The Farmer's Puzzle

Williams, Clark & Co., manufacturers of high-grade bone fertilizers, is proud to present you with this puzzle.  This trade card is from about 1880. Please submit your answer in the comments below.

According to an article in the New York Times on May 23, 1899, Williams, Clark & Co. was one of twenty-three major fertilizer companies that consolidated to become American Agricultural Chemical Co.

Giant Strawberries

Bring out the giant shortcake and the giant bowl of whipping cream!

Here's the back of the card, which Mike sent to Mrs. Oscar Bentson in Florence, Montana.

 

The message reads:

Dear Pat -

Your postal was O.K. looks good to see the st cars. How do these berrys look to you? Ma and I have just arrived from Portland, we were down to the carnival. Had dandy time - Took in everything Will write later + tell more about our trip.

Mike

Based on the June postmark, it's likely that Mike was in Portland for the Annual Rose Festival. The Rose Festival was a fairly new event at the time, but it is now an important tradition in Portland.

Tiny Photos

This is the back of the card, which is much more interesting than the front. If I pried the photos off I could find out who the card was addressed to, but that would ruin the card. I suspect it was sent to someone in the Woodin family though. I have a number of other cards and photos from them.

 

Here's the back-I mean the front-of the card.