New-York tribune., 1907-01-31
THE FREE SEED FARCE.

The House Committee on Agriculture has
been defeated again in praisewOrthy effort
70 ring down the curtain on the farce of free
seed distribution The absurdity of the pres
ent practice Of buying common garden seeds
from dealers and then dispAtchng them broad
cast on the requistion of Congressman seeking
not so much to stimulate horticulture as TO
cultivate political popularity has long been rec
ognized by the Department of Agriculture.
Secretary J. Sterling Morton once tried TO abol-
ish the gift seed package outright. but Congress
overruled him and made him GO on mailing
souvenirs and samples 10 gladden. rural gar
dens and the denizens of rural poultry yards.
Secretary Wilson has tried 10 cure the abuses
of the present system by restoring the original
intent of the free seed law which merely di-
rected the department 10 secure new varieties
Of seeds and plants for distribution 10 persons
willing TO experiment with them This is a
perfectly legitimate governmental function,
since 1t seeks only TO. broaden knowledge and
diversity horticulture. But no such purpose is
served. or can be served. by the governments
purchasing seeds which every seed dealer has
for sale. and then franking them gratis TO per-
sons who I'm most cases have not asked for
them and have no public or scientific end in
view In experimenting with them
The House Committee followed the lead OF
Secretary Wilson in providing for the contin-
uance Of seed distribution under proper restric-
tions. Actually rare or novel varieties of seeds
were TO be procured and sent by the Agricult-
ural Department 10 experiment stations ex-
perimental farms or individual horticulturists
willing 10 propagate them. Senators and Rep
resentatiyes were 70 cease being horticultural
mddlemen. mixing electioneerng with plant
propagation. But the House Of Representa- tives
rose In it's might TO rebuke this divorce of hOrti-
culture and politics. II Overrode the ruling of
Its presiding officer and inserted in the Agri-
cultural Appropriation bill last years provision
for an indscriminate distribution of ordinary
bargain counter seeds. Some curious arguments
have been made i'm defence of this substitl-
tion When similar action was taken bv the
House year ago one Representative publicly
defended II on the ground that free distribu
uon or common seeds enabled the farmer 20
compare the government samples with the seeds
he bought from the local merchant thus giving
a line on the quality of the local merchants
stock. But If the government is thus to pro-
tect purchasers Of seeds. il ought logically TO
protect purchasers Of farm machinery. lightning
rods and livestock by sending them samples
which Il considers standard
The advocates Of the free seed humbug proba-
bly, do not take their own arguments very seri-
iOusly. The trouble Is that they consider the
prize package a valuable political asset This
belief is an Inheritance from the period when
Congressman's chief functions were supposad
10 be those OF place hunter office broker and
patronage solicitor for his constituents The
spolls system is practically dead. and legislators
have been released in large measure from its
cripplng and hateful responsibilities But this
change has been forced upon them more or less
against their WILL and there are MANY who
still feel that more political credit is to be
gained by petty services Ike the dispatch Of
prize seed package than by industrious devO-
non TO purely legislative duties. II is this false
conception which explains the unreadiness Of
the average Congressman to surrender what he
regards as a political perquisIte and his anxiety
to maintain bounty system in seeds for which
there Is no rational justification.