The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-10-15

very door, waiting and willing to re-
ceive ten times the amount from every
breeder in the state, and still not be
fully supplied. We daily receive let
ters from our readers asking where
they can purchase foundation flock
or settings from thoroughbred strains.
In most cases we are compelled to say
them nay, for we do not know. We
have many breeders in the northwest
yes, many breeders-but they are
still in their swaddling clothes, in
the way of being all the term breed
ers" implies. Out of several thousand
breeders who are claiming to raise
poultry to supply foundation fiocks IN
the northwest there are not fifty who
can lay claim to more than 300 chick
ems apiece.
The fact that there is not more
money being made in the poultry bust
ness is due to the apathy of the breed
ers themselves-and not to the condi-
ton of the markets. The markets are
here, but the birds are not. Breeders,
awake Your opportunity is here, and
if you will but sit up and take notice
you will find that you can dispose of
treble the number you are now raising
and then some more. Let the peo-
pie know through printers ink who
you are and what you have, then have
the birds or eggs to supply the de-
mand.
anew, Rare and Valuable Seeds"
Under act of Congress the members
of that august body have the privilege,
at Uncle Sans expense, to send their
constituents packets of seeds every
year. This has become a favorite
method with many to curry favor with
the farmers, but the latter are becom
ing SO we'll educated regarding the
farce that they feel insulted instead
of elated when the packages of new,
rare and valuable" seeds come. Orig.
inally Congress intended that the gov
eminent was to purchase seeds of new,
rare and valuable varieties and dis
tribute them carefully with a view to
having them introduced where they
proved themselves adapted and profita
BILE. But our lawmakers have turned
the whole thing into a nice graft,
foisting upon the public worthless
seeds and helping to keep big deficit
in the postal receipts from year to
year. This deficit, instead of being
charged up where it belongs, is being
laid at the door of the newspapers of
the country because they are carried
at low rate of postage.
Recently the true nature of these
seeds was strongly emphasized in
Brooklyn, N. Y. A recipient of more
than ten thousand packages of these
seeds, not knowing what to do with
them. made a bonfire of them. Be-
fore they were destroyed, however,
bushel or so were taken to seed deal
er in New York, and he began to look
up the history of the varieties repre-
scented. His search of seed catalogues
and other sources developed the fact
that one variety of parsnips, two of
lettuce, three of turnip, one of toma-
toes, one of onions and two of radiSh
had been catalogued as long ago as
1879. One of the lettuce varieties, one
of tomatoes and one muskmelon came
into use in 1884. Five other varieties
of lettuce were introduced between
1875 and 1890. The newest variety of
seed in the bushel was an onion first
introduced in 1899, while the oldest
was traced back thirty years, and it's
first introduction is lost in antiquity
There was not one variety that was
new, rare or valuable, most having
been discarded long ago to give place
to improved varieties. Yet our hon
orable members of Congress believe
they are making a most munificent
gift to the granger when they present
him two cents worth of seeds that
were not new, rare and valuable"
even as far back as 1890!