The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-09-02
this week. These will be used fol
experimental purposes.
OF SEED GRAIN
Continued from first page.)

that was to be used for the seed pur-
house handling that variety of seed
grain, and put in the seed bin for
ale again to the farmers. Then, when
ever a farmer came to market with
an inferior variety of grain, owing
to the sowing of inferior seed, or seed
of a variety that was not best adapt
ed to that locality, each buyer who
looked at the load would call his at
tention to the inferiority of the grain
he was Offering, and to the fact that
he could get a much better quality
of seed at the house handling that
kind of grain for seed. BY united
effort of the buyers on the markets
in this way / think a great many
farmers could be prevailed upon to
get better seed grain.
Particular stress will be placed upon
the Importance of the farmer taking
his seed grain home with him as soon
as possible, the same day, if he could
do so. The sooner he gets it out of
the elevator the better it will be
because the blowing around of weed
seeds and the danger of it being mix
ed accidentally in the bin. In this
way the new seed would be procured
practically in exchange for the seed
grain he would otherwise SOW. The
farmer would be approached at the
time he feels the result Of sowing
poor seed, just after he had threshed
and probably obtained a poor yield
and at the time he is selling at a
lower price because of the want Of
quality in his product. The matter
would also appeal to him at the time
when he can make the exchange for
better seed. It seems to- me the prop
er time to agitate the seed question.
The matter of price to be charged
for the better seed was taken up and
discussed to some extent, but will be
considered further by the committee
that | have mentioned. II was, how
ever, understood in the meeting, and
nobody suggested that the price charg-
ed for the better seed should exceed
three cents per bushel more than the
same grain was worth on the local
market the day of exchange or sale.
This may possibly be made two cents
instead of three. | have tried to- get
course | am not an elevator man and
could not urg the matter too strongly.
To some of the houses two cents would
be satisfactory, but the main object
is to get the cooperation of all in
this work if we a possibly do so.
Three cents, however, is not too much
in my judgment to pay the elevator
man for taking lin the grain, storing
it pending the sale or exchange and
re-sacking and weighing back to the
farmer with the shrinkage and waste
that will naturally occur l do not
think that the farmers can complain
of this arrangement.
This objection will probably be met
with from some farmers. There will
be some men who will be willing to
make the exchange, but will say to
the manager that they have not a bin
at home where they can take care Of
it at the present time. I suggested
to the elevator people to avoid this
that some arrangement be made
whereby the farmer could leave the
grain in the elevator and pay storage
charges upon it as provided by law,
and as fixed by regulations of all
the elevators in this state / think, until
such time as it could be taken away,
and with the proviso in the case Of
fire the elevator company was not to
be held to deliver this particular va
riety, but only this grade of grain.
The committee will work out some
plan of this character, l think, but
whatever they do, we hope that every
person will urge the farmer to take
the seed from the elevator just as
quickly as it can possibly do so, and
only suggest the storage plan to him
when it is found impossible for him
to take it on any other plan.
The matter of kind of seed to be
handled by the respective houses will
be left to the local managers at each
point, and it is hoped that they will
agree on this matter without letting
any petty feelings or differences arise.
1t is also hoped that they will urge
the exchange of grains handled on that
market for seed purposes, regardless
of who is handling them.
I am sending a copy of this letter
to the president, secretary and man
ager of each farmers house in South
Dakota and hone you will report to