The Greeley tribune., 1908-05-07
FLEECING THE FARMER
tn. "mnroved Seed" SwndIe the "Cholera Cure rakir
the Fnishing" of Cattle Fraud and Other Low oenee'
EMPLOYED to Separate the Agricultural fro"
His Hard Earned Cash.
By w. M. HAYS
Assistant Secretary U. S. Department OF Agriculture

|
" than the man who steals you
purse He gets paltry s. each IL
trees that would have been faluao'
| elsewhere but for this small conslde
| alton he rohs the farmer OF ms tiih
| his land. OF his opportunity to us
| hardy plum trees, and even robs MI
| and his neighbors of their faith in tn
possibilities of a family plum lot.
Our experiment station and depar
ment plant men are rapidly learnin
the seed and plant variety business
They are not only learning how I
create new values by breeding. ou
they are learning how to distribute
new stocks OF seeds and plants. The.
are organizing the testing of varieties
so that few mistakes need be made
They are coming to insist for them
selves. for the domestic scotsman ant
nursery man and for the foreign seet
house that the varieties must be
tested within each state before the,
will endorse them. Seed vendors art
gradually coming to see that they
must get into line with the efficien,
and vigorous public seed service, and
that they must sell only seeds which
will produce wealth. A general label
| ing law is being talked of. and this
would make it dangerous to sell two
varieties out OF the same bin OF seeds,
| or sell trees under their wrong name
as it would prevent the clothing
dealer from selling as all wool cloth
ing two.thirds cotton and one-third
wool.
Now the seed or tree swindlers en-
ated sentiment arising from the work
of the plant scientists for careful seed
selection into grist for their mill. AS
most Of their representations are
made by personal solicitors. they
are able to claim department
endorsement with a freedom and
recklessness which they would. per-
haps, not use in printed matter sent
through the mails-although they do
not hesitate SO to construct their
letters and circulars as to deceive
Whether the claims of these swind-
ASi Q 81 Z P'i Soaai. VI ~
as in some of the most exaggerated
seed catalogues, the intent and the
result in most cases is the same The
expectations of the ambitious and
progressive farmer are raised to the
point of eXaggeration. He is con-
vinced that by planting or by sowing
the seed offered by the fake concern
he will multiply his crop production;
that his richest acres will greatly in.
crease their previous production and
that his poorest land. with pedigreed
seed, will break the record of his
choicest fields in corn. oats, barley.
rye or cotton. and the forage crops
from his wei lands will give him tons
OF nutritious fodder.
OF course seed which will perform
such miracles of production naturally
comes high in price-these swindlers
are too shrewd to charge an ordinary
price for seed carrying claims so high
as theirs. In some instances the price
is double that which the farmer would
pay for bonaiide. purebred, standard
varieties, the yield of which has been
tested by experiment stations
while in other cases four, and
even six. times the normal price
! is charged.
Now as to the results: They are
disappointing. Now and then the
yield is fair as from ordinary seed bu,
seldom does it exceed that limit. More
frequently it falls below that standard
The reason for this has been discover
ed BY few farmers. who have hac
enough of the true spirit of progress:
to dig into the history of the seed.
for which they paid so fancy a price
Here Is what they found: The "grea
propagating concern" is without tn,
acres OF land devoted to the raising O
seeds so eloquently pictured by tn,
agent; the scientific specialists
claimed to be in the employ n, m,
, concern dwlndle into corps OF youn,
men who draw salaries Of $50 to Is,
a month and their scientific labors
consist OF travelling from one place =,
another and buying corn, wheat An,
other grains direct from the farmer
in remote locations from the rep,o
in which the grains are expected to h
sold for seeding
These grains may be shipped tn
dummy firm having the address q
the warehouses OF the seed company
, There this common product OF ur
known heids is nicely cleaned r,
sacked into Dresentable packages an
sold to the farmers as the choices, =
selected seeds
There are many good seed mo
chants. some Of whom grow much r
their own seeds; or contract for the,
before harvest. superintend their ba
: Vesting. curing. grading and STORM,
, and send them out only after their v
. ability or ability to germina,e ia a,
termlned by trial. These men ru,,
ply the best plant blood as pure hra
live stock men multiply standa,
:. breeds. that all growers NAV seen,
y properly grown seeds and plants ,
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