330 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



season, in the inspection and examination of agricultural seeds. 

 This year as a result of a conference which the Governor held with 

 the State Council of Defense and this department it was decided 

 to place our entire inspection force at work on the seed corn prob- 

 lem in an endeavor to see that all available supplies of seed corn 

 were distributed where they were most needed and at a reasonable 

 price. Each of our inspectors was given a territory to cover. This 

 they did in co-operation with the county agents working under the 

 direction of J. C. Coverdale of the Agricultural Extension Depart- 

 ment of Ames. Thousands of bushels of crib corn were examined, 

 to determine its fitness for seed and measures taken to see that it 

 reached the hands of the needy planter at a reasonable price. Dur- 

 ing the critical stages of the season complaints relative to profit- 

 eering and deliveries of corn not meeting the requirements of the 

 Seed Law literally flowed into this office. Fifteen to twenty dol- 

 lars a bushel was frequently asked for seed corn worth five dollars 

 a bushel. Our existing laws did not meet this emergency but as 

 soon as the condition was explained to Governor Harding he met 

 the situation by issuing a proclamation which practically set the 

 maximum price for seed corn at $10.00 a bushel. This had the 

 effect of releasing thousands of bushels of corn at a price which 

 the farmer, so unfortunate as to be without seed, could afford to 

 pay. 



Prosecutions were often necessary to curb willful violations 

 of the law and selling seed under false representations as to its via- 

 bility and origin. Through the efforts of this office several thous- 

 and dollars in the form of rebates M^ere returned to farmers result- 

 ing from overcharges and unfair contracts. Evidence that the 

 work of this department, as well as that of the co-operating agen- 

 cies was effective, is to be seen in the wonderful stand of uniform 

 corn now being harvested. Starting with the poorest seed in the 

 history of the state. Iowa this year has the finest crop of corn which 

 I have seen since I have been commissioner. 



FEEDING STUFFS 



A general survey of the quality of Commercial Feeds and Medi- 

 cinal Stock Foods was made during the wintex season. The object 

 of this inquiry was to determine the nature of the feeds being of- 

 fered for sale on the Iowa market and to see whether or not the 

 manufacturers and dealers were complying with the requirements 

 of the Feeding-Stuffs Law relative to registration and proper label- 

 ing as to composition and quality. The results of this survey as 



