The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-05-30
The Seed Business.

This business has, of late years,
grown to vast dimensions. 1t is but a
short time since every farm housewife
looked to her own little store of seeds
for the garden in the spring, and on
her, principally, devolved the care and
forethought in the fall, of having a va
riety of vegetable, herb and flower
seeds prepared and carefully stored for
use the subsequent season. Now this
is all changed. The nearest store is
the seed receptacle of every farmer, in
this improvident and fast age. While
endless varieties may be had without
any trouble or previous preparation by
our farmers and gardeners, they never
theless experience much vexation and
often serious disappointment and loss,
beside the expense incurred in the
purchase of seed at well nigh gold-dust
prices.
What the farming interest have lost
by this change may be estimated by the
immense business and profits recently
developed by the seed merchants. In
bringing out new and pure varieties of
vegetable and flower seeds, tho concen-
tration of the business on farms spe-
cially prepared for the purpose has
been of great advantage, but this is not
an unmixed evil. Many very superior
vegetables which were produced under
the old system appear greatly
changed coming from the seedsman's
farm.
But the most important phase of the
subject is the expense and money tax
which has been placed upon the farm
interest to sustain it. A writer in the
New York Tribune, recently, has been
examining this subject, and the follow.
ing are few of the facts developed.
This writer says:
81 have had some experience in seed
purchasing, which leads me to believe
that our planting interests are imposed
upon to an extent which will justify re-
mOnstrance, and which calls for reform.
allude to the extravagantly high rates
that are charged for seed, when rur-
chased in small quantities. Take beet
seeds, for example, which are among
the cheapest and most commonly
planted of garden seeds. By referring
to almost any catalogue it will be seen
that, where pound rates range from
sixty cents to 1925, the ounce rates
will be from ten to fifteen cents. This
brings them to from SLIGO to $2.40 per
pound, which is considerably more than
double the regular pound rates. The
extra cost of putting them up in ounces
would be but a trifie. 1t could not add
more than ten cents to the cost of a
pound. have just weighed the con-
tents of ten-cent package of onion
seed, offered at 81 per pound; at the
packet late they would bring $3.50 per
pound. These are cases of the most
commonly-sown seed. AS we come to
finer varieties, the difference becomes
more striking. For instance, cauli-
flower seed, held at S14 per pound, is
sold by the ounce at 1874 per pound.
"These facts are drawn from the
catalogues of some of our most re-
spectacle dealers and are not the most
extreme cases. They are based on the
actual weight of pounds and ounces.
When it comes to purchasing seeds in
packets the difference amounts to down.
right swindling. Ihave twice sent east
for caulitlOwer seed, which was adj
vertised at 81 per ounce, or 50 cents
per packet, not thinking at the time
but that the so cents would bring some
thing like an eighth of an ounce of
seed, l sent for the packet. There
were so few seeds that weighed them,
and found that l had paid ut the rate
of 1854 per pound, which gave a profit
of 5000 per pound above ounce rates.
l submit that this amount of money
would have more than paid for wrap
ping each seed separately in gold leaf.
1 have just planted 5O-cent packet
from the same source, which contained
but about $50 seeds, some of them evil
IDENTIFY imperfect, and the whole weigh
ing but ten grains. This would bring
them up to $3.50 per pound, and give a
profit of more than $780,"
With q little trouble and no actual
expense, every farmer can raise and
save almost all the seeds he wishes for
farm and garden use. And this would
be matter of several dollars clear
profit, and with the equally important
fact of having what hc kses0 to be fresh,
sound seed of the varieties named.
From a few turnips, beets, parsnips,
cabbages and other vegetables planted
out this spring, he can raise as much
seed, which he will have the satisfac-
ton of knowing to be pure and good,
as will plant acres of these vegetables,
if he wishes, and all at mere nominal
cost. Radish, lettuce, cucumber, melon
and other seed, he may save in abund-
ance through the summer.
One thing of the very first Importance
is to select none but the largest and
most perfect specimens from which to
propagate seed. Never resort to the
expensive economy of using offal, inn.
perfect potatoes, or other vegetables to
grow from. This is sytem of false
economy which has cost our short
sighted farmers millions of dollars
Kansas Farmer.