New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-02
NEW FREE SEED PLAN
GALLOWAY HIS ONE.
Secretary Wilson Uould Substitute
Valuable Feature for old .fbusc.
From The Tribune Bureau :


Washington. Jan. 1.-Dr. Beverly T Gallo
way chief of the bureau Of plant industry. has
devised system OF seed and plant d!stri-
button which he hopes to induce Congress to
adopt in place Of the antlquated and worse'than
useless method Of distributing free seeds now
popular with the men who seek TO curry favor
with their agricultural constituents Some OF
the most prominent Representatives and Sena--
tors. notably Senators Lodge and Hale have
sought earnestly in sessions past abolish the
ridiculous system of free SEED distribution
in vogue though TO effect. but there is rea-
TO hope that members Of Congress will ap-
preciate the advantages TO be derived from DR..
Galloway's plan and that It will be adopted
The new plan consists in the Introduction Of
new varieties OF seeds and plants. together with
the publication Of information bearing on their
cultivation. the seeds. plants and bulletins to
be distributed on the order OF members of Con-
gress and to farmers whom they Will name. All
the details OF the plan have been carefully
worked out. and DR.. Galloway has already sub
mitted 10 members of the agricultural commit
tees maps and data showing the practicability
and the benefits to he derived from tho adop-
ton Of his substitute. Nor would this substl-
tute he wholly in the nature Of an experiment,
as in a small Dr. Galloway has already at
tempted the scheme and has found II to work
most satisfactorily when conducted by the de-
partment Independent Of the members of Con
gress.
In outlining this plan Or. Galloway has sub
mitted 10 the members of the agricultural COM
mittees eighteen subdivisions OF the plan. among
them being Extension of alfalfa growing into
states where 1t Is not staple CROP. "EX-
tension of cold-resistant alfalfas." Extension
of dry-Iand alfalfas." Distribution of new va
ricties of cotton" introduction of mating
plants and their culture IN the United States
Improvement Of cowpeas." New tobacco va
rietles" Introduction and testing OF alkali-
resisting crops" Grains for high attitudes"
Adaptation Of winter oats Sugar beet seed
growing" Improvement Of corn" Bulb grow
ing in the United States" "Cultvation Of drug
plants" Dry land arborcultural work." Intro
duction Of hardy apples and Introduction and
breeding Of citrous fruits"
In operation. the member Of Congress Will Sc
lect certain farmers whom he believes 10 be
willing to undertake experiments in co-opera-
ton with the department. VIII furnish their
names and addresses 10 the department. which
will send out the seeds. cuttings bulletins, etc.
under the frank of the member. AS fast as
new information IS obtained it VIII be sent to
the same in the same manner. The farm
ers selected will be requested TO furnish TO the
department the results Of their experiments.
and IN this way thousands OF farms would be
converted into miniature experiment stations,
possession of crops and information which would
yield them handsome profits.
Speaking of his plan, DR.. Galloway says:
I'VE import in the neighborhood of S4,0O0O 600
S50000O0 worth of drugs each year, and pre-
liminary Investigations would indicate that a
considerable portion Of these drug plants might
be grown home. The work would be equally
applicable TO nearly all the states bordering on
the Atlantic coast Including New England and
also of the Western States, such as Ohio,
Indiana. Illinois, Wisconsin and Northern Iowa.
The object would be to introduce the seeds OF
promising drug plants and encourage the pro-
duction Of the crops, this being in cooperation
with individual farmers and others"
Speaking of the introduction of hardy apples.
DIR. Galloway says
This work would be applicable to the entire
tier of Northern States from Maine TO and in
Guiding Montana. The object would be to find
out through study of published accounts Of
travellers and explorers where In different parts
of the world are to be found apples forms re-
lated to them which likely to prove valua-
BILE in the breeding OF harder and more drouth-
resisting apples for this northern country.
This work would be largely done In cooperation
with the experiment stations"
Secretary Wilson is especially interested IN
the Introduction OF mating plants In the United
States for Il is part of the gospel of the Sec
rotary Of Agriculture that IT is sin TO import
what can just well be grown in the United
States. To that end the department has for
some time been conducting experiments. DIR.
Galloway says that the United States imports
about S5O00O00 worth of mattngs annually,
and that lie believes the material from which
they are made could just well be grown IN
this country as abroad. There Is in his estma-
tion plenty of land in the Carolinas. Georgia
Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana which could
profita blv be devoted TO growing these plants.
But obtain me best results IL is important
that only the best varieties be grown and that
he growers be started right
The Department. of Agriculture has been and
is sending agricultural explorers to all parts of