The Indianapolis journal., 1903-01-25
MACHINES PACK SEEDS.
Nearly Forty Million to Be Distrib-
uted by the Government.

uted by the Government.
Washington Letter in Philadelphia Record.
The work of distributing nearly 100000
seeds by the government has begun, and
practically new plant has been installed
at the building, No. 221 Thirteen-and-a-half
street, where the work is carried on by
b. +. Brown, inventor of the machine
which counts and packs the seeds. The
work is>given to the lowest bidder, and he
has the contract this year. He said to-
day:
1.-The people are planting seed i'm the South
and the Pacific States while the New Eng
landers are gathering their ice crop, and.
tion accordingly. We have divided the
country into six divisions for this pur-
pose. By Dec. 20 seeds will have been sent
Georgia. Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi.
New Mexico, South Carolina and Texas
BY Dec. 81 Arkansas, North Carolina. Okla
will be reached. The other States are
reached in January. February and March;
Idaho, Maine. Montana, New Hampshire,
North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming
come last and seeds to this. the Sixth divi-
sion, will be sent by March 81.
The result of the rivalry for the con-
tract in close competition I'm wages and
the wages paid are about the same as
in houses distributing circulars of various
kinds, about "a a week While this is not
large, girls come from these houses to seek
employment, and, while we will employ in
over two hundred applications on file, not
counting those employees of last year, many
of whom want to come back. We will give
them the preference, because they were
tried last year and found satisfactory and
besides, have had the experience.
I'VE have seeds in stock to supply the
first two sections of the country named.
! have printed envelopes and wrappers
for this work. and this portion of it is COM
pleted and organized. Altogether we have
on hand about one-third of the seed. We
The best cabbages in the world are raised
in Long island. California furnishes let
tuce seed of such superior quality that
recently arranssments We're made by which
from that State. California furnished good
onion seed, and California and Michigan
furnish our radish seed. This is a pro-
Gressive step as the result of some expert
ments recently. Up to a short time ago
all our radish seed came from Europe"
At the building used for the distribution
of government seeds workmen are remod-
cling the plant. Another set of bins TO
hold the seed is being added. and there will
be another row of machines to count and
sack 1he ,a seeds thnt 'ho ees,ns SO accurate
package of lettuce seed to weigh 1-l2Sth OF
a pound and every package of tomato seed
to weigh the zpth part OF a pound. But
what is more remarkable. package after
package of flower seeds, after going
through bins, chutes and machines. weigh
exactly the same. the weight i'm the in
stance of one flower being 1-1oooth OF a
pound, and in another 1-1200th of a pound
Starting at the top of the building the
seeds descend to the mail carts. sorted
sacked, tagged and routed for the post au-
thorities, almost all by machinery
On the upper floor there is a row OF
small bins. with chutes TO the machine
just below. Boys fill these bins with seed
from sacks as IL comes TO the department
from the various sources. Automatically
II is fed TO the machines. each operated
by one girl. These machines measure the
quantity, put the seed in the small sacks
and seal the sacks. A chute carries these
sealed sacks 10 the large bins on the next
floor below. bins large enough TO hold COO
COO of these packages. Belts run along the
outside of these bins. sixteen In number
and a larger sack is used here The belt
carries the sack along the bins and girls
stationed along place in the sacks the va
rieties needed No mistake can be made
An operator cannot pick up any other va
riety. and she cannot we'll miss the sack
as IT slowly passes on the wide belt.