West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-02-15
OUR Washington LETTER.
Department Of Agriculture lnYestisat-
Ing AdulteratlOn OF Grass Seeds.
A BIG FIGHT ON BETWEEN THE
Humane Society and the Shippers Of
Live Stock Over tho Limit to
Foodless and Watorless
transportation.
Regular Correspondent, OF The Argus.

Nehu'N correspondent OF The Argus.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Ia, 1900. -
Somebody in the House Com
mittee on Agriculture must have a
grudge against the seed men OF the
country. There was a sudden call
for information from the House the
other day and it resulted in the re-
velation that large number of the
seed firms, not all Of them il may
be said for the reputation of the
business, have been adulteratinp
the seed sold 10 the farmer so that
the wonder was that he ever got any
OF the forage crops he was expecting.
II seems that last year when the
seed appropriation was made, the re
was provision inserted in the bill
that the Department Of Agriculture
should buy samples OF seeds in the
open market and not only find out
10y examination which were adult
Grated but publish the nemes Of the
firms engaged in the business. This
was not very welcome task for the
Department. 1t was the sort of
publicity that would make enemies
as we'll as friends and The two small
bulletins that were published were
cut down to the least possible COM
pass and were not given out to the
newspaper men all. Neither would
the information sent to Congress
have been given out IL the Depart.
ment could have helped it. But
there was leak in the committee
and the result was that the whole of
the correspondence has gotten into
print. There are hundreds of
names of supposedly reputable firms.
The adulteration Of the samples
runs all the way from a few per
cent TO oS per cent. The report
shows also that tons of cheap
worthless seeds are imported an
nually from Germany, Canada and
the Argentine for the sole purpose
of being mixed with the native grass
seed and being sold as the pure pro-
duct. AS Kentucky blue grass costs
10 cents pound and the Canada
blue grass only 8 cents, there is pro-
ut In the transaction. The bur
clover seed used to adulterate alfal-
ia is a by product OF South Ameri-
an wool combing. The Depart
ment even found the small wire
teeth OF the cardIng machines in
the samples, taking no Sherlock
Holmes to tell where the seed had
come from. Red clover and or
chard grass we're also included in
the report. Out of 26s samples OF
the latter examined, there we're
1873 adulterated. OF the red clover,
all the samples had been mixed with
the seed of yellow trefoil. or this
there we're imported in one year
25o, 900 pounds and.it was of no
use except as an adulterant. Some
times the foreign seed had been
steriized before they were mixed
with the forage seeds. This recalls
the case of brilliant contractor in
the old days of the Agricultural
Department who sold the Depart.
ment car load or two of tomato
seed for free distribution. None OF
them came up and il was discovered
later that the seed we're the refuse
from canning factories and had all
been boiled. Officials Of the De.
partment don't like to hear this
story, but it is true. The Depart
menPs investigation so far has in
cluded only the four forage plants
named, but the law requires all va
rieties OF commercial seeds TO be
taken up in turn and il the farmers
Of the country will keep up the agi.
tation, either there will be lot
more names Of firms 90 on the de.
partmental black list or there will
be a regeneration in the seed busi.
ness end some adultering rascals
driven out Of business. II may be
said that anyone interested can get
the names Of the offending firms by
writing to the Department. This
will throw a little extra work on the
officials, but that Is what they are
paid for.
An interesting hearing has been
going on before the House Com
mltiee on Agriculture anent the
transportation Of live cattle by the
railroads. The stock shippers are
clamoring for an extention Of the
time that cattle may be carried on
the roads without food or water.
The Humane Society which is an.