Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-04-23
st ashin9tun standard
from eur Regular Correspondent
W,suIxarox. April . isA6

lNNh WV ttkhAN
w.sHIsoroS, April y, 1856
A small army OF mon aud wpmen
are now engaged in preparing the
Congressional seed supply. IN the 40
mex Of the Agricultural Department.
As there are four hundred aud
nine Senators and Representatives.
the seed division 81 this institution
IN a busy place at certain seasons OF
the year. Each legislator IL to have
SIX thousand paper packages Of
vegetable seed, five hundred Of
flower seed. three hundred OF tobsc-
co. twenty quarts Of sorghum.
twenty Of corn. fifty Of grass. twenty
eight quarts OF sugar beet aud thirty
two quarts oil cotton seed. u pu,
up in one order, each members
allowance would fll eight large mail
sacks.
The seeds distributed through
members OF Congress comprise
abou, swo-thirds OF the whole
amount disposed Of by the .Agricul-
turAl Department. The remaining
third goes TO persons in various
parts Of the country who act as
agents Of the department but receive
no compensation.
The force OF tho seed division 10
required to receive. assert. pack,
liable and prepare the packages for
the mail sacks, ia which they are
hauled away from the department.
The little paper bags or pockets are
cut and made in one end OF the large
room where the seeds are packed.
The printing upon them 10 executed
iu the printing Office in the depart
ment. The labor 10 divided and
subdivided, 90 ~ 10 facilitate the
work - much ~ possible. One
lady who hss . pan Of seeds before
her, and . tiny measure. fills the
bag or pocket; her nsighbor passes
down the flap on the bag. Al
another table the department frank
In put on. aud 90 on until the pack
age 10 finally placed In the mail sack.
All Of this work 10 carried on in
most systematic manner, with little
noise and no confusion.
The country expects from the
present Administration not only pure
Democracy. but pure and good seed.
Agricultural department seeds have,
In tbs past. been sort Of by.word
among joksrs. The complaints ro-
ceived at the department TO some
extent. justified these jokers. The
department has always been q large
purchaser oil seeds for distribution,
and IL 10 believed. and sometimes
had imposed upon II, supplies which
the sssdmsn would not soil to a
private customer. After the seeds
have been distributed to the depart
mont, the sssd-man knows IL the
seeds prove worthless II IL not Tx ely
ever 10 b traced back 10 his sstab-
lishment.
The sssd division now makes IL a
ruleto send out no seed that Il can.
not vouch for. When an American
citizen receives seed hereafter ii will
come 10 him guaranteed by the Ad-
ministrSion 10 gsrminats under pro-
per conditions. OF course, every
SEED BY the millions which each
Congrsssman 10 entitled to 10 not
separately tested and vouchsd for,
bat sanplss are taken from every
lot Of seed rsosivsd. and II they do
net show . good percentage, the 10.
10 rejected.
The defeat by The Senate Of the
Logan scheme 10 increase the Army,
and the passage Of half dozen bills
BY the House. among them ono 10
pension the Mexican veterans, and
another for the erection Of a Con.
grsssional library. marx tho present
week IN Congress ~ ono OF the
moot industrious Of tho session.
Nor should the Washington monu
mont sensation be omitted from the
weeks record. A stain on the sur.
face OF the pure white marble was
supposed TO b. . crack in The
masonry from the settling Of the
ground, and II WAS feared the impos.
ing structure was going to topple
over. People in difreren, parts oil
the city were scrutinizing these sup.
posed cracks with their opers
glsssss. They proved to be only
strssks Of dust washed down from
the joints BY recent rains. The
joints are somewhat open and dus,
easily accumulates In them.
The bill for psnsioning the sol.
disrs and sailors OF the Mexican wa,
IL said to be entirely satisfactory 10
the survivors Of that conflict, and
the rejection Of the Senate OF his
plss for more soldiers was . severe
blow TO Senator Logan. II was his
pet measure. and no stood up for il
20 aggrsssivsly - to provoke
unpleasant personal controversy.
Every Democratic Senator opposed
1t. Senator Van wyck gave il q
stab bv che Pm, M ShsS - f- +,