The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-02-05
The Government Seed Bureau.

The seed business began small, but
last year SIS, 600 was voted for its sup
port and this year 500 900 is set aside
for that purpose. Formerly the bust
ness was done in the basement of the
Agricultural Department, but two wears
ago a spacious building was erected
for that purpose. which also now shell
tiers the Civil Service Commission, so
that the applicants for office have as q
soft monotone to the drudgery of their
examination papers, the gentle rattle
| of peas and beans on the floor below.
l went down there the other day to
find $50 women and So men busily en-
pioyed in putting up the seed. The
men get $50 day and the wom-
en- 81. 25. Mr.. Longiey. the chief, with
a manner worthy of an English Bishop,
presides. Every year he buys tons of
seeds. Some come from abroad; the
greater part are grown in this country.
He is constantly on the lookout for new
varieties, which are bought, tried by
the department gardener, and if sue
cess sent out. Two-thirds of the ap-
preparation he spends in seeds, the
rest in putting them up. Half the wom-
en- paste together stiff paper envelopes
for the smaller kinds, and others new
cotton pags for the farm seeds.
Then boys with different sized scoops
fill them, and at long tables other wom-
en- gum the envelope flap, or with
quick stitches sew the bags. Then thev
are piled up in heaps like small grist
mill, waiting 10 be sent away. This
work is going on all the year. Now
the winter wheat is being prepared, to
be followed by the cotton seed for the
South.
Let me give you an idea of the guam
titles sent out. During the year just
over, MIR. Longley has mailed 8, 622. 1873
packages, all going free. OF these g.
Si2, are given to the Congressman,
although by law they are only entitled
to two-thirds. Then the Agricultural
Department has a crop correspondent
in every county and a general one in
each state. The former got 1875, 9O5
packages, the latter Y, $50, while mis-
cellaneous applicants received 279. 653.
And so perfect is the system that great
books are kept wherein each recipient
and what he gets are set down. The
seeds are of all sorts, from field corn
and potatoes to the rarest flowers.
Peas, beans. corn and potatoes are put
up in quart sacks, and the flower-seeds
in tiny envelopes. The list includes
over fifty kinds, while of vegetables
there are 12S varieties, and of flowers
ISL Last year 2, SOL, SS5 lots of vege-
table and 500, 63S of flower seeds we're
distributed, turnips ranking next, with
425, S5S, wheat g. 290. tabacco ia, GIL,
potatoes II, 229, serghum "a, $50, while
OF the poor, despised sunfiower 565
packages were given away. The flow
ers catch the feminine constituent and
are, therefore, in great demand among
the members. Under the proclamation
by which the distribution is made. it is
stated that the ''object of this distribu-
ton is the promotion of the interests of
agriculture, by introducing into the va
rious sections of the country such new
and valuable products as may be
adapted to the soil and climate of
each" just how this applies to lilies
of the valley, for instance. have never
found out; but the women folks
whose gardens bloom from year to
year as result of their members sa-
gacious thoughtfulness need never fear
that the supply will be diminished
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