The Dolores star., 1922-06-16

standard varieties of vegetable and flower Seeds
In 1894 change advocated and action taken
to discontinue the customary distribution This
action was not approved by congress, which in an
act approved April %. 1896, changed the wording
of the previous act. The attorney general, to
Whom the question was submitted for decision
held that the purchase and distribution of Seeds
including vegetable and flower seeds were manda-
tory and left the secretary of agriculture without
discretion. Congress has specifically reserved for
Itself the distribution, with proportionate allot
ments to each member, of vesXths of all the seeds
and plants purchased by the department. So that
is where "consressional seed distribution" orig-
mated.
Now, then, 1t costs Uncle Sam about 3h cents
for every package of seeds sent out by n congress
man. Each package contains five different kinds
OF seed. The following kinds of vegetable seeds
are purchased for free distribution: Peas beets
lettuce, onions, radsh beans corn. carrots, Gu
cunber parsley, parsnip, squash, tomato. turnip,
and watermelon. There are IA combinations so
that member of congress can select the five
different kinds of seeds he wants to send our in
one package Similarly there are % different va
rieties Of flowers, such chrysanthelnum aster
cosmos, balsam, candytuft dianthus, nasturtium,
poppy sweet peas, petunia, zinnias, mignonette
That package containing five small papers of
SEEDS which costs the government 31s cents, II
bought In the open market would cost so cents
The office of seed distribution in the Department
OF Agriculture keeps exact account for each
count. The member is credited with his quota
and is allowed to draw against that quota, just
the same as against bank account
From one sample package, containing five small
papers of seeds, any person raise at least Sl5
worth of food. according to the agricultural au
thorities. Deducting So for waste loss in transit
or carelessness in planting poor soil it leaves
$40 net production Members of congress are
sending out this year 100000 of these large
packages Give papers in each) which. it is con.
SarNtD tiraIy ,tr.1
products for an outlay of S360,0oO which certainly
should have some effect the economic life of
this country.
When the annual fight over the appropriation
is being waged the claim is often made that the
free-seed distribution comes wrecking the
Post Office department and is responsible for mn
annual deficit. The records show that the rim is
usually from 100000 pounds to 100000 or 100000
pounds, and that if the office of seed distribution
paid postage on each package the same as anv
private individual, the postage bill would never
have been more than $131,00O and that it would
average about S95,000.
Every seed sent out is tested for vitality and
for trueness TO name These tests are ,nule NJ,
the experimental farm of the department near
Arlington National cemetery, although the germi-
nation tests are mostly made in the laboratorv nv
using blotter paper. All seed has to be of the
particular variety ordered. The department wb;e
opposing the congressional distribution takes very
good care that the seeds are all good before they
are sent out. 1t sets very high standard TO which
the seeds must register, much higher standard
than is often required commercially If the seeds
do not reach that standard, they are shipDed bacl
to the contractor from whom they were purchaser
at the latter's expense Some yenrs they reect
a very large amount-this year, for example ,bout
100000 pounds, after it had reached Washington
-because the termination not high enoush
This is sent back not good enough for con
gressonal seed distribution, but there is M ne
surance anywhere that the very same seed Is nor
disposed of commercially
Uncle Sam buys these seeds on straight corr,
peuuVe plds, and when any contractors deliver
res snow consistent poor termination he Is
backsted. Each bidder is Informed yIv ba d,d
not get the contract, told who did get it and wby