Evening star., 1912-09-29
THE GOVERNMENTS SEED STORE

| L IL II wv i AXkXV IA
Uncle Sam runs one OF the largest
seed stores in this country The debit
side of his account
Big Annual shows the expenditure
p of a quarter of a mil
| "'iAe'0' lion dollars annually
for goods of this kind, and he sent out
last year-a total of 63.363555 packets.
| But his credit side shows no CORE
spondingly long row of figures pref
aCed by the dollar mark. Instead. the
only items are these An increased
agricultural growth, an increased de-
mand for seeds each year. and, in the
! case of the flower seeds, an increased
| appreciation for their beauty. But no
money! Like many other enterprises
| in which Uncle Sam is concerned. the
resemblance to similar commercial
enterprise is exact, with the single eX-
ception of the money making end of it.
| But of all the enterprises in which
| the government is concerned. none has
| aroused such general enthusiasm as
| the distribution of free seed. The
| world has become too prosaic for peo-
pie not to clutch greedily at something
| for nothing" and this seed distribut ton
| is one of the few things to which no
string is attached. Or if string there
| be- it's end is fastened tight in the
| governmental strong box, and is con-
stantly tugging to pull out larger
quantity of the ever-desired seeds.
| The custom of free seed Distribute n
can he traced to colonial days. AS
early as 1743 the British
| Began in parliament granted $780,
| 000 to promote the Gull
| ooA0AeS' tivation of indigo and
other crops in the American colonies, and
the assemblies of various colonies ap-
propriated small sums from time to time
to encourage the cultivation of plants
new to the country, such as the hopS
| in Virginia mulberry trees. for silk cul-
ture in Georgia and vineyards for the
establishment of an American WINE IN
dustry.
| The first case of a congressional ap-
preparation for the distribution of seeds
was in 1899. when. through the COM
missioner of patents. Henry l.. Ellis
| worth, $1,000 was set aside for collect
| ing and distributing seeds. prosecuting
| agricultural Investigations and procur-
| ing agricultural statistics. And here
| can also be found the germ of the De-
partment of Agriculture itself. AS il re-
suit of that appropriation. 10000 pack
cts of seed We're distributed. Each year
after that similar appropriations We're
made, but not until 1865 was Il separate
appropriation made for seed distribu-
tion alone. For nearly twenty-five
| years after its inauguration this seed
| distribution was carried on by small
| force in the patent office, but in 1862
| it was transferred to the newly created
| bureau OF agriculture. For forty years
thereafter the work was done in what
was known as the seed division In
| 1902 several affiliated but hitherto in
dependent branches We're converted into
| the bureau of plant industry. During
the seventy-two years in which the seed
distribution has been in effect from
| 1859 to 1911. the appropriations have
increased from $1,000, for several pur-
poses. to more than sa5O.ooO for the
| purchase of seeds alone
| Because the purchase and distribution
of these seeds is specifically appropriated
for by Congress. and
congressional because the wording of
n;.4r;L,,4: the appropriation acts
provides that IAN equal
proportion of five-siXths of all seeds
shall be divided among the members of
Congress for their constituents. this dis
trlbution has come to be known as the
congressional seed distribution" Last
year each member of Congress was al
lowed 10000 packages of vegetable and
2.CCO packages of flower seed. each pack
| age consisting of five packets containing
different kinds of seeds. For miscellane-
| GUS applicants 100000 pa ackages of veg
etable and 1Jn.fE0 packages of flower seed
remained. The total distribution, there
| fore. was II, 13s.2 2iO packets-not pack
| ages-of vegetable seed, and IL. 226 30
packets of flower seed
Many kinds and varieties of seed are
distributed. OF the vegetable there are
twenty-five kinds, while the varieties of
these number 125 OF watermelon seed,
while twelve different varieties of rad
Ishes and nine each of pole bean and pea
are sent out. OF the flower seeds there
| are twenty-three different kinds. Taken
as a class, corn is the most popular OF
all the vegetables sent out as far as
weight goes. as 32j,472 pounds of that
seed were distributed last year Next in
order came ia. 600 pounds of pea seeds
and 33'6 of radish seed. OF the flower
seed the sweet peas We're the most popu-
lar, 1850 pounds of that plant being sent
out. The nearest competitor was the tall
nasturtium, of which ! ,112 pounds were
distributed. OF vegetable and flower seeds
together 9A 116 pounds We're distributed
That means that Uncle Sam distributed
free practically 900 tons of seed or
enough to fill twenty freight cars.
In planning distribution the country
is divided into five sections This is
done in order to secure for
Country each locality only those
n..11 seeds which will thrive
there. Consequently when
seed packages are sent out FOR a southern
member of Congress they contain seeds
either suitable only for the south or those
that will grow in practically any local
ity, such lettuce radishes, onions. etc
The seeds used in this distribution are
obtained from the principal growers and
dealers in the country, through competi-
tive bids 200 bids being usually received
About - per cent of the seeds pur-
chased from surplus stock grown the
previous year, and the remainder are
grown under contract during the current
season. Before the seeds are ready for
distribution they are thoroughly tested
both before the shipment of the bulk and
afterward. This is done in the seed lab
pratory of the bureau of plant industry
the main points to be determined being
satisfactory appearance, viabilty and
trueness to varietal name or type. When
consignment is received at the ware
house "A 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 composite
sample and then sent to be tested. From
this sample 1GJ or 300 seeds are counted
arc frs "a