Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-04-23

has been remembered in the good
ness of his heart by the con-
gresham of his district, and when
the editor publishes in his little
weekly sheet an invitation to sub
scribers to hurry to the office for
packages of vegetable or floral seeds,
which the liberal editor will dis
tribute to paid up subscribers, thanks
to the liberality of the congressman
and the government at Washing
ton behind him.
UNCLE SANS PRIZE PACKAGES.
Have you received your prize
package from Uncle Sam this
spring?
Two hundred and seventy thousand
dollars is expended from the nation
al treasury for the free distribution
among the people of 100000
packages of lower and vegetable
seeds before May. Every member
of congress senator or representa-
tive-will have received $4,000
packages by the end of the season.
Whether or not you receive your
share is matter between you and
those guardians of your rights at
the national Capital. In any event,
do not write directly to the depart
ment of agriculture for them.
Such efforts will be futile, for the
diffusion of these germs of vege-
table life is one Of the sacred and
exclusive privileges of the federal
legislature.
Quite wonderful, indeed is the labor
saving machinery which Uncle Sam
is employing to fill this years ire
mendous order. The big seed ware
house which the government leases
is filling as many as 100000 Of
the much desired grains per day.
One hundred girls do this work un-
der the eyes Of government inspect
ors, the output, at this rate being
40, 900 envelopes per girl per day.
So great is the economy of the i'm
proved equipment of this establish
ment that each girl does the work
which 10 performed decade ago.
In other words, it would require
1000 of these fair operatives to fill
this years order if the-old-style
equipment of 1898 were in vogue:
Sixteen varieties of garden vegetable
seed and about so of flower seed are
being distributed among the people
this season. The preparation of
the packages is one of the sights Of
Washington.
In the first place the seeds come
into the big brick warehouse in
huge bags, after having been pur-
chased in the open market by agents
Of the department of agriculture.
This year Uncle Sam is his own seed
broker, whereas last season a con-
tract for furnishing the millions OF
packages was let to one firm at a
rate per thousand.
ALL SEED ARE TESTED FIRST.
A government Inspector opens the
bags when they arrive at the ware
house. He marks each bag with a
big blue number, denoting the vari-
ETY., and takes out samples which
are sent to the seed laboratory; in
the department of agriculture,
near by. Here the sample seeds are
counted, labeled and planted. In a
short while they are dug up, and if
proper per centage has terminated
according to the strict specification;
all bags bearing the corresponding
variety number are passed. If they
are condemned the seed dealer must
pay the freight if he desires them
returned. All accepted bags bear
ing the same number are piled up
in separate stack ready for the in
teresting processes now to be des
cribed.
Seventeen machines which almost
think are lined up in large hall ex-
tending the length of the third
floor of the building. Each is oper
ated by young girl who has little
manual labor to perform, although
considerable intelligence is required
of her. Above each machine is a
large funnel, constantly fed by big
bags of the accepted seed. The
neck of the funnel has the diameter
of stove pipe and in it's center is a
small glass window through which
the descending grains may be seen.
The variety number upon each bag
fed to this funnel is noted Inside
the bag is a label which doubly in
sures the identity of the particular
variety.
To the right of the machine is a
clasp holding hundreds of little en-
velopes each containing the name