Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-14
BUSHEL OF SEED FOR TEST
Sensational Story Regarding High Point
Dairy Farm is Exploded,
PLACE IS NOT OWNED BY HULL
million Dollar Property Is Outcome
of idea Put Forth by james ID. Yeo-
mans and IL a Remarkable
Success.
Crrom a stan Correspondent

GTrom a Stan Correspondent)
WASHINGTON. Aug 9-(Special)--A
short time ago a sensational article ap-
peared in a Washington newspaper in
which the writer attempted to show that
the Department OF Agriculture had un-
fairly consigned a vast quantity Of valua-
BILE seeds to a farm in Virginia in which
Congressman Wadsworth and Hull are
interested. II was asserted that farmers
of the neighborhood are very curious
about consignments of grass seed and
shrubbery to the High Point Daisy farm,
a short distance from Gunston, Va,
Apparently this curiosity was accentuated
because the farm 'is owned by Represen-
tatives J. A. T. Hull of Iowa, and James
w. wadsworth of New York" 1t was
further declared that "the department has
sent about $500 worth Of grass seed" there
The writer has taken pains to ascertain
how much truth there was in the story
and has found that 1t is a case Of three
black crows repeated In the first place
the High Point dairy farm is not owned
by Representatives Hull and Wadsworth
although these gentlemen haTe an inter-
est in the place. Some FIVE or six years
ago James d. Yeomans of Iowa, then a
member IF the Interstate commerce Com
mission, became impressed with the oppor-
tunities afforded for scientific dairy farm
ing upon one Of the partially abandoned
estates on the Potomac below Mount
Vernon. He interested Congressman Hull
in the idea and also convinced wealthy
friend in Chicago to join the venture. 4
tract Of about 5000 acres of practically
exhausted land was purcha sed, several
hundred head of dairy COWS, Jerseys
Guernseys, Holsteins and grades were
hrOuubt ef md 40
buildings were erected. Besides a steamer
was purchased for the purpose of bringing
the milk and cream to Washington, and
for the past three years the product of this
dairy has been looked upon as among the
best which comes to the national capital
From the outset the entire herd of milch
cows has been kept out of the pastures.
They are fed by the process known rs
spiling; green crops being cut and fed
to the stock in the stables. Green wheat
rye, corn, clover and alfalfa are among
the forage crops produced and fed out
Truth About story.
Naturally an enterprise of this character
attracted the attention of the Department
Of Agriculture and Chief Galloway decided
to ask the manager of the place to test
few varieties Of alfalfa seed, which had
been procured for just such purposes. In
all something less than a bushel was sent
to High Point The highest price of alfalfa
seed quoted in recent years is Sl2 a bushel
or 20 cents a pound, and that is as near
as the $500 story comes to the truth
Mr.. Wadsworths connection with the
place, by the way, is insignificant. Mr.
Wadsworth is a farmer and a stockman
He and Mr.. Hull are warm personal friends
Mr. Hull desired Wadsworth to become
IT,. a..
his friend to buy ten shares OF stock at
SlO0 a share, a total OF $1,000 AS the total
value of High Point farm, together with
buildings, machinery and stock, is in the
neighborhood OF 100000, It will be seen
that Mr.. Wadsworths interest is not ex-
tensive and even II the Department of
Agriculture had sent $500 worth OF seeds
to the place the congressman's interest in
that consignment would have amounted to
less than 50.
AS to the shipment of shrubbery, that is
easy. Under an act OF congress each MEM
Der Of the house and senate is entitled to
some fifty trees or shrubs every year.
These trees are prepared for shipment
early in the spring. A great many con
gressmen never claim their quota and
these, being useless to the department are
frequently sent to the dump and burned
up. To prevent their destruction this year
few score were sent to High Point farm
and because two members of congress are
stockholders In this farm and because the
Department of Agriculture is in the throes
OF half a dozen Investigations a space
writer in Virginia has built up a sensa-
tion. The value of the seed and shrubs
sent to High Point about equals the price
paid for a column OF space" in the news
paper in which the story first appeared.
It has since been reproduced in nearly
every city in the country.
Chances to Save "A Million.
1t is announced that the so-called Keep