68 



GOVERNMENT SEEDS. 



and valuable varieties, but has been the means of im- 

 proving standard seeds." "After thirty-five years ex- 

 perience as gardener in Louisiana, these seeds are the 

 best that I have ever planted, and give the most satis- 

 factory results. " 



A great number of valuable economic plants and 

 varieties of fruits have also been distributed, and 

 successfully grown in localities to which they were 

 adapted. The most notable instance, perhaps, is 

 that of the introduction of the Bahia, or, as it is now 

 generally known, Washington Navel orange, into 

 California. This is now conceded to be the best 

 variety produced in the United States. Its intro- 

 duction is said to have been worth, to California 

 alone, more than all the Department of Agriculture 

 has ever cost the countrj'. 



METHOD OF PURCHASING SEEDS. 



Prior to March 7th, 1889, when Hon. J. M. Rusk, 

 Secretary of Agriculture, assumed the duties of that 

 office, the method of purchasing seeds was that of 

 receiving bids from responsible seed growers and 

 seed firms, who were required to give a guarantee 

 that the seeds furnished would not only be true to 

 name and of good germinating quality, but also 

 cleaned with extra care so as to be free from weed 

 seeds or eggs or larva of injurious insects. Since 

 September, 1885, all seeds received by the Depart- 

 ment, are tested not only in a seed tester, but in 

 the plant propogating houses, and when necessary, 

 by either the entomologist or botanist. If the 

 guarantee is not verified they are promptly rejected. 

 The average germination of all seeds accepted has 

 been 93 per cent. When, however, the percentage 

 in those varieties which are somewhat difficult ap- 

 proximates 75 to 85 per cent., the seed is regarded 

 as being of sufficient value to warrant its purchase 

 and distribution. In the test of flower seeds, the 

 percentage usually ranges somewhat lower. 



The present method of purchasing seeds which 

 is undoubtedly an improvement over the former 

 method, is that of employing a special purchasing 

 agent, whose duty it is to visit personally different 

 sections of country, and inspect, as far as possible, 

 the product of which seeds are offered to the Depart- 

 ment, and to look up such as seem to possess spe- 

 cially desirable characteristics. 



The seed-testing apparatus now in use, which is 

 often called the "Geneva tester," consists of two 

 heavy block-tin pans, 17 inches in length by 12 in 

 width and 2.]^^ in depth. These pans are painted 

 inside and out. Two and one-eighth inches from 

 the bottoms of the pans, a ledge half an inch in 

 width is soldered to the sides. It is upon these 

 that the ends of the brass rods rest which support 



the V-shaped pockets which reach nearly to the 

 bottoms of the pans. The brass wires, No. 9 size, 

 are each 11^4' inches in length. To make the 

 pockets, take two strips of unbleached thin muslin, 

 each \oyz by zy^ inches, and turn a hem -^-^ of an 

 inch on each ; then stitch the two pieces together 

 I % inches from the unhemmed edge. The support- 

 ing rods are passed through the hems and project 

 half an inch beyond the ends of the pockets. The 

 bottoms of the pans are covered to the depth of 

 half an inch or more with water, so that the lower 

 edges of the pockets come in contact with it and the 

 seed is kept moist by means of capillary attraction. 

 The seeds to be tested, numbering 25, 50 or 100, 

 are placed within the muslin trough and moistened, 

 and each pan is then placed near the window and 

 each is covered with a heavy pane of glass. The 

 date the test is begun and closed is carefully noted, 

 as well as the per cent, of the seeds that have germi- 

 ated. For use on the farm, for determining the 

 vitality of corn, grass, clover and other seeds, any 

 comparatively shallow pan will answer the purpose, 

 provided the depth of the pockets is diminished, as 

 the ends of the rods can rest on the sides of the pan, 

 and an ordinary pane of glass can be used as a 

 cover to retain the proper degree of heat and moist- 

 ure. By this method, the proper degree of ventila- 

 tion will be given, and the side ledges two and one- 

 eighth inches from the bottom of the pan can be 

 dispensed with. If the pan is supplied with water, 

 the plants will continue to grow, and the pockets, 

 through which the roots will have penetrated, can, 

 after the wires are withdrawn, be subdivided with a 

 pair of scissors, and the plants be transplanted with 

 the pieces of cloth, and their growth will thereafter 

 be rapid and continuous if the season and the nec- 

 essary conditions are at all favorable. By this 

 method, not only can the purchase of worthless 

 seeds be obviated, but if already purchased, the 

 proper amount of grass and other seeds to sow to 

 the acre may be definitely determined, even though 

 one quarter or third of the seed possesses no vitality 

 whatever. 



METHODS OF DISTRIBUTION. 



The present method of distributing the seeds is 

 clearly indicated in the tabulated statement of the 

 1888-9 distribution. The question asto the best meth- 

 od has been a vexed one with each successive Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture since the Department was 

 established. Commissioner Newton, in his fifth an- 

 nual report, of 1866, suggested that if members of 

 congress would set apart a considerable portion of 

 their quota now distributed to individuals, to be 



