Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-17
SEEDS FOR THE PEOPLE.
THE GREAT DISTRIBUTION BY
CONGRESSAIEN.

CONGRESSMEN.
Nearly 100000 Packages Yearly
Mailed from the Agricultural Depart
ment-A Busy WorkrOOm.
An average Congressman, says Wash
Ington letter to the Boston Advertiser,
prizes nothing more than his seeds. The
books, maps. charts, reports and other
printed matter which are supplied to him
by the ton for gratuitous distribution are
vel enough, but none of them are so
popular as the seeds. They are always
appreciated, and appeal to that great
mass OF tle country constituencies who
reua nothing about the volumes Of great
value issued on the chronological, geo
LOGICAL educational and other re-
searches made bY the experts IN
government employ. Nor do they prize
ffa .~elt tones Of the Record and the law
hooks issued from tbs government print
inn office. NOT even the YolumIn0us de-
cls..E- oE First Comptroller Lawrence
Who has Yearly printed, no one knows
WIN his opinions on legal questions COM
5r arr him. The only rival TO the seed
distribution Is the pOnderOus agricultural
r.r.-t. costing the government several
hundred thousand dollars annually to
mint. which can be found stacked up in
ha 8rrers # the active agriculturist the
country over.
TEr- Seed distribution is a peculiar
affair From its inception the Agricul-
frr1T Department has relied upon IL as
eEfat means 10 keeping in the good graces
rr D.r--e=-ueu, with remarkable sue
.r-- lis popularity is based upon the
same rriE. 5uIe which induces the head Of
III Hsla1uU gardens to send frequent
T.-.-a-= ~ members, or Secretary Chan
f.artr Keep tle IallapOOsa and Despatch
ne-a during the pleasant springtime TO
take lexis. tive excursions to Mount YER
nom ana Fortress Monroe. The seed busi-
ness began small, but last year $4,000
was VOICED for its support and this year
SrH... I- set aside for that purpose.
F-uarv The business was done IN the
basement rt the Agricultural Depart
rau-. .UE two Years ago a spacious build
m- was erected for the purpose, which
rrrs--r shelters tine Civil Service Com
u.s--1u.r-. 50 that the applicants for
office Uara as a soft monotone to the
traT-ars VT their examination papers, the
gentle rattle of peas and beans in the
fal- below.
Invent down there the other day to find
lEN women and IS men busily employed in
uutt.u- lE the seed. The men get 81 50 a
tav ana tile women 81 p. Mr.. LOngley,
ls chief. with a manner worthy of an
English bishop, presides. Every year he
buys tons gf seeds. Some come from
abroad the greater part all grows IN this
country. lie is constantly on the lookout
lTru.N varieties. which are bought, tried
lVfl. apartment gardener. and. if a sue
cess. sent ont. IwO-thirds Of his apprO-
n.IIlr be- spends In seeds, the rest in
putting them up. Half the women paste
tIEa tlrr -tII paper envelopes for the
smaller kinds, and others sew cotton bags
Oh Oh. farm seeds. Then boys with differ
gUt -.E. scoops nil them, and ut long
tables other women gum the envelope
laps, w wI-l q few quick stitches, sew
Tile I3-- Then they are piled UP IN heaps
DIS. small -rist mill. waiting to be sent
away. Ills work is going on all the year.
N.T -le winter wheat is being prepared,
% followed ay the cotton for the South.
l#- me- give You an idea of the Quauti-
ties sent uI- During the year just over
Nr. L1u-leE has mailed 5,622, I3S pack
ages. an going free. OF these, 1912, $50
are gwen r0 the congressman, although
NE the Laws they are only entitled to two
tIrr.s. Then the Agricultural Depart
uaut has 2 crop correspondent in every
county ANA 9 general one in each State.
Tie former -9t 5S5, 800 packages. the lat
l.r :, t1H- While miscellaneous applicants
received -.H65s. And so perfect is the
system thar great books are kept wherein
each recipient and what he receives are
SET down. The seeds are Of all sorts. from
le-d corn and potatoes to the rarest flow
cps. Peas, beans, corn ana potatoes are
put Pep iu quart sacks and the flower seeds
In TINY envelopes. The list includes over
5Q Kinds, while of vegetables there are
l-> varieties and Of flowers 1871
These two are more than twO-thirds of
he whole Last year 2,351, $50 lots Of
Vegetable and 563. 63S Of flower seeds We're
distributed turnlps ranking next, with
t-H.>s,. wheat 6g. 300. tobacco 11467I. Do
tlt-=- L-,--4, sorghum 34.3j9, while of the
I0.- Ne~H pissed SunhOWer sos packages were
given away. The flowers catch the
Nli1l1e constituent, and are therefore in
great demand among the members. IN
le5 tug defamation by which this dis
Lt..-..l IS made, II Is stated that the
"t..ect 0t this distribution is the promo
lel .t The interests Of agriculture, by in
lla-eln@ into the various sections Of the
country such new and valuable products
% may e adapted to the soil and climate
g e3el. Just how this applies to lilies
q the valley. for instance, 1 have never
'.-El uUts but the women folk" whose
gardens blossom from year to year as the
result 9t their members sagacious
t4al-lrtllEess need never fear that the
supply VIII De diminished.
BUT the reader Will say, what a Job 1t
must le Tor Congressman to do up and
t4lFess such a number of packages. Al
lowing that the division was made equal
y each one received last year 7.I04. This
Z A.t literally true, for the city members
ts-t often exchange their seeds with bu-
S.-te statesmen for books and other per-
a--sites, while tine country members, who
Eer can get enough seeds 90 IN troops
u. tn fsre hur
E-N Y! allowance and exchange. He al
We manages to squeeze out a few eX-
~, "lleu accounts for their having more
--4l lWl-Llirjs. But taking the aver
-zE A4mler- over 1000 of these
t-l1s-eS e direct would be a large job.
instead Of That, they DO this: Every Con-
-5@sl-ial Aeeps wonderful book CT
ZONES. He faus3cks directories. writes
-3eal poIlclans and relies on his men,
~ e. get list Of all the men in his dis
-.st VINO Tor any reason are worth looking
al-el. thousands of them, with addresses.
e. mus Qn hand. This volume is sent to
- setI once. There the clerks direct to
- --- name q variety Of seeds, and in the
---a goes AZ the same time a neat official
.s-a4 card, which bears these words. the
--tLAs appropriately filled:
2L tae request Of Hon. - We send
N@lEaE i. LoRISG, Commissioner.
L--e the recipient sees whence the
-e-..e- comes, even if the member does
-tle the bags sent to his room TO be
l.,-0 as DIS own hand. One wagon is
-E instantly carrying the parcels to
f. Isl ONCE. and if the Increase goes on
t4e knows what bounds this grand
---i9u may not reach. With pro-
$3.50 els an Alabama man not long ago
go go q hf. L0ring asking him to forward
-----le a4E. The seed business makes the
F--s--tlral Department popular eYery-
tt--e, especially with members. though
rs el.- idea that the seed is grown by
= -'- sa- Ion now by buying at viii the
f Il obtained, and the farmers and
go -ll wives who want the very best for
sN-usA and field have only to ask aud