Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-02
REFORM IN THE SEED DIvIsION.
Changes Made nc the Agricultural De-
parsmess An the Method Of Dissrtbo.
ting Seed.

number OF new methods for conducting
the business OF the Agricultural department
have been inaugurated under Commissioners
Coman with the view OF improving the ser.
vice. That division with which the public n
mostly interested is the seed division, which II
now In charge OF Major VIM. NJ. King. formerly
editor OF the Rural World, OF st. Louis. His rs
sistant is DIR. III. X. Branham, OF Mississippi, and
the corps under them In making rapid progress
In the work OF putting mp seed preparatory Co
nllirg the orders OF members OF Congress and
others. Just now wheat, rye and some OF the
grasses are being sent out
Major King. drawing upon his experience
IN agricultural Journalism and knowledge
ol the needs OF the farmers In the
various sections OF the country, has
Will result i'm advantage 10 all parties Interested
In the proper distribution OF seeds and plants
10 oe sent out by the department. Much OF the
cohpiaiht mace In former years was owing, In
part at least, TO the fact that many OF the
orders put up often included seed which,
though perfectly appropriate 10 certain local..
ties were of doubtful utility n no, worthless i'm
Others. In other words, no general order could
oe Pu. VI sulLaole 20 All parts Of the country.
tory extra precaution Is taken Ia test the seeds
before sending them out. None will now be
made. These are made by Prot Vim saun-
ders, in charge of the department grounds and
By means of this double test durtng n nerioS
not exceeding three weeks IL can, IL IL stated,
be determined whether the seed Is good or
otherwise.
The adaptability TO particular sections OF GER
tain kinds OF grain Ii the next question OF i'm
portance, and i'm the matter OF wheat a tabu-
lated form is now used, by which the varieties
best adapted 10 particular localities readily
selected. The different varieties are designated
by letters, and the position OF the letters =
map indicates the point Ia which the mailing
clerk, Mr. +. Burke, should send them.
In the labels there have also been some changes
made. The letters ~. -" appearin g before the
name department OF Agriculture il used SD
as to avoid confusion with some state associa-
tions who use the name OF department OF Agri-
culture. Then, too, there Is given more fully
than before directions for sowing or planting and
lawn grass mi xture the directions are:
First properly grade the surface: manure
heavily; piow deeply, and harrow I'm a quantity
narrowing and rolling alternately until the sur
face Is thoroughly fine and mellow. III prefera-
bic as top-dressing harrow I'm lightly Just
before sowing the seed, u pounds OF pure bone
hour To the square rod, or AN equal amount OF
the best super-phosphate One pound OF lawn
grass seed Is sufficient for plot five by fourteen
PAGES. or SOW not less than MY pounds To the
acre. Sow at least twice as thickly for a lawn
as for meadow. South OF the forty degree OF
latitude the seed may be advantageously sown
i'm september and October. North Of this line
spring seeding Is recommended Brush In the
seed and use the roller. For Il perfect, carpet
dispensable."
In the packages of lawn grass sent out by the
department there is about half pound OF seed.