Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-09-13
SEEDS FOR THE ASKING.
annual Distribution by the Department
This Month.

This Month.
The greatest distribution OF free seed
by the Agricultural Department at
Washington in the History OF the De-
partment will take place this month.
Application should be made through
yonr congressman, who win transmit
your request to the department.
There will be, as usual, distribu-
tion of miscellaneous vegetable seeds,
and, in addition, it il planned to fur
nish a limited number Of packages Oh
novelties: that is, seeds OF varieties
either new or little known, and OF pc
cuhar merit, for distribution In Teach
locality. The miscellaneous seed Will
be put up, as usual, five packets IN
pack age. and each senator, represena-
tive and delegate in Congress Will
have u, 600 such package to his credit.
There will be 500 packages containing
the novelties, each package containing
five packets The novelties Will be
accomanied by circular describing
the varieties in full and giving direc-
tions for culture and use. There Will
also be franked postal card for each
collection ofethe novelties. so that the
recipient may, il he desires, SIGNIFY
his willingness to make report to the
department on the seeds received.
The number of flower seeds allotted
to each senator, representative and
delegate in the Congress has been IN
creased to 500. and arrangements have
been made whereby repre- sentatives
having city constituents may exchange
vegetables seeds for flower seeds, il
they do SO desire.
A special collection of flower seeds
will be prepared for those having
strictly city constituents, the varieties
chosen being suitable for window
boxes. lots and small doorways.
Each senator and representative Will
have to his credit 30 packages of lawn
grass seed. The forage croD seed al
lotnent has not yet been made, but
will likely be much larger than here
tofore.
The allotment of strawberry plants
will be 10 packages containing 10
plants each The grape.vines this year
will be onlyS packages to each quot
tn. containing vines in each.
The congressional seed distribution
is coming more and more popular each
year. Now Congress appropriates $40,
600 annually for this purpose. Even
with the increased quota some repre-
sentatives have enough to their cred
it to supply the demand of their con-
stituents. The total distribution this
year will amount to about 1000, 600
packages, which is estimat ed viii
weigh in the neighborhood of 1,00U
tons.
Besides the distribution to con slit
uents of congressman the Department
of Agriculture is given an allowance
for its own use. over 700, 600 pack
ages.of vegetables and flower seeds will
be sent to its county correspondents i'll
the different States who furnish the
government with monthly crop re-
ports. Over 800, 900 papers and bags
of vegetable flower and field seeds will
be sent to the State grange organiza-
tions throughout the country. And
then q large amount is TO be sent to
weather observer and State experiment
stations
Aside from this distribution thous-
ands Of packages of foreign seeds ana
plants, which are being introduced by
the departments experts abroad, are
sent out largely to State agricultural
colleges and such reliable eultiyators
ms have shown Willingness to coop
crate with the department i'll making
reports as to the success Of these i'm
portatlons.
Secretary Wilson has determined to
distribute trees with hope of i'm
planting a love of trees in the breasts
of the people and melting them to fol-
low the example set by the depart
ment, as well as to have a permanent
showing for the money expended.