The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-05-26
MONDAY. MAY &c. 1913.
CONGRESSIONAL SEEDS.

w. A, Taylor, cnle1 OIL .he '"
which has charge of the d%lstrio"'ioh
of seeds. commenting on the puol's'-
ad result of a test of seeds MADE Al
tho Grafton school, says that the SEEDS
tested must have been old SEEDS "hu
not of recent distribution, AS some OF
the seeds tested are of varieties ~nlch
have not been included in the current
distribution, and in some cases are "
hind. which nave not been distributed
for several seasons. That, of course
would explain in a measure the 10"
terminating qualities of some OF the
seeds tested, IL the official Is correct
IN his statement that the seeds were
old. II is a we'll known fact that most
s.ed. lose something in terminating
qualities by the lapse of time, and III
the case of some seeds this deteriora-
ton is very rapid.
We are willing to accept Mr.. lay
lor's Abatement that the seeds when
are now being sent out by the govern
ment have been carefully tested tha'
tons of undesirable seeds have been re-
dected, and that all the seeds sent out
are as good as can be secured IN the
market. And, accepting the state
ment. We still maintain that the whole
seed distribution business is a mlser-
able farce and a costly humhug.
The theory on which this seed dis
tribution was started was, as has often
been explained. that it was desirahle
ia the wide Investigation
Of all the agricultural industries, and
that one means of doing so was TO
have tests made of various seeds n
plants, with a view to ascertalnlng
whether or not they were useful LOT
cultivation in particular locahtles'
That was a good many years ago be-
o seed and plant study had been
systematized and standardized, n
before the days when every locality
had it's government experiment sta
ton, at which experiments with such
things are conducted by men trained
for that purpose. and under conditions
of which a detailed record may be
kept. Somebody conceived the idea
that it would be a useful thlng to
have sent out to farmers nj garden
ers all over the country seeds for test
with the request h a the department
be Informed of the result. In this way
it was hoped that there might be col
lected a quantity of data which would
be very useful. That was the purpose
of the seed distribution.
Possibly a few people may have ex-
perimented carefully with the seeds
thus furnished, and reported the re-
was wei done We venture the guess
that the practice has been long since
discarded, and that If a man made a
report on a package Of cabbage seed
now the bureau would not know what
to do with 1t. At any rate, We know
that the practice is not general, and
that the bureau does not know into
whose hands most of the seed goes, of
what is done with it after it gets there.
Moreover, whatever nay be h facts
today as to the quality OF the seed
sent out in the past a good deal of it
has been abominable. Still further,
very many of the seeds sent out have
not been named. The stuff has been
labelled "selected,' and there was no
means of knowing whether the variety
was early or late, dwarf or giant. or
what ~peculiarities it had, and conse-
quently he could not know what sort
OF treatment it needed. This alone
destroyed its value for purposes of ex-
pertinent, II there were any general
disposition to make a serious expert
ment with it.
Government seed is today just a do
nation. 1t represents something for
nothing, and that is always attractive,
even il there is only a quarters worth
Of it. That is what it is. n that is
how 1t is regarded. The system is at
tractive to a few members of congress
who are able by its use to keep in
touch with some of their constituents.
The congressman is not to be blamed
for using it in this way. So long as
the stuff is bought it might as we'll
be sent out. and every congressman
should see that he gets his share for
distribution. The people who receive
the seeds are not to blame for doing
80. The seeds are paid for with public
money, and let every man get his.
share. if he can, and if he has any use
for it after he gets it. But there is
blame attaching to members of the
United States congress who. knowing
perfectly We'll the utter uselessness of
this distribution Of a petty. g%ratuity.
persist in making appropriations for it
year after year.. and who make the
plea in ~extenuation that they are do
ing something for the farmer.