The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-11-11
oArnERlNo Tng SEEDS.
How the Department OF Agriculture
Obtain Them.

The DEPARTMENT Of Agriculture is purchas-
ing seeds for supplying the farmers Of the
country. All such buying is done directly
from growers Congress appropriatees si6o.-
90 for this purpose annually Il costs So
Oo0 to pat up the prOdnct and ship II from
Washington, 80 that only $4,000 is actually
devoted 10 paying for the material distribGi-
ed. In June and July special agents travel
about inspecting the crops which the seed
men are missing. They select what they
want 5y sample. and in November they
Journey around again and make their con-
tracts.
TIE ssedmen do not usually produce their
stock in trade on their own land. They hire
the use Of extensive tracts from farmers
sometimes such q plantation viii include
thousand aeres-psying 50 much al acre and
supplying the seeds 10 be planted. On their
part. the farmers contract 10 deliver the
crops obtained, husked or threshed, cleaned
and in good condition. II Is agreed that
they shall do all the labor and that the par
ties Of the other part shall be permitted to
examine the fields at any time and weed out
all "rogues,n which are plants Of inferior
varieties such as viii creep in.
UNCLE JEERy's SPECIAL AGENTS.
In summer time, when the crops grow
ing, Uncle Jerry's special agents come along.
To them each seedman shows not his green
fields bat his trial garden" wherein he
cultivates a lew specimens Of each choice
vegetable that he is engaged in propagatiDg
/ The government buyers look the stock over,
decide in general way as 70 what TO pur-
chase. and go away, TO return in the late
autumn and give their orders after inspect
/ ing the seeds in the bins.
/ These seed farms are scattered all over the
United States. Cabbage seed are nearly all
grown on Long Island. elsewhere in New
/ YORK state and in Connecticut Farmers
beliye that they need salt ar. OF oaulifiOw-
er seeds the same remarks may be repeat ed.
Peas for seed all come from the neighbor-
hood Of Traverse, Mich, and Mantiowoc,
Wis. Those got from elsewhere are always
apt to have little worms in them, but the
flies Of which these worms are the Larvae do
not live in the region mentioned. Beet seed:
are nearly all imported. Carrot seeds come
from the far west. especially from California
in which state are also produced most Of The
lettuce seeds, and the best. Corn and onions
for seed are raised all over the country, anc
the same Is true ofthe seeds Of melons
Cucumber seeds come from Nebraska, Wis
consin and Missouri.
Onion seeds are gathered By going through
the fields and cutting of the pods Al th'
tops Of the stalk, trying them in bundles anc
ihreshing them out on canvas Beans ar
allowed 10 stand in the field until they ar
yellow, afer which they are stacked up IN
al they are perfectly dry and threshed out
Peas are permitted TO get dry aud hard II
the row, and then are taken 70 the barn 70
= threshing. To get cabbage seeds, the stalk
which have grown one year must be plante'
the next. when they run 10 seed. The sam
Z Is true Of carrots; the roots which have de
: veloped in one season are put in the grounD
$ the next and 90 TO seed. No seed pOlaioe
will be distributed this year by the depart
ment. The eyes which have been shippe
in past years were found too perishabl'
either rotting or freezing before they WEI
planted, and whole potatoes are too bulky
, handle.