The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-06


The Editor of 'The News is in re-
ceipt of a long and interesting
cation from the Seed Trade Committee OF
the American Seed Trade Association, in
which protest is made against the contem-
plated action of the Department of Agrl-
culture in respect to free seed distribu-
ton. The hops that the policy OF the
last administration would be substantially
continued, and only new. rare and prom
Using specialties'' would be distributed,
has proven fallacious. The advertisement
inviting bids for seeds. bulbs. etc, for the
ensuing year. specifies only seed OF beet
cabbage. carrot, celery, cucumber, egg
plant. lettuce, cantaloupe, watermelon.
onion. parsnip, radish. rutabagas, squash,
tomato, turnip. beans. peas. sweet ana
field corn, tobacco. Australian salt busn'
cotton. COW peas, Canada field peas, viola
villosa, alsike clover. alfalfa, Bermuda
grass, lawn grass. mangel-wurzel, kidney
vetch, and choice varieties of flowers. IL
will be seen that the official list includes
only the commonest stock seeds. such as
every scotsman furnishes at ridiculously
low prices.
The ruinous effects of this distribution
of staple seeds upon the trade is just
might be expected. Many dealers are
going to he wall. The situation is thus
expressed in the letter to which we have
alluded
All tina seedsmen ask is fair play. They
have constant reminders of the banefut
influence of the free distribution of seeds
upon their business in the shape OF former
customers stating that they now get tnelr
and country stores now require very little
because their trade is destroyed through
their ~neighbors receiving free seeds from
the Government. Seedsrnen think they
can with confidence appeal to the puDlic
for aid in fighting this gigantic govern
menf competitor, with whom they are I'M
able to eofnpete because il Is able to give
away seeds paid for by9the taxes OF me
people; whereas, on the other hand, the
seedsmen have to go 10 great expense IN
procuring them
The facts. when brought to light, are
simply amazing. Over twenty millions of
packets of seeds were distributed free
last year, each Senator and Congressman
having over forty-two thousand packets
each to send to voters. Genera LIE Due,
a former Commissioner of Agriculture,
reported that thousands and thousands
Of dollars worth of seeds rave passed
through the hands of member of Con-
gress, and it is safe to say that not a
dozen reports have ever been made that
have been available by the Department as
data A recent report from the Agricul-
tural Department says:-A careful re-
view OF the department reports during
the last decade. in which over a million
dollars were expended for free seed dis
tribution, fails to reveal a single in
stance of benefit to agriculture attribute
able to this distribution" AS it is adj
mitted by the department itself that there
is no good result from it. it should be
abolished.
THE entire Department of Agriculture is
unnecessary, It does more harm than
good. 1t IL q product of vicious paternal-
ism. This seed business. however. is its
most harmful development. That a pop
ular government should make it its duty
to wreck an important branch OF trade
of its own citizens is a strange and Won
aerf,,l vlnanamanon