Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-10

deed. Its continuance Is as vital TO the rep
resentatves themselves as their constitu-
ents, as it has always proven a boom to
them when seeking reelection
Increase in Appropriations
In connection with the interest now CEN
tering around this branch of the Agricul-
tural Department it is interesting to note
that the congressional seed distribution is a
striking characteristic of the wonderful de-
velopment of the government. In 1889 Con-
gross appropriated 81 600 for the purpose of
| collecting AID distributing rare and i'm
| proved varieties of seed. Year by year
| these appropriations have steadily increas-
| ed, climbing from the original sum to about
S300OOo annually, which is approximately
| the amount of the appropriations for the
| past few years.
Ii was through the efforts of Henry l..
| Ellsworth. commissioner of patents from
| 1886 to 1915. that the present system of free
| distribution of seeds was inaugurated.
Prior to July 1. 1862 the agricultural
| DIVISION as 1t was then known, was a
| part of the patent office. Mr.. Ellsworth
conceived the scheme of sending seeds to
| the farmers, and as a result of his argu-
ments in favor of the innovation Congress
was led to make its first appropriation in
| 1899.
For many years the work of putting up
the seeds In packages for congressional dis
trtbuton was done entirely by hand. 1t
was the custom of the senators and repre-
sentatives to send their franlSed and ad-
dressed slips to the Department of Agricul-
ture. where the work of counting the slips,
pasting them on the envelopes, and filling
them with seed was done by manual labor.
Use Of Ingenious Machinery.
In the past three years. however. re-
markable change in the methods of pre-
pairing the seed for shipment has been In
ausurated. The work is now carried on In
large three-story building In the vicinity
nf ha Sa,,a ~ ,xyhay he 10.
ical devices have been installed The anti
quated methods were left behind when pos
session of the building was taken three
years ago. The laborious hand work has
been supplanted by machinery so human
in It's action that one is almost inclined to
believe ii thinks
From seedmen in various parts of the
country the government buys Its seed, Cali
tornia being the most favored state. 1t Is
shipped to Washington in bags containing
two bushels each. and Is then put into
shape for distribution throughout the coun-
try.
The process through which the seeds ma SIS
from the time of entering the building
until they are sent without cost to the pub
lie Is marvel OF Inventive genius Upon
delivery at the distribution bureau the seeds
are weighed and taken to the third floor of
the building, where they are emptled into
hoppers and permitted to filter down into
the bag-flling machines placed under each
hopper.
There are seventeen of these machines In
the building, and they are indeed wonder
full pieces of mechanism. Each machine
has revolving wheel containing fourteen
small cups. which. In turn. as the wheel
| revolves. catch the falling seed from the
hopper above. As each cup descends filed
1t comes In contact with a small paper en-
yelope fed into the machine and auto
matically opened In time to catch the con-
tents of the cup as It empties steel hand
then catches the envelope seals it. and
drops II through hole In the floor into the
seed bin on the floor below.
Filling the Large Envelopes.
The seeds are then ready to be placed
tn larger envelope. each containing avs