The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-08-25

in their own estimation of what con
Germs the wants and best interests OF
the masses of the people of this Re
public.
Moreover, if the seeds distributed by
the National Department Of Agrlcul-
ture were Of the class and character
described by Mr.. Massey and his pro
tege, would the people be so eager to
procure and plant them, or Con
gressmen find in them a handy mode
Of electioneering, " as stated by Mr. M.
The increased and increasing demand
for these seeds, is emphatic evidence
against the assertion and deductions OF
those who argue their i~nferiOrity and
urge their adjustment. The people
will see that the seed distribution shall
not be abolished, and all DIRECTORS may
put that prediction in their pipes and
smoke it.
Give the people time and experience,
and their opinions will always com
mand respect, If not enforcement.
they have tested the seed distribution,
and they will demand Improvement,
but adjustment never. And further
more, after careful Investigation, and
mature consideration, this writer gives
it as his deliberate opinion that the
man or men who would, if he or they
could, deprive the agriculturists Of
this cOuntry-every man and woman
who owns or cultivateS a garden-Of
the meagre, stinted benefits they are
privileged to receive of seeds now
allowed them, is not their friend, and
must have some Interior purpose to
serve other than the saving of the
paltry costs of such seeds by abOlishing
the distribution.
Because this writer sells tobacco seed
to the National Department Of Agrl-
culture, Prof. Massey argues he has an
axe to grind, and his opinion is preju-
diced in its defense. The department
does yearly take from me new and
select varieties that can be procured
from no one else, but the department
is only one of my customers, and by
no means the largest taker Of my seeds,
for l sell, and have been selling an
nually for years, to one seed firm o
tobacco seed Of one standard UGTiety
than the department yearly takes, and
besides, the said seed firm orders every
year, over Ond above the one standard
variety, eight or ten other varieties.
For every pound of tobacco seed l
furnish the department ten pounds go
to seedsmen and planters; and, as
stated IN my first paper on this subject,
there is really no antagOnlSm between
the seedsmen and the much abused
" Washington Seed Shop" for if such
did exist, where would be the policy
on my part of writing articles in de
Tense of one customer against the in
terests of nine-tenths of the rest of my
patrons! Such a course would seem to
be grinding the wrong axe, or grinding
for the wrong party.
| will say, for the readers infOrma-
ton, that Mr.. Massey is responsible for
the personalities is this paper.
If Mr.. Massey will take the trouble
to investigate the management of the
Seed Division of the Agricultural De
partment under its present regime, he
will find that he has been fighting "a
of straw and prejudiced, as he
doubtless has been ever since the APP
pearance of those "muUejnS," where
he was looking for something else, he
will find cause at least to modify the
bad opinion originally formed of the
wOrtnlessnesS Of the old Patent Office
seeds, in desuetude since 1862, when
the seed distribution was transferred
to the Bureau of Agriculture"
This writer knows virtually nothing
concerning the character of the seeds
sent out through the Patent Office.
The question under discussion, I beg to
remind Prof. Masser, is the character
Of the seeds NOW being distributed by
the Department of Agriculture, and
such ought to be continued or
abolished. r. L. RAGLAND.
HycO, Va.