The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-01-13
]. W. NICHOLSON
TALKS TO SEED MEN
Sterling and Aberdeen
Growers Attend In
structive Meeting

About seventy-flve people attended
the meeting Of seed growers held at
Sterling on Saturday afternoon. The
meeting was addressed by ]. w.
Nicholson Of the state farm bureau
and market department Of Michigan.
He told them about some Of the diff
ficulties of keeping seed pure when
once person has a start In pure
seed. He told of the difficulties of
seed getting mixed in meadows and
gradually rendering it impure. There
are many ways that the other kind
OF seed can get into mans meadow
besides having it put there at the
start. Men who raise pure seed are
constantly resorting to the practice
of mixing some other kinds with it
and getting the price of pure seed
for the whole thing. Men who deal
in seed are doing the same thing.
paying high prices for pure seed and
mixing something else with it. The
farm bureau of the State of Michi-
gan has 100000 members and many
of them want to buy pure Grimm
alfalfa seed. The problem OF where
to turn to get something that is
really pure Grimm seed has been
worked out from year to year until
they have decided that the only way
to make sure of their purchases is to
get in touch with producers who are
organized and who will guarantee
their products. There are very few
places in the United States, where
people are raising pure Grimm
alfalfa seed and this is considered
one of the best of them. They have
never organized into a working body
and have never guaranteed their
seed, altho individuals in the Sterl-
Ing country have guaranteed their
seed. Mr.. Nicholson advised them to
and to draw the lines
strictly between those meadows that
we're pure Grimm and those that
we're not and to defend the label Of
heir seed accordingly. When seed
s put on the market in this way it
s certified to be pure and is guarded
ind kept pure until it gets to the
consumer.
The Michigan farm bureau has
handled $4,000 pounds of our pure
irimm alfalfa already and wants to
landle more of 1t selling it as Idaho
eed, but 1t cannot be certified and
old under such label until the men
and follow the rules laid
own for defending certified seed.
Mr.. Nicholson says this is one OF
he choicest sections of the United
tates for raising pure seed, not only
t alfalfa, but Of clover and other
eed.
Practically all of the seed grow
RS OF the Aberdeen and Sterling
ountry were there and having
earned the reasons for organizing
nd the advantages to be gained by
!, they decided to meet and organize
q January %.
1t was stated in the meeting that
ure Grimm alfalfa seed is the only
they knew of in the
nited States that has held it's own
the great crash of prices of the
ast few months. Grimm seed sold
from 30 cents to so cents during
le high war prices with an average
40 cents until the year 1920 when
averaged As cents. Ten cars were
tipped out Of Sterling at SO cents
pound. That brought large
mount of money into the county
I'D If the industry had been devel-
ped further it would have saved the
nances of the county accordingly.
When we consider the tumble
ken by practically all other farm
in 1920 and note that
lr alfalfa seed rose in the face of
i those reductions in prices, when
is repembered that only certain
nds of climate and soil conditions
i'll produce alfalfa seed proftably
Id remembering the further fact
lat it is not an industry they can
mp into and out Of again like rails
g potatoes, it will be seen that we
I'VE the possibilities of great and
'ofitable enterprise in Bingham
'unty IL we will 60 ahead and push