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Farming FarmingMarls FarmingMarks FarmingMarks Marls Marks { Vital VitalHalf VitalHalf VitalHalf Half Centm CenturyAgriculture Century CenturyAgriculture y Agriculture Department DepartmentCelebrates DepartmentCelebrates Celebrates 50 Years YearsOf YearsQfJScsearch YearsQfJScsearchBy Of Rcsearch Research ResearchBy By J K McCARRENExactly McCARREN McCARRENExactly Exactly 50 years ago-on ago on agoonFebruary ago - onFebruary : February 9 , 1889-congress 1889 congress 1889congressdecided 1889congressdecided 1889 - congressdecided decided that farming farmmg was Im- Im Important important im important - , portant to America s future futureToday futureToday futureToday Today the department of ag agrIculture agriculture agnculture rIculture celebrates its gold golden golden golden en anniversary anmversary as an execu execu- executIve executive executive - tive branch of the govern government government government ment under a cabinet officerThe officer officerThe The department was actu actually actually actually ally created 27 years earher earlier earheramId earlieramid earlieramid amId the stress ' of the CIVil CIVilwar Civilwar Civilwar war byPresident by President Lincoln Lmcoln Be- Be Between Between Be Between - tween 1862 to 1889 1839 , however howeverit , It was directed by a commts commis commtsSioner commissroner commfssioner Sioner sroner of agriculture in the thepatent thepatent thepatent patent office and annual ap approprIatIons appropriatlons appropnations proprIatIons propriatlons went largely for forthc forthe forthe thc the purchase and distribution of ofseeds ofseeds ofseeds seeds and pl-mts pl mts phnts prints - and for gatherIng gatherIngstat gatheringstat gatheringstat stat st cal data on agncultureWIth agricultureWith agriculture agnculture agricultureWith With the passage of the Hatch act actIn actin actin In 1887 research was encouraged at atstate atstate atstate state agricultural agncultural experiment expenment sta statons stat stat tons t ons The measure also encouraged encourageda a more extensive federal program programror programfor programlor ror for agr culture with congress appro appropnat appropriat appropnat pnat priat ng funds specifically for Inves invest t gating gatmg crop pioduction ploductIon plant and andan andan andan an mil m"ll mll ml " d seases insect posts pcsts pests rec reclamat reclamat reclamat lamat on and certain certam economIc economIcproblcms economicproblems economicproblems economicproblemsOnce problcms problems problcmsO problemsOffice O Once Office ce established estabhshed as an e.ecutIve eecutIve executive e.ecutIvebranch executivebranch executivebranch . branch of the government governmcnt the de department department department partment in reality reahty became grown grownup grownup grownup up Towajrd Toward the end of the Nme Nine Nmetecnth Ninetecnth Ninetecnth tecnth centur century ) cconom econom c condItIons condItIonsand conditionsand conditionsand and federal leg slation siation broadened broadenedthe broadenedthe broadenedthe the department s responsibiht responslbillt es far farbeyond farbeyond farbeyond beyond the realm of product on SCI SCIence science science ence As the settlement of the coun coup country couptry country try proceeded and product on ex expanded expanded expanded panded new problems arose aroseActIvItIes aroseActivities aroseActivities ActIvItIes Expanded E\panded E panded ExpandedIt EpandedIt ' \ : It was necessary to find addItIonal addItIonaloutlets additionaloutlets additionaloutlets outlets for agricultural agneultural commodl commodr commodlhI's commodrties commodities hI's hIs ties ' to cheapen and improve theIr theIrdlstnbutlon theirdistribution theirdistribution dlstnbutlon distribution and to aid farmers m in mmatching inmatching inmatching matching their product on with de demand demend demand mand mend During Durmg this period the de department department department partment developed various vanous eco economic economic economic nomic services notably crop and andlit andlive 11\ 11 lit 11I \ I a ' stock reporting reportmg market regu regulatIon regulation regulation latIon and the d ssemmation ssemination of eco economIc economic economic nomIc informal mformat onIn onIn on onIn In 1913 with special congressional --Tj.J Tj.J - - : ; : ; . Tj.JJ J ' , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ f 7 r4 t a s a atr tr 3i 3it 3ia E . tie Oo g gr ga r a i dt st str r Yo , ill illF F 3 _ _ i iYo officials In their dealings dealingswith dealingswith department devIces help agnculture agriculture Modern . worker uses an aerial map mapto mapto complla.nce compllance compliance with producers Above a . county with a . Nebraska farmer allotments to study acreage authority authonty it began systematic work workm workin workin m in marketing marketmg Congress authonzed authorized authorizedthe authonzedthe the further development of commod commodIty commodity commodity Ity grading gradmg and inspection serVIces serVIcesand servicesand servicesand and the provision of a nat on WIde WIdemarket widemarket widemarket market news ncws service After the theWorld theWorld theWorld World war it became necessary to todeal todeal todeal deal with production and market ng ngas ngas ngas as the two halves of a single smgle prob problem problem problem lem : Experimental rxpenmental legislation m in mcludlng ineluding ineluding cludlng eluding the agricultural agncultural marketmg marketing marketmgact marketingact marketingact act of 1929 led eventually to the theenactment theenactment theenactment enactment of the agricultural agncultural ad adJustmcnt adustment adjustment Justmcnt ) ustment act in m 1933 and subse subsequently subsequently subsequently quently to the enactment of the sOil sOilconservatIon soilconservation soilconservation conservatIon and domest c allot allotment allotment allotment ment actTo actTo act actTo To a large extent however the thedepartment thedepartment thedepartment department has been and st at 11 U IS ISa isa isa a research mst inst tution Through ItS ItSresearch itsresearch itsresearch research agr culture and mdustry industry mdustryhave industryhave industryhave have reaped huge benefits The late lateS lateS lateS S r Horace Plunkett Ireland s noted notedauthoflty notedauthority notedauthority authoflty authority on agriculture descnbed described describedit descnbedIt It as perhaps the most popular popularand popularand popularand and respected of the world s great greatadmmlstratlve greatadministrative greatadministrative admmlstratlve administrative inst mat tutlOns tutions tutlOnsInvcstlgated tutionsInvestigated tutionsInvestigated Invcstlgated Investigated Splenetic Splcnctlc revcrDepartment reverDepartment Fever revcr rever FeverDepartment Department research has many manybrllhant manybrilliant manybrilliant brllhant brilliant achievements to its credit creditmany creditmany creditmany many of which reach tar far beyond beyondthe beyondthe beyondthe the field of agriculture agflculture In 1893 de department department department partment scient sts proved that a amIcro amicro amicro mIcro organ sm found in m the blood bloodof bloodof bloodof of cattle was the cause of splenetic spleneticfever spleneticfever spleneticfever fever and that the disease was wastransm wastransm wastransm transm tted by the cattle tick tJck ThIs ThIswas Thiswas Thiswas was the first demonstration that a amIcrobIal amicrobial amicrobial mIcrobIal disease can be transmit transmitted transmitted transmitted ted exclusively by an insect msect car carrler cartier carner carnerThis rler tier rlerThis tierThis This discovery led physicians to tothe tothe tothe the knowledge that such diseases diseasesas as yellow fever malaria malafla AfrIcan AfrIcansleepmg Africansleeping Africansleeping sleepmg sleeping sickness Rocky mountainfever mountainfever mountain mountainfever fever and other maladies are Slml simi Slmllarly similarly similarly larly transmitted It Itjaiade made possi possr ble the control of yellow fever In Inthe inthe mthe the Panama Canal zone and the theUnited theUnited theUnited United States completed the canal canalafter canalafter canalafter after the French had bad failedAfter failedAfter failed failedAfter After years of o1 fruitless efforts by bysCIentists byscientists byscientists sCIentists of many countries depart department departmerit department discovered discoveredthat discoveredthat discoveredthat ment merit mentorkers \ workers \\orkers orkers in m 1903 that hog cholera is caused by a l dl lterable dltenable filterable terable tenable virus and developed a pre preventIve preventive preventive ventIve serum that controls the dls dis dlsease disease disease ease This d scovery saves mIllIons millionsof of dollars doUars for American farmers ev every evcry every ery cry yearCheap yearCheap year yearCheap Cheap n trogen from the air pro produced produced produced duced by a synthet c ammonia ammoma proc pros process prosess process to toa toa toa ess in many American plants is a large extent an outgrowth of re research research research search in m the department s labora laboratones laboratories laboratones tones tories This development rcsulted resulted resultedin rcsultedm m in the collapse of the foreign mo monopoly monopoly monopoly nopoly in m organic orgamc nitrogen mtrogen fertlhl fertiliz fertilizers tertilizers : ers and the United Untted States is well on onthe onthe onthe the road to independence mdependence m in its lis re reqwremen regwremen's requiremen's requiremens qwremen gwremen's gwremens ' + s for or fertilizer raw ma matenals matends matenals matenalsDeveloped tenals tends tenalsDeveloped tendsDeveloped Developed Better ProductsResearch ProductsResearch Products ProductsResearch Research in m the department dem deco demoI"strated decoor'strated demorstrated oI"strated oIstrated or'strated orstrated " ' for the first time that re reslstance resstance resistance slstance sstance to disease in m plants is a agenetic agenetic agenetic genetic character and that resistant resistantqualIties resistantqualities resistantqualities qualIties can be bred into mto plants plantsThis plantsThis plantsThis This d scovery has led to far farreachmg farreaching farreaching reachmg reaching improvement in m wheat wheatoats wheatoats wheatoats oats cotton tobacco sugar cane canetomatoes canetomatoes canetomatoes tomatoes cabbage potatoes and andother andother andother other important crops This phase phaseof phaseof phaseof of research is well illustrated by bythe bythe bythe the discovery of department SCI SCIentlsts scientists scienlists entlsts entists that mosaic disease was Wlp wip Wlpmg wiping wiping mg ing out the sugar cane industry mdustry m in mthe inthe inthe the deep south Introduction of mo ma mosalc masaic mosaic salc saic resistant stocks from the far farEast fareast fareast East and a consistent quality breed breedmg breeding breeding mg ing program have restored sugar sugarcane sugarcane sugarcane cane productivity within a few fewyears fewyears fewyears fewyearsThese years yearsThese These are just a few examples of ofwhat ofwhat ofwhat what department research has done donefor donefor donefor for the American Amencan farmer Many of ofthe ofthe ofthe the experiments experunents are conducted m in mco inco inco co operation with state experIment experImentstations experimentstations experimentstations stations There are now more than than1 1 200 co operative research agree agreements agreements agreements ments between the department and andthe andthe andthe the experiment statIOnsCo stationsCo stations stationsCo Co operative research receIved receIvedanother receivedanother receivedanother another big impetus in m the Bank Bankhead Bankhead Bankhead head Jones act which provides spe ape speclal apecial special clal cial funds for basic research The Theact Theact act also serves to integrate mtegrate state stateand s > tate tateand tateand and federal research through re reglOnallaboratorIes regional regional glOnallaboratorIes gional laboratories More tar far reach reachIng reaching reaching Ing in m this respect was section 202 202of 202of 202of of the agricultural adustment adJustment ] act actfor actfor actfor for 1938 which provides tor for four re reglOnal regional regional glOnal gional laboratories at New Orleans Orleansand Orleansand I Iand and Peona PeorIa and m in the vicinity vlcmlty of ofSan ofSan ofSan San Francisco and PhIladelphIa PhIladelphIaCombat PhiladelphiaCombat PhiladelphiaCombat Combat Farm SurplusesThe Surpluses SurplusesThe The research to be carried carned out at atthe atthe the new laboratories laboratones will attack attackthrough attackthrough attackthrough through science and technology the theproblems theproblems problems of develop ng new and ex extended extended tended outlets and markets for the themain themain main surplus agricultural agnculturdl commodl commodr commodit commodlt commodrt t es in the four major farm produc producIng producing producing Ing countryTo areas of the country To begin begm with the northern lab laboratory laboratory laboratory oratory will study corn wheat and andagrIcultural andagricultural andagricultural agrIcultural wastes the southern laboratory southernlaboratory cotton sweet potatoes potatoesand and peanuts the eastern labora tory laboratory tobacco milk products apples applespotatoes potatoes and western vegetables the west ern laboratory wheat potatoes al altalfa alfalfa falfa ! otherthan vegetables and fruits other than applesToday applesToday apples applesTodays Today Todays s department of agncul agricul ture agnculture agriculture also has many other duties Includmg including dutiesincluding dutiesIncludmg the administration admmlstralon ! ot of more than morethan 50 regulatory laws The food foodand and drug administration admlmstratlon is prepar mg ing preparing preparmg to adm drugand mster nester the new food drug and cosmetic Cosmelc ! act which goes mto into effect intoeffect mtoeffect ne next .t t > . June The new act gIves wIder giveswider protection proteclon ! to the consumer consumerand and protects protccts fromunscrupulous manufacturers from unscrupulous trade tade , praclces practices praclcesSupervise practicesSupervise practicesSupervise ! Supervise \ Bleat l\leat l leat Meat Packing PackingAmong Among its regulatory duties thesupervision is the superVIsIOn of the stockyard stockyards anstockyard andy andstockyards stock Packstock y a r d ders , act supervising Pack packers ers and an great thegreat SuperVIsIng the commodity markets restrain restram stram strain to re dishonest practices praclces ! and ex cesSlve cessive excessive ucts products for speculation the wholesale resale6 it grades and3 prod tfil markets retaIlmarkets . and retaIl r and defends th the . . , nst t tht e country aga .e e " ns " " foreign "weign weign " insects animaland Iand and plant pestsnIma pestsduties pests anda andanimal and a animal nIma I None the less | duties important ar arc are thecast the e e egot of the eat weather er bureauNone bureau got in fore o oe oweather _ wfl fl//- fl flwaca cast w- w ng - floods / ' / " d deat * - - s storms - ' orms - - - - - frosts weather andweather Ul m Uls general and 1 fe con congeneral wIldservIng protectmg protecting wIld conserving servIng the soIl th the ests thests e for and certam certain tasks taskse relating tlng fiood flood to toment control thro through ug h Irela land and Thug trelt treat ment Th Theserand Theserandother eseand trelteseand eseandoth , oth other c means of ofutIl correct ng old oldabuses abuses abusesc ? - - \ in util w\aca w aca * in our ' _ land zat on methodour method tIvely colively recent methodare are campara compara camparaT camparaopments _ _ _ _ devel develare developments opments T The he opmentshe department bone b but ut 50 ' ' 0 O years one agoone small bUI bur buieauemrJouin ago agotechnical eau emrJouin- |
