The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-12-01
OUR FREE SEEDS.
Secretary of Agriculture viii Dis
tribute Experimental Varieties.
Believes There IL Work for the De-
PRrtment without Distributing
Ordinary Time-Tricd Cabbage
and Turnip Seeds.

Ordinary Time-rricd Cabbage
and Turnip Seeds.
Washington. Nov. 23.-Hon. James
Wilson, secretary of the department of
agriculture, is preparing that part o.
his report which treats of the free
seed distribution. Few government
expenditures so small as this is in the
aggregate-about $4,000 annually
have occasioned so much adverse COM
ment. Secretary Morton, who made a
determined effort to shut off the free
seed distribution, found as a net re
suit of all his endeavors that the ap-
preparation had been increased and
distribution made mandatory.
Secretary Wilson does not intend to
antagonize congress by a campaign
against the free-seed distribution. He
would also like to avoid the hostility
of the seedsmen which the practice in
vites. and so has worked out a plan
which he believes will accomplish both
of these objects. He will go back to
the new and unusual varieties, -
which were originally contemplated in
the appropriation, and distribute the
varieties of seed which the CONNER
cial seedsmen, for one reason or an
other, are not handling, the expert
mental seeds which have not gained a
foothold.
The departments agent, who are
engaged in a tireless search for new
and improved varieties in all parts of
the world, bring in many interesting
specimens. When one of their new
varieties has been tested by the de-
partment scientists and found promls-
ing. it will be distributed in the ap-
propriate sections of the country, and
its value practically demonstrated.
After n species has gained a foothold
the seedsmen may be trusted to take
care of the current demand, and with
it the department will not further
compete.
In this field Secretary Wilson be-
lieves there is ample work for the de-
partment without distributing or
binary time-tried cabbage and turnip
seeds. There is enough room in i'm
proved grasses alone to absorb to ad-
vantage the entire appropriation that
the government allows for seed. In
rice, of interest in the south, the in
PRODUCTION of one new variety, which
is now growing successfully, is said to
have a commercial value of 81, 00O, 900
year to the American producers.
1t seems that broken rice sells for
two cents a pound less than the head
rice, and in the old varieties there is
brtakage of at least 40 per cent. The
department recently introduced seine
Japant Sc rice, called Kin Shu, in which
the average of breakage from this
years experiments mas been only II
per cent. 1t is a better quality, be-
sides, and is decidedly more productive
to the acre. This saving of two cents
a pound on % per cent. of the crop
would amount to $500, 900 year. 1t is
estimated that the introduction CT
this variety has cost the government
$1,000.
Secretary Wilson is greatly interest
ed in the new American method of cul-
tivating rice in an artificial swamp,
which can be drained off when har-
vesting time arrives so as to permit
the use of labor-saving machinery.
This was the idea of some northern
farmers, who went to Louisiana a few
years ago. They wanted to raise rice,
but were content with the hand labor
by which it had always been necessary
to harvest it, and so they created n
swamp which would be under their
control.
Mr.. Wilson, on his recent trip, saw
one piece of prairie into which 100000
gallons of water were poured per min
UlC. an amount 25 per cent. greater
that that which is TO go out of Lake
Michigan into the Chicago drainage
canal. In southern Louisiana, where
the country is widely cut up by rivers
and bayOus. this sort Of irrigation is
very easily accomplished, either by
gravity flow or by the use of wind
mills
The magnitude of the congressional
seed distribution is clearly seen by the
report of the last fiscal year, which
shows to have aggregated 15,7O2, 914
papers and cloth bags, as follows: Veg
etable papers, 14,243 ,527; flower pa
pers, 1,254,O37; field papers and bags,
POS, $50. OF the 15,7O2,914 papers and
bags of seed distributed, IL, 500, $50 pa
pers and cloth sacks of vegetable and |
field seed were distributed to senators, |
and delegates in con-
,ress (by their allotments), ISL, no pa |
pers OF flowers and vegetable seeds to
corr eSpondents of the division of sta |
tist:cs, and $50, AGO papers and bags Of
flower and field seeds to the
state oranges. The remainder were
distributed to weather bureau observ- |
ers, experiment stations, etc.
Aside from the above distribution, |
thousands of packages of foreign seeds
and plants, which are introduced by
the department experts, abroad, are
sent cut, largely to state agricultural
experiment. stations, and to such relia-
pie cultivators as had shown willing
less to cooperate with the department
,y making reports as to the success OF
hese imported plants.
TIT TEWET NnVrY uTnnn