The Detroit times., 1913-11-20
Nre-Klled Spruce
Good for ViOli,1S

lions. and therefore IL selected for
parts OF instruments essential In the
reproduction OF tones.
Long fiber. uniformity In structure.
and proper seasoning are the princi.
pal properties that material for these
vibrant parts should possess, and be.
cause spruce meets the conditions
better than any other wood, Il Is
usually selected. Wood OF trees
found on high ELEVATIONS where
growth Is slow. making the structure
uniform. Is used for the. highest
priced sounding boards. rhe older
or drier the wood becomes, the great.
er its resonance, and II Is because OF
this fact that men pay fabulous sums
for old violins. and for wood pipes Of
organs that have been in cathedrals
for many years. II Is the efficient
seasoning Of the fre-killed spruce
which doubtless makes II valuable
for violin tops. the sounding board
fof the instrument. and that Engle-
mann spruce because, in addition TO
the above mentioned qualities. it's
very light weight. fine, straight
grain. stability when In place, and
Its non-resinous. easily.working prop.
critics probably make II equal to red
spruce. the species most usually en-
ployed for this line Of manufacture"
Statesmen who depend upon the
distribution OF free seeds TO boost
II their standing
Free Seeds" among their con.
Menaced. stituents must
soon invent some
other easy method Of insuring their
right to seat in congress. II the
recommendations OF the present ON.
Gals OF the United States depart.
ment OF agriculture meet with gen.
eral approval and are enacted into
law.
Free seeds" cost the government
100000 year, and men who have
. investigated the practice and results
OF the congressional distribution say
that the money is largely dead
waste to Uncle Sam Many members
OF congress have already awakened
tC the fact that the more intelligent
farmers consider the free distribution
OF seeds at government expense
merely cheap method OF trying to
win favor. In both the house OF rep.
tesentatives and in the senate the
practice has been fought for years,
and last session 1t was only with the
greatest difficulty that the appropria.
ton was kept In the agricultural bill.
Secretary Houston, both in CONVEX.
sation apd in public address deliv.
cred yesterday before the National
Grange In meeting at Manchester,
\. H.. has disapproved OF the present
system Of free distribution OF ordi.
nary vegetable and flower seeds. In
his new estimates to congress he
has recommended that the usual ap.
preparation OF 100000 for free
seeds be made available for the in
PRODUCTION and distribution OF new
and valuable seeds and plants. includ.
Ing foreign forage crops. This idea
is In line with the intention OF con-
gress when the system OF free seed
distribution was first established. The
main idea at that time was to secure
new and rare seeds and plants from
foreign countries for introduction and
distribution In this country. The
practice sgradually degenerated, how.
ever. and with larger appropriations
congress gave its members the priv.
ilege OF sending all kinds OF ordinary
vegetable and flower seeds, ranging
all the way from morning gloriss to
turnips.
To get an idea of how many seeds
are put In the mails under the franks
or members OF congress-, Il L. only
necessary to consider the capacity OF
the battery OF machines In the de-
partment OF agriculture which put up
the packets. The work is done auto
matically, and from Dec. Is to Aprjl
Is tons OF seeds are poured into 20
machines. each Of which will put up
$4,000 to $4,000 packets a day, or L.
200 minute for each machine.