Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-02-20
FREE SEED COSTLY
One of the Governments Oldest
Departments.
BENJAMIN FrankIin's Idea Started Gus.
tom-WhiIe In England as Agent
for Pennsylvania He Sent
Homo Silkworm Eggs.

Home Silkworm Eggs.
Washington.-Ever time the sug-
gestion Is made In congress that uhcie
Sam should not distribute seeds,
huge protest Is raised in every cor
ner of the land. 1t comes from the
city as well as the farm and no law
maker who values his job has the te-
merity to go beyond making the sug-
gestion that the government practlce
Of distributing seeds shall be curtailed.
The country demands free seed.
The present plan of seed distribu'
ton had its origin back In l743. IN
that year the British parliament grant
ed 5000, 900 to promote the cultivation
of indigo and other crops in the Amer
lean 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 establishment
of an American wine industry.
BENJAMIN Franklin, while In Eng
land. as agent for Pennsylvania, sent
home silkworm eggs and mulberry cut
tings In the five years that he rep
resented this country as minister to
France Thomas Jefferson forwarded
many samples of grasses. rice, pep
pers and olives to correspondents at
home. Other representative or tnls
government in the early days followed
the example OF Franklin and Jefferson,
until, during the administration OF
John Quincy Adams, instructions were
given to all United States consuls 10
forward rare plants and seeds to
Washington for distribution. botan'
ical garden was later established In
Washington in which were grown
many Of the rare and interesting
plants imported from foreign coun-
tries
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 themselves ana
there was no improvement from year
to year
Interest in better seeds and in secur
Ing new seeds and plants resulted
largely from the agricultural fairs In
augurated by the various societies for
"promotng agriculture" which were
organized mt Charleston, New York
Philadelphia, Boston and Washing
ton
In 1929, through the efforts OF Henry
l.. Ellsworth, commissioner or pat
ents an appropriation OF $1,000 was
made for the purpose Of collecting and
distributing seeds, prosecuting agricul-
tura Investigations and procuring ag-
ricultural statistics. With The appro-
priation 10000 packages Of seeds were
purchased and distributed. This ap'
propriation marked the beginning OF
the present department Of agriculture
Appropriations for seed purchase and
distribution continued to increase as
the practice gained in popularity with
the people, until congress itself final
ly took a hand in passing the seed
around.
Under the system that now prevails
each member OF the senate and the
house has a quota of 10000 packages
Of vegetables and 1000 packages OF
flower seed, each package being made
up to FIVE packages containing differ.
ent kinds OF seed. In this year 6l,-
13S240 packets of vegetable and l2,-
226,315 packets Of flower seed, or a
total of So, ,364 ,555 packets, were sent
cut The total weight of vegetable
and flower seeds sent out was 994,1l6
pounds, or over 597 tons-enough to
fill 20 freight cars. In addition, there
were distributed thousands Of pack
ages of grass seed, and plants and
vines of various kinds.
The job of purchasing, testing, ap-
portioning and distributing govern
ment seed is big Job. All seeds are
purchased through competitive bids
The quotations are opened and listed
III lH6 pTtbeuCC vi UiuuCi ohu ohiSidio
of the department Of agriculture. In
awarding contracts the officials dsre-
gard varieties unsuitable for distribu-
ton, as we'll as bids Of growers or
dealers who in the past have failed to
carry out their contracts satisfac-
torily.
The seed purchased is subjected to
thorough scientific tests. When
consignment of seed is received at
the department Of agriculture ware
house a small portion is taken from
the middle and near the top and bot
tom, 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
100 or 200 seeds are counted out and
placed between moist blotters In a
terminating chamber, which Is really
an incubator fitted with automatic de-
vices for keeping the blotters moist
and for regulating the temperature to
suit the requirements of different
kinds of seeds.