The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-22
SHIPPING SEEDS BY TONS
Hundreds of Girls at Work Pre-
pairing the Packages.
The Distribution for Senators and
Representative Continues for
Months and All Their Constituents
Who So Desire Are Supplied.

Ten tons of seeds. put up in 100000 sep
arate packages. are turned into the local
postofTice every day. that the constituents
Of Senators and Representatives may he
supplied IN good season this year This
daily ou1poUring lasts from early in Jan
nary until the end Of May. 50 that the
gross amount sent out may be estimated
The Department Of Agriculture furnishes
The seeds in bulk and the process between
receiving the piles Of sacks and the de-
livery OF five varieties to an obscure voter
IN an unheard-of postoffce in back
county is an interesting one
The work is all done in the four-story
shop at I2I0 q Street northwest, which IS
a regular hive OF Industry. The build
ing is occupied by the contractor who
undertakes 70 complete the Job for Ger
tain sum while the Agricultural Depart
Ineul retains a branch office there for
supervisory purposes. This year the con-
tract was given 10 the New York Mar
keu Garden Association. and this cor
poraJion has turned the labor over TO
Superintendent Kingsley, who Is respon-
stole for any delay.
That the scope OF the labor may be IN
Gersto0d, tho Agricultural Department
has received reports from the Southern
States already. 10 the effect that some of
the seeds sent ont have already brought
forth promising crops. These seeds were
the first forwarded
Each Senator and Representative has
certain quota OF seeds allowed him for
distribution Further than this the Gov
eraIreut takes IL upon itself 10 pack and
deliver The packages 10 any list Of adj
dresses given
Some 80 girls are employed At The
Seed Distributing Bureau as after -ears
OF experimenting with machines. il has
been demonstrated that only the human
brain and human hands can Go tin work
properly aud rapidly The sacks of eds
come in through the front door They
are opened. azd assorted. In ore de
Iartmaut the girls fiji the little paper
bags at the rate OF from G,6o0 10 400 per
day and with such exactirude that Il
limited number must weigh but one
pound Other girls seal The bags Still
Others place I'VE of the smaller bags.
each containing =. different seed. into
q larger bag. Others paste labels am
addresses on these. Then the bags arc
gathered. assorted. placed IL mali bags
and the seeds go out OF the back door
10 the postOfice
In another department the paper bags
are manufactured hy the hundreds Of
lh8uSau dE daily. So expert are The girls
from 5,"H3 10 l0rg perfect 58gs per DAY
u the filing department the girls cs:I
fll aE equal l-truber each per day ac-
COrdiuG 10 their experience. The little
Tcceptacles are flied five III q time with
machiEe-iike rapidly, and so expert are
those employed that they never make an
error as 10 the weight As for instance.
there should be eighty bags ON onion
seed 60 the pound. The Superintendent
weighs au assortment from the piles com
EieJed by the employees AID in nine cases
Out Of ten TIE weight viii be 50 close TO
exact that a slip Of paper viii disturb
lie balance of the scales.
This comes from experience said
Superintendent Kingsley. 1t Is strange
how they do IL but they can DO it every
hour Of every day. We have tried ma
chimes and All have failed l don't be-
Ieve there Is anything on earth so accu-
rate and rapid as the girls employed
here
Those employed in pastiug shut the
bags are 80 rapid that the eye can hard
J. follow the fingers As the labor is all
piece work. or 50 much per thOusa nd
there IS no ioafiug done Everybody is
busy every moment and the place resem-
bisS Z huge bee hive
Colonel Morrison Superiute8ds the work
Tor the Agricultural Department and is
highly pleased with the progress so far.