Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-10
AMERICAN SEED TRADE
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

products of the United States has been
Increased over 500, 0OO. 900 by the irtrodue-
ton by the department Of several varie-
ties of seed hitherto unknown in the
United States.
IT cost 5000 to introduce sorghum seed
from France and China, and the annual
crop is valued at s100,00o,00o and grown
on land generally UNFIT for anything else
1t cost 5000 10 introduce kafir ccrn. and
the crop is valued at S5,Oo0,ooo annually;
durum wheat cost $4,000 and the annual
crop is worth $5o.oOoOoo. PROFESSOR han
sen. of the department of agriculture.
spent six months in Russia and Siberia.
and returned with seed of the dry-and
alfalfa. which Is now nrodu:ing annualiy
millions of dollars of hay from lands re-
garded as worthless because the ra3qIaa
is insufficient for ordinary plant lie. Ihe
government claims that every cay De-
tween darkness and dawn the cost OF Fro-
fessor Hansen's journey Is returned "a
forage produced on lands of that char
acter.
The government spends $4,000 year In
buvine seeds for distribution, which IL
one per cent Of the total seed bill OF the
country. Each senator and representative
is entitled to send out annually l1ooo
lnackages of vegetable seeds and 500 OF
placed in a package. The total number OF
single packets thus sent, with the number
sent out by the department direct, APP
proximates 100000 These seeds are
mostly bought from private firms under
contract. and are shipped to Washineton
and packed by government employees.
Free seed distribution has continued since
1850 in the face of bitter attacks from
many members of the congress, and with
1r,r0afffOr1 hu the seed growers
and dealers.
OF course. the great bulk of the grain,
grass. and garden seed sown in this coun-
try is produced at home, although one
firm is said to import million pounds %
clover seed every year, chiefly from Ger.
many. Sweet corn seed comes from
Maine, Nebraska and Kansas; lettuce
seed from California; bean seed from
New York and Michigan; radish seed
from the Pacific coast; beet seed comes
in largest quantities from Europe. though
the government gets much from CalIfor-
MIA; cantaloupe, watermelon and cucum-
Der from Nebraska; cabbage from Long
Island. One locality in Long Island pro-
duces annually $50 car loads OF cabbage
seed. In California is one field Of 800
acres of sweet peas raised solely for seed,
which is shipped to all parts of the coun-
1nS cost OF the SecQ uEG0 IN dAp
United States every year is estimated
about as follows: Vegetable and flower
seeds, $2O,oo0.Oo0; grass seed, 500, 900;
wheat, $4,000. 900; corn, SO. 900, 900; cotton.
SIS 900 900; potatoes. SIS 900 900; RICE $40 o0o.-
900; barley, So, 900 900; rye, $500, 900; OATS
$s2.6OO.ooO; fax. 100000.
The United States, Canada ard several
of the European governments take strict
precautions against the sale of adulterat-
ed seed, and seed inspection is praceiced
for the purpose OF protecting the farmer
against the purchase of misbranded seed
or seed which contains noxious weeds.
The department of agriculture quietly OBJ
tains samples from seedsmen In every
part of the country, and publishes once or
twice every year the results Of these IN
vestigations, printing the names and adj
dresses of dealers handling seed which
has been adulterated. Canada has Q
system very similar to that in use By the
United States.
School children are being taught yege-
table and flower growing by means OF
school gardens. an idea which origin ated
in the George Putnam grammar school IN
Boston in 1881, and which has spread TO
the principal cities OF the country. The
children are first taught the principles
of plant growth, and given small plots
which they are required TO plant and cul-
tivate. Ocular illustration Of the prin-
pies of the text book makers progress
rapidly. The most pleasing feature OF this
movement is the establishment of school
|, gardens among the slums of the great
cities, where youngsters, who otherwise
seldom or never would see green things
growing, are taught of flowers and veg
etables and given small plots Of ground
wherein to dig in the soil and watch the
plants as they develop.
Seedsmen annually destroy tons Of seed
rather than keep 1t until the following
season. They know that seed two years
old does not. as a rule. possess the high
terminating power of fresh seed. and this
despite the myths regarding the germina-
ton Of wheat taken from the pyramids
where 1t had been for three thousand
years. The Australian government has
found by experiments that seed fifty
years old had lost its terminating power
almost entirely.
The Importance of seed Of the best
quality was fully appreciated over a CEN
fury ago. In 174S. England appropriated
money for the development of agrtcul-
tlre in the American colonies by the dis
tribution of pure seed of known produce
tivity George Washington and Thomas
jefferson imported seeds of many vari-
cites, which they planted at Mt. Vernon
and Monticello. and distributed among
their neighbors. They realized probably,
that the study of plant life may be as
absorbing to the student and as benefit
cial TO mankind as study of the science
of government and Investigations In the
realm of economic thought.-(Co Copyright.
1909, by Frederic J. Haskin).