she had.

The company was founded in 1879, although it had earlier formulations going back to 1856.  In 1930, it bought/merged with Morse, hence Ferry-Morse.  The label on the box I bought is clearly that Victorian age of things ... so I think 1890s.  The box is in great condition and appears to be original finish and hardware.

Ah, just looked at it closely.  The inner lid has the advertising covering the left 2/3s.  In the right portion is a "Retail Invoice."  It seems that the box was filed with seed to fill an order.  The recipient - farmer - then paid the invoice and kept the box, or returned the box (invoice mentions $1.00 charge if kept).

Looking online, I also found a seed packet from the company from 1912 - the year is printed on the label.  My packet has no year.  I image that the company started putting years on the seed at some time, and presumably didn't stop.  Yellow Globe Onions Danvers.  I held it to the sun - appears empty.

Gotta shower ... walk out song ...

Bye for now..