Omaha daily bee., 1908-02-17
POLLARD CHANGES POLICY
Congressman Brings New Ideas to
Agricultural Department.
EXPERTS REPLACING BULLETINS
Opposition to Free seeds stiII Maiu-
tained--ResuIts Accomplished In
Spraying Orchards-Repub-
Iicans Active.
tFrom a staff correspondent }

(From a Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb ESPECIALLY y
Congressman Pollard Of the First district
Of Nebraska has demonstrated his fit
ness for a place on the committee on
agriculture and justified the speakers
faith in the young man by appointing him
to a place on that very important com
mittee, according to one Of the older MEM
bers of the house.
The subcommittee of the agricultural
committee of which Mr.. Pollard is a MEM
ber, completed It's work on the agricui-
tural appropriation bill for the year end
ing June 3d. 1909. and which will now
be taken up by the full committee PIE
paratory TO it's being reported to the
house.
A practical farmer and an enthusiastic
advocate Of educated methods in farm
matters Mr.. Pollard is responsible tor
many changes made in the usual draft
of the agricultural bill. In fact, he Is
wholly responsible for a change In the
rolicy of the committee with reference
20 departmental affairs, as well as In
wise suggestions looking to much bet
ter rnethod of disseminating the knowl-
edgc possessed by the Agricultural DC
partment by expert teaching. For SOW
eral years the Agricultural department
has distributed broadcast from 100000
to 100000 bulletins annually, and yet
notwithstanding this enormous number Of
farm publications there has been little
or no effect in bettering the farmers con-
dition or in helping to work out the poll
cies of the department
Spraying Orchards.
Realizing these conditions, Mr. Pollard
took up with the department last year
the subject of spraying the orchards In
the First district for blight and black rot,
and so earnest was he in his effort 10
help the farmers and the orchardists OF
his district that he succeeded in getting
an expert sent to the First district, who
gave practical demonstrations upon the
! manner of spraying and the mixture to
be used, with the result that half dozen
farmers are now spraying their trees
where but one sprayed before. The sue
cess of this demonstration work is now
! admitted on all sides, and the results
which have accompanied expert teaching
in the cotton producing sections of the
south, especially in relation to the Sc
lection of cottonseed, the soil in which
It is planted and it's Il eatment for boil
weeviI, has revolutionlzed the cotton busi-
ness of the southern states. DR.. Knapp
who. with his experts scattered through
| out the southern states, is now In tohch
\ with a hundred thousand farmers who
are learning from the agents OF the AgTi-
cultural department the things most
! needed to bring about better crop and
I a larger crop shows the vely great nm
portance of this direct first-hand knowl-
edge of scientific farming.
Experts to Cover Country.
It has been the aim of Mr.. Pollard since
he came to congress to apply his knowledge
of agricultural matters to the solution Of
problems which have confronted him and
his neighbors throughout his farm life and
| with his enthusiasm compelled the Depart
| ment of Agriculture to recognize needs OF
| farmers other than that spoken of in farm
| bulletins, with the result that a highly in
| teligent body of men, experts in soils and
seeds and experts who know how to con-
! struct good roads, are scattered all over the
country, holding kindergartens for the
| farms and the nation. They are teaching
the best methods of stock raising and seed
selection and are applying their scientific
research for the benefit of the husbandman
and the cattle grower. This year instead
| of confining themselves to one district in
a state, agents of the Department OF Agri-
culture will go into the several districts of
Nebraska wherever needed to demonstrate
their knowledge Of not only spraying, but
Of seed and soil selection and the treatment
of grains that may be blighted by disease.
II farmers throughout Nebraska will write
to their congressman regarding needed
demonstrations, the Department OF Agricul-
ture will send these experts to centrally
. | Iocotad r,oipta upbara meetings NAV he held
and demonstrations given.
Stock breeders, as is wellknown, have
been breeding to type, keeping up both
strains and lines. The same rules which
are applied to stock breeding when applied
TO plant breeding result larger acreage
and better grades of staple crops than in
animals. This scientific breeding of plants
has increased the output from 15 to S5 per
cent
Opposition 10 Free Seeds.
Mr.. Pollard has been consistent oppon-
ent to free garden seeds, but the subcom-
mittee OF the agricultural committee has
put in the usual appropriation for garden
seeds, because Of a desire TO avoid the
usual fight on the floor of congress. 1t is
barely possible, however that the full
committee may cut out the appropriation
before the bill goes to the house, in which
event the usual fight Will be participated
because the south stands as a unit for free
garden seeds and usually enough northern
members are secured to put the appropria-
tion in the bin should the committee strike
1t out.
Another matter in which the people OF
the First district, and for that matter, the
whole state, are interested, is the subject
of good roads. Heretofore the agricultural
appropriation bill has carried an approprla.
tion for demonstrations in road building
This years appropriation bill. while It will
carry the same appropriation for the bureau
OF roads, the demonstrations of macadam
road building win be abandoned and
: through Mr.. Pollard's effort engineers will
be sent into communities TO advise witt
commissioners and county boards as ths
best manner in which the roads of tbs
county may be constructed. The cost OF
constructing macadam roads runs from
5000 TO 1900 per mile. which makes Il
prohibitive in many sections Of the coun.
try, and no farm community, especially IN
the west. can construct such roads and Al
the same time pay their other fixet
charges. But in order that the farmer,
may have the very best obtainable advice