The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-20
:. By HERBERT COREY

people critic1Se us" said Dr. William A. Taylor, with perfect content, "be cause they say our organization is tot loose. It is not framed on the militar! plan. We have no leftenants and ma jors and generals here."
 Comment seemed a little difficult.
 'I do not believe that a man en gagged in research work can be handled on the military plan," he continued, ii you wish to get the best out of him He must feel his soul is his own. H' must be permitted to so at his job in dependently in the way that best suits him. My part is to keep all working together in harmony. Now and then I give advice"
 Bureau Has Team Work
 A multitude of scientists, engaged or various parts of the same general task often find their orbits overlapping 6 trifle. The average scientist is distinct ly a one-ideaed man. His particular work is the most important thing in the universe and he resents the touching of any part of it. by any other man, no matter how clear the other man may read his title. But in the Bureau of Plant Industry they work as a team. When orbits touch they inter-mesh in: stead of inter-lock.
 "We study" said Dr. Taylor. drop ping genially into alliteration, "the pests and practices of plant produc- tion."
 sThat, when you come to think of 1t, is something of an assignment. There are about 2,000 employees of the bu. reau, of whom One-third are scientists whose headquarters are in Washing ton, but who may spend anywhere from one year to ten in the field studying 6 given problem. Sometimes climatic and other conditions compel a man to stay years in the field before a general aver. age can be discovered on which definite statements may be based regarding a certain plant.
 The Case of Egyptian Cotton
 There is the case of the Egyptian cotton, for example. Our Sea Island cotton was always the finest in the world, but the output was limited.
 "SO we sent men to the Imperial Valley" said Dr. Taylor, where con- ditions approximated those of the irri- gated lands of Egypt. to study the pos sibility of acclfmatizing the Egyptian cotton"
 In time two or three yarities were produced which eQualled or bettered the original. These were cut down to one. Then the Bureau of Plant, Industry found itself compelled to extend the scope of its operations. One farmer could not successfully raise the new cot ton, because the cotton of his neighbors would come over and hybridize it. In the end the bureau secured the consent of the Imperial Valley raisers to em- bark on scheme of community grow ing, in which all raised the same cot ton. It was so successful that the same community plan is now being tried in the older cotton districts. Australia is planning a great new cot ton industry and has taken this par ticular leaf out of the American book.
 Dates and Potatoes, Too
 The same thing happened with dates in the COachella Valley. The bureaus scouts in Arabia discovered a particu- larly fine variety of date, and brought it to the United States, although dates have never before been raised here. They were experimented with until date-raising became a certainty. Farm CTS were induced to grow dates. Then they were instructed in the methods of ripening, curing, packing and finally marketing, the bureau helping to cre- ate a market for them. Now 1t is at work on the dasheen, which Is a sort of super-potato which is grown in the semi-tropics. Florida and Louisiana farmers can raise dasheen, but the mar ket is limited. So the bureau is in- ducing hotel men to take an interest in vegetable that is described as even more valuable than our fine old spud, A new agricultural industry is in pro cess of creation.
 Dr. Taylor is a slender, kindly, gray haired, gentle-spoken man with hand some, aquiline face and a grizzled mus tache. He came naturally by his lik- ing for plants and trees, for when he was a boy his fathers health broke under the burden of his duties as A Congregational minister and he bought forest farm in Michigan. That was the year of the Chicago fire, and al- though that had nothing to do with if. by coincidence the Michigan lake front pine forests were swept by A destructive fire.
 Agricultural College Student
 Tt was a pity" said he, but it made the task of clearing that farm easier, ;
 He helped grub and plough and burn and fence that farm. His father set out an orchard and the boy grew in- terested in it. Therefore he went to the Michigan Agricultural college. the first of it's sort in the United States, to learn more about farming and trees, All the students were poor and self. supporting. It was accepted that the boys must teach country school between times if they were to pay their way through college, and the long vacation was set in the middle of the winter, when country schools most do flour, ish.
 We all worked our way through" " said Dr. Taylor, land we were all the better for it."
 Entered Department In 1891
 Entrance into the Department of Az riculture followed as a matter of course, although the department was a feeble thing in those days. That was in 1891. He spent years in the field, promo tion followed, and in the end he be-