Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-01-04
Secretary Houston Asks for hppro-
pr;ation of S6.OO0.0G0 With Which
TO Purchase Seed

lion Of S6,00O.O00 to enable the De
yartnent of Agriculture to buy an!
sell seed to farmers for cost at 4
reasonable price. The necessity for
the appropriation is explained in Ine
following letter which the Secretal !
has sent TO the Secretary OF the
Treasury:
L have the honor to submit he.c-
with, for transmission to Congress
for inclusion in the Urgent Deticlenc;
bill, an estimate of an appropriated
of S6.OOO,000 TO enable the depart
menc TO purchase and sch seeds ~
farmers in areas where unusual cor.-
ditiors prevail, and particularly IL,
those which have suffered during the
pas. season from severe drought. Il
Is suggested that the following iaH-
guage will accomplish the purposes
which the department has IN mind:
ITO enable the Secretary of As
riculturc to meet the emergency
caused by the need for food and fccd
crops by purchasing, on contract:nE
with persons TO grow. seeds suitan:e
for the production of food or feel
crops and to store, transport, ant
furnish such seeds to farmers for
cash at a reasonable price, $4,000, 900;
and this fund may he used as a re
yolvinr fund until the Secretary .!
Agriculture determines that no srcn
emergency exists; and the Sec:e-
tarv of Agriculture is authorized to
paw al such expenses. including l'an;.
and to employ such persons al
means. in the District Of Co!umpi"
and elsewhere. and to co-opcrA;"
with such state authorities, loca! On
ganizations, or individuals, as ne ma
deem necessary 10 accomplish sGc',
purpose.
.'The seed situation has prcsen-cA
and continues to present, many ~
ficultlcs. Under tne provision OF the
Food Production Act. which mace
available $2,500,000 for the purchaa"
and sale Of seed to farmers IN re-
strictcd areas for cash. at cost 4"
has heen possible for the department.
+o furnish some relief. Large quaH-
tities of seed Of cotton, grain sofG-
huns, and corn have been purhasGa
for The drought stricken sections o.
rroxa. IN order to assist IN maEln@
available adequate supplies of seed
for tie next planting season. Inc &c
,,.rtment is taking similar action II
North Dakota and Montana and mas
arranged to purchase consideraoe
Quantities of old corn suitable 1ct
seed for sale to farmers IN mdia'a
whore an emergency exists with rel
o,onco TO the supplies of vlable seed
corn.
1t is clear. however, that the 1un"S
,,o,v .+ the command of the Depart
ment are wholly insufficient TO en-
ohio i to meet the situation proper
sly. If production is to be malntalhe'
or Increased next year, It IS esSe'-
tial that prompt and adequate acton
no taken TO safeguard the seed sup
niles Of the Nation. There IS urgen1
and immediate need for at least 80
600 900. and it is probable that an
additional sum will be required m the
near future.
Two general areas have sufferer
severely from drought during me
nast season-the Southwest, inciud-
inc !. large part Of Texas and pafE
of Oklahoma. and a conslderaoi@
norton of the Northwest, including
l,roa sections Of North Dakota anu
eastern Montana These regions rep
resent large, par; of the graln-p:e-
aucine areas Of the United States
with particular reference TO gralr
sorrhums, cats. barley, flax, ana
corn. The seed corn situation III the
northern half Of the corn belt IS more
sar,ous than it has been for many
wears. Early frosts throughout the
northern part of he corn belt caugh:
rnncb of the corr either IN the MIX
or in the dough stages ana, although
the crop was large, it contains an un'
usually high percentage OF SOFT corn
The high prices prevailing also nave
caused farmers to sell their oio Corr
and consequently there Is a mVS'
smaller supply.
"Three northern States prodac
large quantities of white or nav
beans, Michigan. New York. and WIS
consin. Of the total acreage, nearl'
three-fourths is in Michigan. An carl,
frost not only greatly reduced tn