The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-12
COMMON GARDEN
lSEED IS NOT
WANTED
Secretary Wilson Shows That
the Farmers Are Not Hank
ering for Them.
~ Wire From f.. c. Snyder.

by Wire From Il. c. Snyder.
Washington. D. c., April 12.-As the
impression prevails in some quarters
that Secretary of Agriculture Wilson
and the officials of his department fav-
or continuance of the congressional
free distribution of common garden
seeds, an inquiry was addressed to DR..
B. T. Galloway, chief of the bureau of
plant industry. to which DR.. Galloway
replied: The views of this depart
ment. with reference to the distribu-
ton OF miscellaneous vegetable and
flower seeds have been set forth
from time to time IN our various re-
ports. The attitude of the department
was very clearly stated by the Secre-
tary in his report for 1903 extract
from which ! send enclosed" ~,
The extract referred to says: With
regard to the securing and distribut-
ing of miscellaneous garden and
flower seeds. the fact remains that
this work does not accomplish the
ends for which the law was originally
framed. There are collected, put up
and distributed now. on congressional
orders. nearly forty million packets
OF miscellaneous vegetable and flower
seeds each year. These seeds are the
best that can be obtained in the mar
let. but from the fact that large num-
5erS OF packets are wanted. the seed
obtained can be OF standard sorts only,
such as are to be found everywhere
for sale in the open market AS there
is no practical object to be gained in
distributing this kind of seed. it seems
very desirable that some change be
made. To this end. it would seem
wise to limit our work entirely to the
securing and distributing of seeds,
plants, ETC.. Of new and rare Sorts.
This is a line c. work that
would result in very much more value
to individual districts throughout the
country than the distribution of
large quantity of common varieties
OF garden seed Which have no partic-
ular merits so far as newness or
promise are concerned"
ilcSe members OF congress who are
still hanging on to Free Seeds" are
defending their position by asserting
that the farmers want them" This
position appears untenable from the
fact that the National Grange at its
last annual convention at Portland,
Oregon, vigorously condemned the free
seed appropriation as have the State
Oranges of Illinois. New York and
other states.
N. ]. Bachelor Of Concord, New
Hampshire. Master of the National
Grange. writes: Replying to your
favor of March q in regard to the
elimination Of the free seed distribu-
tion by the government. will say that
this movement has the support of the
National Grange. The legislative COM
mittee of the National Grange will
meet in Washington and will aid in
sustaining the report of the committee
If in any way possible" The report
alluded to is the report of the com
mittee on agriculture eliminating the
appropriation for free common seeds.
This authoritive announcement of the
head of the National Grange should
relieve any timid congressman from
the idea that the farmers want the
seeds. The absurdity of the conten-
ton that the farmers want the seeds''
is disproven by their value. The seed
for the forty million packets cost
$4,000 SO that the seed in each packet
costs two and quarter mills. the
package of five packets aggregatinR
in value one and quarter cents.
Farmer votes come cheap at this
price of cent and quarter each. and
1t Is not strange they resent the i'm
OutatiOn