The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1912-11-09
GOVERNMENT GIVES
AWAY TONS OF SEED

Every time the suggestion is made in
Congress that Uncle Sam should quit
distributing seeds a huge protest is
raised in every corner of the land It
comes from the city as well ss the farm,
and no lawmaker who values mis- Job
has the temerity to go beyond making
the suggestion that the Governme r |
practice of distributing seed shall be
curtailed. The country demands free
seed.
The present plan of seed distribution
had its origin back in 1913 In that year
the British Parliament granted 5000 0CC
TO promote the cultivation of indigo aud
other crops in the American colonies,
and the assemblies of various colonies
appropriated small sums from time to
time to encourage the cultivation OF
plants new to this country, such as hops,
mulberry trees and vineyards, for the es-
tabl. shment of an American wine in.
,dustry.
Benjamin Franklin, while in England
as agent for Pennsylvania, sent home
sElkworm eggs and mulberry cuttings In
the i've years that he represented this
country as Minister to France Thomas
Jefferson forwarded many seed samples
OF grasses, rice, peppers and olives to
correspondents at home. Other repre-
sentatiyes of this Government in the early
days followed the example of Franklin
and Jefferson until, during the Admin
istration of John Quincy Adams, instruc-
tions were given to all United States
consus to forward rare plants and seeds
TO Washington for distribution. A bo-
ianical garden was later established in
Washington in which were grown many
of the rare and interesting plants i'm
ported from foreign countries
Despite these efforts to introduce new
seeds and plants, many varieties of fruits
and vegetables with which everybody
is now familiar were scarce or unknown
in this country in the early part of the
Nineteenth Century. There were few
seed farms, nurseries or seedsmen. Seeds
were mostly grown by the farmers, and
there was no improvement from year TO
year.
Interest in better seeds and in secur-
ing new seeds and plants resulted large
ly from the agricultural fairs inaugurated
by the various societies for promoting
agriculture which were organized at
Charleston, New York, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton and Washington
In 1899, through the efforts of Henry
l.. Ellsworth, Commissioner of Patents
an appropriation of $1,000 was made for
the purpose of collecting and distributing
seeds and prosecuting agricultural sta
t.stics With the appropriation ,0o'
packages of seeds were purchased and
distributed This appropriation marked
the beg ming of the present DEP artment
of Agriculture. Appropriations FOR seed
purchase and distribution continued to
increase as the practice gained in popu-
iarity with the people until Congress it
se.f finally took hand in passing the
seed around.
Under the system that now prevails
each member of the Senate and the House
has quota of 10000 packages of yege-
table and 20OO packages of flower seed,
each package being made up of five pack
cts containing different kinds of seed. In
his year 51,1SS,24O packets of vegetable
and II, 226, 315 packets of flower seed or q
total OF SO, 1854, sos packets, were sent out
The total weight of vegetable and flower
seeds sent out was JIG pounds, or
over ~ tons-enough to fill 30 freight
cars. In addition there were distributed
thousands of packages of grass seed and
plants and vines of various kinds.
Inc Jpo OF purchasing testing, appOr-
Tion.ns and Distributing Government seed
is big one. All seeds are purchased
through competitive bids. The quotations
are opened and listed in the presence o.
bidders and officials of the Department
of Agr ulture. In awarding contracts
Ehe officials disregard varieties insult
abe for distribution, as well as bids OF
growers or dealers who in the past hay
TAILED to carry out their contracts salts |
factorily.
The seed purchased is subject to thor |
nugh scientific tests When a consign- |
mfnt of seed is received at the Depa..-
ment OF Agriculture warehouse small |
portion is taken from the middle and |
near the top and bottom, of at least one |
fourth OF all the bags and thoroughly |
mixed, to make a composite sample, |
which is sent to the seed laboratory.
From the sample one or two Hundred |
seeds are counted out and placed ne
Eween most botters in a terminating
chamber, which is really an incubator
fitted with automatic devices for keep
ing the botters moist and for :egulat-
ing the temperature to suit the IeGuil e.
ments OF different kinds of seeds.
At the end of week or more, depend
ing on the kind of seed, the blotters are
examined and the number of seeds which
have sprouted are counted to determine