Omaha daily bee., 1892-02-07
PATRONlzE HOME INDUSTRY
All Glasses of People Interested in the En-
ployment of Labor.
OUTSIDE MANUFACTURERS ADVERTISING
something About the Growth and Present
Condition of the seed Business In
Ncbraska-A Profitable Crop
for Farmers.

STATE ana employ large nun oers Oh Workers
in manufacturing 1t into a finished product.
They are interested because such industries
employ labor, make money more plentiful,
enhance the value OF city property, and by
increasing the manufacturing class, increase
the demand for ali food products grown In
tho state. Tho most direct benefit from such
Industries il felt in the cities and towns, but
farm property and farming industries are
helped by tho growth and prosperity OF the
cities, as the more people there are to con-
sumo farm products, the better prices farm
ers can OBTAIN for what they have TO sell.
Such benefits coming to the farmers In
directly, IL Is only natural that the great ma
jority of them should not fully appreciate
the Importance OF encouraging these indus
tries in the state.
There is however, another class Of indus
tries which not only help the cities to the
same extent as the above but by consuming
raw material grown in Nebraska are of
direct benefit to the farmers, and they will
III they are alive to their own interests, DO
all they can to encourage manufacturing en-
terprises of this class. Under this head
come such industries as the manufacture of
binding twine. starch. paper, beet sugar,
cereal products, as oat meal, Hour, corn
meal, etc, which have already been com
mented upon to a considerable extent in
these columns. There is however, another
industry which is OF direct interest to the
farmers and that is
Seed Growing In Nebraska.
This business naturally divides itself into
two branches, the first is the growing of the
seeds and the second the commercial branch.
Under the latter head attention may be called
to the fact that there are In Nebraska three
houses which make specially of handling
Nebraska grown seeds in bulk lots. The ag-
gregate sales of these three houses, made in a
Jobbing and retail way, amount to s35O,0O0
annually.
There are also about ten dealers from other
states selling seeds in Nebraska whose COM
,,,Ia ,la
600 yearly. There is hardly a grocery store,
drug store or hardware store in the stLte that
does not handle more or less OF these eastern
seeds. AT the same time these eastern pack
age or box seeds, many times, contain large
quantities of seeds that were grown in Ne
braska, shipped east and there put up into
packages and then shipped back to Nebraska
AS to the growing of seeds 1t will be OF in
terest to know that there are many farmers
In the state who devote from five to ten
acres each to the production of Seeds aggre-
eating in all II 900 to 1900 acres.
A srngie Omaha house, doing strictly
wholesale business, will have 5000 acres IN
seeds this season, IL the vicinity of Waterloo,
Douglas country. The rich sandy soil OF the
Elkhoru and Platte river bottom lands are
peculiarly adapted to the production of seed
crops.
Nebraska grown vine seeds, such as
cucumber, melon. pumpkin, squash, ETC.,
were an unknown commodity of merchandise
eight or ten years ago, the supply coming
principally from Connecticut and New York
Enterprising and energetic men dscovere
that Nebraska offered great opportunity TO
this industry by reason of the early opening
of spring, the even temperature Of summer
and the clear and favorable fall weather, to-
gether with the rich virgin soil requiring no
fertilizer. The trial of a few acres at first
resulted in a still larger acreage being de-
voted to this purpose, until Nebraska leads
all other states in the production of vine
seeds, both in quantity and quality.
al e,x 10
garden sweet corn seed could be produced in
this state, it never having been tried on an
extensive scale Seed sweet corn was until
the time mentioned produced largely In New
York, Connecticut and Ohio. When the Ne
braska sweet corn was first placed on the
market, eastern competitors declared that as
the sugar maple tree could not exist on the
pralries of Nebraska it demonstru; ed that the
climate and soil was not suitable for the pro-
duction OF plants containing saccharine mat
ter. This assertion was the subject of eX-
tended discussion at the convention of the
American Seed Trade ASSOCIATION held in
Philadelphia in 1887. Today Nebraska is not
only growing enough seed sweet corn TO sup
ply the local trade but is shipping train loads
to eastern states.
In the face of the saccharinc theorists Ne
braska is coming 10 the front as sugar beet
producing state, showing that the wise mon
of the east were not in it when IL came y
figuring on the productive possibilities of
NebrasKas soil.
1t may be ADDED that Nebraska sweet corn
is harder, grows a healthier darker green
foliage and more stocky plant, and that the
seed terminates better. After repeated
trials by experts the Nebraska seed has
been admitted to be superior to that grown
even in Connecticut.
There is a steadily increasing demand for
Nebraska seed field corn which was formerly
obtained in Illinois and Ohio, but these two
states are now heavy purchasers from Ne
braska.
oil re ,xyha
barley, etc, are grown largely and shipped
to a considerable extent both east and south
Flax, ,mIllet and sorghum seed are also an i'm
portant article of industry
While it is evidently to the best interests
of Nebraska farmers and gardeners 10 buy
seeds grown in the west, as the growth Of
this industry directly benefits them, there is
another most important consideration that
should receive their attention. Nebraska
grown seeds are acclimated, and for that
reason better adapted to this soil and
climate.
1t is a matter of wonderment to the seed
growers OF this state as to what becomes of
all the seed produced here. We are sending
seeds today to Germany, Mexico and through
California houses to China South America,
Australia and other countries.
The system under which large quantities
OF seeds are grown is that adopted by an
Omaha house, which makes speciality of
the business. The dealer makes contract
with the grower to put in certain acreage
ala deliver tue crop 10 nun Rt Speclneu
price per pound or bushel The dealer sup
plies the seed for the crop without charge.
The grower is thus enabled to know before.
hand just what his crop will bring and is net
compelled to take the chances OF an up and
down market
During the time of growth the crop is sub
ject to constant and vieilant inspection by
the dealer and all ''sports" or untrue speci-
mems are thoroughly eradicated BY sys-
TEN OF the greatest care in the selection of
the planting seed stock there Is ordinarily
but little waste in the crop produced.
Farmers who nave gone into seed raising
have found 1t most profitable.
Inasmuch as vines do especially we'll on
new breaking requiring no cultivation
whatever and Welding from 200 to 800 pounds
of seed to the acre, they have been shown to
be q very profitable crop.
Instances are ON record in Nebraska where
new farms have been fenced and farm build
ings erected from the proceeds of a single
crop Of vine seeds, and good many farmers
who came into the state poor have made
''steken from this source.
When the subject OF making beet sugar In
Nebraska was first brought up. it was
stated that the seed could not be grown In
this country. ouL would all nave TO be i'm
ported. The past year considerable atten-
tIon was given to the production OF sugar