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Show Agriculture Hits Efficiency Peak Experimental Farms Test Production Ways American agriculture has reached reach-ed a peak of efficiency unequalled in all the centuries man has cul-, cul-, tivated the earth. Farmers today operate machines, ma-chines, unknown to his grandfather, grandfa-ther, that till his fields, mend his fences and milk his cows. He plants seeds from which grow foods and fibers unheard of in this country a few decades ago. He raises streamlined pigs that arrive in larger litters and give more ham and bacon, and sheep with longer, finer wool. Much of the advancement Is the result of experimental farms maintained by the federal government. govern-ment. One such station is maintained main-tained at Beltsvilie, 12 miles from Washington. It is the largest experimental farm In the nation. It contains 11,000 rolling Maryland acres. There are 2,000 employees, 950 buildings and S3 miles of roads. The days of the horse and plow (pictured In the lower half of the above drawing) Is practically s thing of the past on American farms. Machinery Is more economical eco-nomical and gives greater efficiency. effi-ciency. As a result farm production produc-tion has reached an all-time hit In this country. Included in the property are granary, acres of greenhouses and n airport. Beltsvilie scientists first tested DDT and the amazing chemicaj 2,4-D. They are constantly experimenting ex-perimenting with cattle, chickens and swine. Only one of the station's creations crea-tions bears its name. It is the Beltsvilie turkey that just fits an apartment sized oven. The station, like those in the tier 48 states, is a major guardian guard-ian ef the country's forests and terms, food, clothing and future keahh. |