Arizona republican., 1891-11-10
A VALUABLE NATIONAL INDUSTRY,

A Washington correspondent gives some information in regard to the gath ering of seeds by the agricultural de- pertinent that is really interesting to farmers and others. He states that the department is about to begin its pur- chase of seeds for supplying the farmers of the country. All such buying is done directly from growers. Congress appro- priates Sl00.00O for this purpose annu- ally. It costs $6O, 900 to put up the pro- duct and ship it from Washington, so that only S40,O00 is actually devoted to paying for the material distributed. In June and July special agents travel about inspecting the crops which the .seedsmen are raising. They select what they want by sample, and in November they journey around again and make their contracts. The seedsmen do not usually produce their stock in trade on their land. They hire the use of exten- sive tracts from farmers sometimes such a plantation will include 1000 acres paying so much an acre, and supplying the seeds 10 be planted. On their part the farmers contract to deliver the crops obtained, husked or threshed cleaned and in good condition. It is agreed that they shall do all the labor, and that the parties of the other
 part shall be permitted to examine the fields at any time and weed out all "rogu es," which are plants of inferior varieties such as will creep in. In sum- mer time, when the crops are growing Uncle Jerry's special agents come along. To them each seedsman shows not his green fields, but his trial gar den," wherein he cultiyates few speci- mems of each choice vegetables that he is engaged in propagating. The govern ment buyers look the stock over, decide in a general way as to what they want to purchase, and go away, to return in the late autumn and give their orders, after inspecting the seeds Tn the bins. These seed farms are scattered all over the United States. Cabbage seeds are nearly all grown on Long Island, else where in New York state and in Con- necticut. Farmers believe that they need salt air Of caulIhower seeds the same remarks may be repeated. Peas for seed all come from the neighbor- hood of Traverse, Michigan, and Mani towoc, Wisconsin. Those got from elsewhere are always apt to have little worms in them, but the flies of which
 these worms are the larvaes do dot live in the region mentioned. Beet seeds are nearly all imported. Carrot seeds come from the west, especially from California, in which state are also pro. duced most of the lettuce seeds, and the best. Corn and onions for seed are raised all over the country, and the same is true of the seeds of melons. Cucumber seeds come from Nebraska, Wisconsin and Mis- souri. The flower seeds which the department distributes are nearly all imported from abroad, where vast farms are devoted to raising them. They have to be purchased from the big seed houses. As in the case with the vege- table seeds, they are all tested before being sent out. For this purpose a cu- rious little window garden is main tained, which consists of two good sized pans about four inches deep. Across the pans wires are laid in pairs, with folds of cheese cloth hanging between each pair into the water, of which tht pans are half full. The seeds art sprinkled along in the folds of cheese cloth, and quickly germinate, their roots making their way through the fabric ir dense network. Sometimes vegetables thus grown in the pans have actually produced peas, beans and other things big enough to eat. Any one who cares to get up such window garden as this at home will be well repaid for tn, slight labor involved. Seeds can be had for the asking by writing to the de
 partment of agriculture in the spring.