Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-04-03

"rake the members from large cities
like New York and Philadelphia. They
can find among their constituents a
ready market for all the flower seeds at
their disposal, but they have little dis
posal for seeds of vegetables and field
crops. These members strike a bargain
with those from purely agricultural
districts by which the latter get more
seeds and the city members augment
their supply of Government publica-
tions on subjects which interest their
people.
''Some Congressman never can get
seeds enough 10 appease the appetites
of their constituents. Now there is
Gen. Joe Wheeler, OF Alabama, who, ]
believe. would take our entire output
and ask for more. He would cover his
district foot deep with seeds IL he
could. Some of the Western members
are nearly as bad as Wheeler. Most OF
the Congressman value their seeds for
the fructifying influence which they are
believed to exert in political way. The
trouble is they don't have enough to go
round. II A gets package from Wash
ington gratis, B, his neighbor, wonders
why he is not similarly favored. There
is an old saying that little learning Is
dangerous thing, and from what the
Congressmen tell me / imagine 1t Is
about an equally dangerous thing TO
have only few seeds TO distribute"
What Is your opinion as to the ad-
yantages of these seeds to the farmers
Of the country"
'There is no room for question on
that point. The experience OF years
has abundantly shown their value TO
the farming community. You will I'M
derstand that this is not true OF every
individual case. Much of our work in
this line is experimental. 1t often dem
onstrates whether or not a given article
can be cultivated under certain condi-
tions with success and profit; and
also whether new varlets put
put upon the market are val
liable or not. We regard failure as
no less important than success in the
knowledge that is gained by 1t. Last
spring we received from Europe guam
tity of oats OF a kind unknown 10 our
farmers, but said TO be from six 70 ten
pounds TO the bushel heavier than those
raised here. ! thought / would try
them myself and / sowed patch on my
farm In Wisconsin. For some reason
the oats did not come up at all. IL Is
not clear to me yet whether the failure
was due to defective seed or unfavora-
Bile soil. / am going to try again
and also have these oats tried else
where, for If they are as heavy as
represented they would be profitable
crop. We are all the time learning
something, and whatever il is we give
it all to the people without money and
without price. The Department OF Ag-
riculture is no longer an experiment.
Its value TO our intelligent farmers can
not be measured. In regard 10 the de-
tails of our seed business / had better
refer you to my private secretary, Mr..
La Dow, who has been connected with
the department six or eight times as
long as have and knows all about its
workings"
THE distribution Of seeds" said Dir.
La Dow, had a small beginning more
than fifty years ago. Along In 1885 and
1887 Mr.. Ellsworth, who was AZ the
head Of the Bureau OF Patents, received
few seeds By way OF exchange with
other countries, and distributed them In
a very limited way. In 1889 Congress