The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-07-29
FUNDS FOR AGRICUL-
TURAL EXTENSION WORK

Whatever form of farm reliel is
finally adopted by the federal gov
eminent, it should be supplemented
by more funds for agricultural re-
search and extension work, declar-
es Charles ]. Brand, executive secre-
tary and treasurer of The National
Fertilizer Association, in recent
statement.
His statement points out that the
governments annual budget provid-
es only 10 cents per man, woman
and child in the United States for
the research and extension of the u.
is. Department of Agriculture all
over the country, whereas promo
ton of marine transportation" gets
54 cents and national defense"
gets $4.65 per capita.
The important problem of how to
make the soil produce the country's
food and raw materials for clothing
and shelter most profitably for the
farmer, and therefore most satisfact-
orily for the nation, is allotted only
one-half cent per capita, whereas
over four-fifths of cent is spent for
enforcement of the narcotic and pro-
hibition acts alone.
At the present rate of teaching
farmers the new, protit-making prac-
tees cleaned by the present limited
research, he said cit will take from
rs to SO years to get where we
might we'll be in 5 to 10 years with
resource to we'll grounded research
and carefully planned and effective
ly conducted demonstrations and
teaching"
Mr.. Brand speaks of federal ap-
preparations, research and extension
work with authority, for he was at
filiated for nearly twenty years with
the Department of Agriculture, and
as the chief of the Bureau OF Mark
cts organized that important branch
of government service to Agricul-
ture That bureau. is now known as
the Bureau of Agricultural Econo-
mics. Mr.. Brand was consulting
specialist in marketing when he left
the department two years ago to
take his present position.
Many persons are under the mis-
apprehension that vast sums are al
ready expended for research and ex
tension by the Department of Agri-
culture he stated.
LAS matter of fact, Secretary
Jardine in his last annual report
shows total expenditure for the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1925, of
7,4S5,660, but this included al
most 100000, 200 for road build
ing, which cannot by any stretch OF
imagination be regarded as real
agricultural expenditure.
1.-THE total expenditures for all the
regular work OF the Department
amounted to $44,574,3S8. OF this
amount only S393,876 was devoted
to the Bureau of Soils, and $24O,601
to the Fixed Nitrogen Research Lab
oratory. The appropriation for Soil
Fertility Investigations, a branch OF
the Bureau of Plant Industry, was
$66,200. The whole cost OF work OF
soil fertility, soil surveys, fertilizer
chemistry and nitrogen tixation was
therefore, Se00,677. OF the total
amount expended for regular work
100000 was devoted to research
and $2,300,0O0 for extension work
I'm other words, the Department,
as such. spends a tritie over 10 cents
per capita for research and extension
combined, and about one-half cent
per capita for soil science in its var
ious aspects"
With agriculture now producing
bountiful supplies of practically all
crops. there is no justification for
further research as means OF pro-
ducing more in the aggregate, but
1--WE need to produce what we make
at less cost in order to insure fair
profit The slogan of our industry
is Fewer Acres with Greater Profit,
and this is the thought that lies be-
hind it,"
The government can do no one
thing that would be more helpful to
agriculture than to undertake a ma
tion-wide program of research and
demonstration to show the economic
advantage of the use of commercial
plant foods. For instance, the De-
partment of Agriculture itself has
proved, through its surveys, that
$3.50 spent for fertilizer on wheat
brings return of S12 to SIS"
Mr.. Brand suggested that cooper
| alive demonstrations in the use of
chemical plant food be staged in the
Is states on each of the three to five
most important crops grown in each
agricultural county, such demon
STATIONS to be carried out on scale
efficient to commend them to the
'armer as thoroughly practical and
Undoubtedly reliable"
He also suggested for considera-
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