Robert and John Garton made a commercial start as R. & J. Garton. They launched their first variety, Abundance oat, in 1892.
Generous publicity followed in the press, together with the publication of articles by botanists in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and in the Transactions of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland in 1894 and 1898. Professor Robert Wallace (1853–1939) of the University of Edinburgh said Under the system originated by Mr John Garton an infinite number of new and distinct breeds of oats, barleys, wheats, clovers and grasses have been produced.
In 1898 a public company was launched, Gartons Limited. It was based in Warrington. Many of the 600 or so subscribers for £50,000 cumulative preference shares of 6% rising to 10% were farmers. 
George Peddie Miln joined the company as Managing Director, together with Robert Garton, Thomas R. Garton, Thomas Baxter and Arthur Smith as directors. Robert and John Garton agreed to continue to work for the Company for five years for £500 and to receive the entire ordinary share capital of the new company of £50,000.
It rapidly became the United Kingdom's best known plant breeding and seed company, and also exported seeds widely.