Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-16

on Wednesday next the house committee
- agriculture will hear all who are in
terested in the subject and who choose to
come to Washington for the purpose of
expressing their views. OF course the prin-
cipal speakers against the free seed dis
tribution will be the representative seeds
men Of the country. But on the other
hand there has been a great awakening
among the farmers from Maine TO Oregon
and during the past few months hundreds
of local, county and state gTangers have
expressed themselves as opposed to the
continuance of the practice Of distributing
annually tons of the commonest kinds Of
garden and field seeds
When congress first provided for the dis
tribution Of seeds among the rural con-
stituents Of the members 1t was with the
idea of testing new, rare and valuable"
varieties And then the idea was a good
one But the original purpose of the seed
distribution was long since abandoned and
for a score OF years the sole object, APP
parently, has been TO give each senator
and representative just as many packages
as possible. 1t is true that in recent years
the Agricultural department has succeeded
I'm introducing valuable varieties OF sugar
beets, Kaffir corn, macaroni wheat and
some other agricultural products But this
has been done through the agricultural ex-
pertinent stations and not through the in
discriminate parceling out OF the quotas"
Of such seeds as are annually distributed
through members OF congress.
Everyone who knows anything at all
about the matter is fully aware of the
fact that no possible good is accomplished
by sending out 1O,OOO. 900 packets Of turnip,
OvIO M
that as a sample package), especially when
the varieties are Of the commonest sorts
and the cheapest which can be secured
from the lowest bidders"
The action OF gTangers' and farmers or
carnations all over the country in urging
congress to cease the practice will, 1t is
believed, bear fruit this year, and as a re-
suit the annual appropriation for this pur-
pose will be diverted, It is hoped. to some
more useful channel
stOckmen Want Help.
Representatives of the stock growing in
terests of the west are here to urge con-
gress TO take some action looking to a
reciprocal arrangement with Germany
whereby American meat products may be
admitted to the kaiser's empire upon more
favorable terms than at present. Said
Live Stock Growers association: The
stock-growing industry has by no means
recovered from the blow which It received
last summer. It is true that the demand
for heavy beef cattle keeps up and that
the prices are, on the whole satisfactory
But there are thousands Of steers on the
ranges today which would have been sold
during the past few months but for the
black eve which the canning industry re-
ceived These cattle, while perfectly
healthy and wholesome, are too thin for
fresh beef Heretofore such animals have
been shipped to Sioux City, Kansas City
Omaha and Chicago in August and Sep
TENDER. Blu this year there has been no
demand for Gamers" as such animals
are termed, and in consequence they are
either left upon the ranges or slaughtered
for their hides. This means loss to
the stock growers OF from S25 to $50 or
even more on thousands OF head Of cattle.
Germany IS buying a great deal Of
salted beef Of the poorer grades. This
barreled stock costs the German dealer
So to cents per pound That price in
cludes the German tariff. which is about
AZ cents per pound. But after the cost
or packages, freights, preparation and
handling is deducted there is left for the
packer only about / cent per pound for
| the meat itself This means that the
| stock grower can get practically nothing
| for his low grade animals. and Il IS one
OF the reasons why the stock growers are
so deeply interested in the negotiations
now pending for a reciprocal arrangement
with Germany, which viii AFFORD us a bet
ter market for our surplus cattle"