The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-02-04
GATHERING SEEDS foa rKz PEOPLE
How the Department Of ASrienitar~ Oh
aains Seeds for DIxtrshu,f.r

IA HEHiSG SEEDS FOR TIE ssECpL &
How the Department Of Agriculture Oh
tains Seeds for Distribution.
Congress appropriates 800. 600 70,
the purpose of buying seeds annually.
1t costs $50, 600 to put up the produc,
and ship it from Washington, so tina,
only $40, 900 is actually devoted to pay.
ing for the material distributed. In
June and July special agents travel
about inspecting the crops which the
seedsInen are raising They select what
they want by sample, and in Noverf-
Der they Journey around again and
make their contracts
The seedsmen do not usually pro-
duce their stock in trade on their own
land. They hire the use of extensive
tracts from fariners-sometimes such a
plantation viii include a Thousand
acres-paying SO much an acre and
supplying the seeds to be planted. On
their part the farmers contract to de-
liver the crops obtained, husked or
thrashed, cleaned and in good condi-
| ton. 1t 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 tine and
weed out all ''rogues," which are
plants of inferior varieties such as will
creep in.
In summer time, when the crops are
growing, special agents come along.
To them each scotsman shows not his
green fields, but his trial garden, )"
wherein he cultivates a few specimens
of each choice vegetable that hs is en-
gagged in propagating. The govern
ment buyers look the stock over de-
eide in general way as to what they
want to purchase and go away to re-
turn In the late autumn and give their
orders after inspecting the seeds in the
bins
These seed farms are scattered all
over the United States. Cabbage seeds
are nearly all grown on Long Island.
elsewhere in New York state and in
they need salt air Of caulifiower seeds
the same remarks may be repeated.
Peas for seed all come from the ueigI!-
borhood of Traverse, Mich, and Mani
towoc, Wis. Those got from elsewhere
are always apt to have little wOrlns il
them, but the flies of which these
worms are the larvse do not live in the
region mentioned. Beet seeds ne
nearly all imported Carrot seeds
come from the far west, especially from
California, in which state are also Dro-
duced most of the lettuce seeds and The
best. Corn and onions for seed are
raised all over the country. and t.sa
same is true of the seeds OF melons.
Cucumber seeds come from Nab.aSz2.
Wisconsin and Missouri.
Onion seeds are gathered by going
through the fields and cutting Off the
pods at the tops of the stalk, twins
them in bundles and thrashing them
out on canvas. Beans are allowed to |
stand in the field until they are yellow.
after which they are stacked up until |
they are perfectly dry and thrashed
out. Peas are permitted to get dry |
and hard in the rows, and then are
taken to the barn for thrashing. To
get cabbage seeds the stalks which have
grown one year must be planted the
next, when they run to seed. The same
is true of carrots; the roots which have
developed in one season are put in the
ground the next and go to seed.
The flower seeds which the DEPART
ment distributes are nearly all imported
from abroad, where vast farms are de.
voted to raising them. They have to
be purchased from the big seed houses.
AS is the case with the vegetable seeds.
they are all tested before being sent
out. For this purpose curious little
window garden is maintained at the
seed barn, which consists of two good
sized pans about four inches deep.
Across the pans wires are laid in pairs.
with folds of cheesecloth hanging be-
tween each pair into the water. Of
which the pans are half full The
seeds are sprinkled along in the folds
81 cheesecloth and quickly terminate
their roots making their way through
The fabric in dense network. Some
times vegetables thus grown in the
pans have actually produced peas,
Deans and other things big enough to
Eat. Any one who cares to get up such
window garden as this at home will
De well repaid for the slight labor in
Observation-Disclosures Star