The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-05-14
Of Seed Men From Over the
Country Tell Their Troubles
to the Senate Committee on
Agriculture Today.
DENY CHARGES OF
SEED ADULTERATION
Nature Herself is Responsible for
Mingling of Seeds Is Claim
Set Forth.
By e. c. Snyder.

no - Soy0ef.
Washington, D. c., May 14.-A large
delegation appeared before the SEN
ate committee on agriculture this
morning In opposition to the distri-
bution of common garden seeds
through what is popularity known as
the congressional free seed distribu-
ton. The delegation consisted of rep
fesentatives of the national and local
oranges, growers of seeds and whole.
SAFE and retail dealers In seeds. This
is the first time the seedsmen have
ever mad an opportunity to present
Ex-Governor Nathan j. Bachelor of
Concord, N. H.. master of the national
grange, presented to the committee
the resolutions of the national grange
adopted at Portland, Ore, denouncine
the distribution. He urged that the
money which goes into the free seei
distribution ostensibly for the ben1it
OF the farmer should be diverted TO
some purpose that would be useful to
agriculture. Governor Bachelor stat
ed that the national grange had 500
ooo members with branch oranges in
thirty states and that it had grown
81 per cent in the last eight years. He
SAID the farmers as a body did not
want the seeds although there might
be instances here and there where
farmers did want them. but they would
greatly prefer to have the money ex-
pended in other directions. ]. B. Ager.
master of the Maryland grange, who
prepared the resolution adopted by the
national grange. explained that the
reason why the delegates to the con-
vention were unanimously opposed to
the distribution Of common seeds was
because they wanted the money ex.
pended in useful work.
Burnett Landreth of D. Landreth e.
Some, Bristol, Pa, chairman of the
delegation. whose firm has been in the
seed business for 100 years, explained
briefly why the seed trade as a whole
was opposed to the government en-
tertng into competition with them In
their business. H. B. hathaway ~
Rochester, N. Y, a banker, told the
committee how three firms of
seed merchants in and about Roch-
ester had been driven into bankruptcy
by the government giving their cusL,
toners seed through the congression-
al distribution. His bank had held the
paper OF these seedsmen and had been
compelled to go into the seed business
to protect its interests. He related
one instance where member of con-
SreSS, who is also a banker. had
dumped his quota of seeds on a table
IN his bank and invited the public to
help themselves. When no one would
carry away any more. the remainder
OF the seeds were burned in the fur
mace of the bank.
John Fottler. Jr.. of Schlegel e Fot-
tier Co.. Boston. Mass. defended the
seed trade from charges of adulter-
alton of seeds and submitted docu-
ments proving that nature is the great
est adulterator of all in producing in
the same fields the clover and long
grass seeds of other grasses which it
is impossible for the farmers or the
seedsmen to separate. No machinery
has ever been invented. he declared.
that would separate these seeds SO
as to insure absolute purity. He re-
lated an instance of how seed grow
er in Boston was asked to supply a
sample of four pounds of orchard
grass seed. the only order for this
kind of seed he received in the course
of the year. He did not have it in
stock and purchased it from an out
slider and made the sale. 1t subse-
4ueAIiy ueselOpeu tndL tne OrQer was
from an agent of the department of
agriculture and because this sample.
the only one he handled during the
year. contained other seed, he was
branded IS an adulterator of seeds by
the department of agriculture.
William Henry Maule of Maule &
Co., Philadelphia, told how he had
purchased a new brand of onion seed
from California grower. He spent
thousands of dollars advertising this
brand and putting it on the market.
The department of agriculture pur-
chased lot of seeds of ostensibly the
same brand and distributed it free.
Later it developed that the department
had been deceived and the seed was
not of the same brand. Two hundred
and fifty thousand packages had been
distributed and when the seeds came
up developed the commonest kinds of
onions. AS result Mr.. Maue's busi-
ness in that brand of onion seed for
which he had purchased the exclusive
right. was ruined. All he got from the
department of agriculture was an
apology.
Henry W. Wood of T. w. Wood E.
Sons. Richmond, Va, suggested to the