Effects of the War Upon the Seed Imhi-*try. 21 



that tliis supply was made available and distributed as -eco- 

 nomically and efficiently as possible. It is an economic waste 

 of time and resources to produce seed of a kind that is not 

 needed or wanted much in excess of the demand for it. 



By means of the figures published in the Seed Reporter, 

 the official organ of the Seed Reporting Service, showing 

 cany-over and current stocks on hand, exports and im- 

 ports, as well as other information, growers and dealers 

 could determine to some extent, whether or not the growing 

 or handling of various kinds of seeds would result in profit 

 to them. 



In the case of vegetable seed, the data given served well as 

 an indicator of which kinds would probably be short for 

 the next planting season unless the acreage devoted to their 

 production -was increased considerably or the yield per acre 

 proved to be much above the average. While it is true that 

 some of the larger growers would have gone ahead increasing 

 their own acreage of certain crops two or more fold, many of 

 the growers would have hesitated to place contracts with 

 growers at greatly increased prices, knowing as they did that 

 the labor shortage during the growing season and at harvest 

 time might be even more acute than at planting time, if they 

 had not had access to information which indicated clearly 

 that there would be a good demand for practically all of the 

 seed they could produce of most kinds of vegetable crops. 



Published contract prices paid to small growers, and 

 wholesale and retail prices of seedsmen enabled commercial 

 growers to determine whether or not they were paying their 

 growers too much or too little as compared with other com- 

 mercial growers, whether or not seedsmen were purchasing 

 or selling at prices out of line with analogous prices of other 

 seedsmen, and whether or not the consumers had a right 

 to object to prices paid by them. 



Preliminary estimates of the production of field or vege- 

 table seed, either actual or as compared with normal or 

 with the preceding year, together with figures showing the 

 carry-over and other information, helped to establish more 

 juickly prices of various field seeds; to place buyer and seller 

 on more equal terms so far as knowledge of the supply and 

 demand for -particular seeds was concerned; and to assist 

 governmental agencies in formulating a policy with reference 



