The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-02-20
Our Government
How Il Operates
DEPARTMENT OF
AGRTCULTURE
By William Bruekars

~ city or the nation seldom re-
ceiye suggestions from natives OF
Washington that they should visit
the Department of Agriculture. The
native here will freely point out
places to see and the things of in-
terest that a tourist should not
miss" but the suggestions almost
never include the Department of
Agriculture.
It is more easily understood than
it appears. Except for the gardens
and greenhouse or two over which
the department has supervision.
there is little appeal for the tour
list in that part of the department
located in Washington, large as
that section really is.
The answer, simply stated, to the
circumstance is that the Depart
ment of Agriculture operates the
greatest laboratories in the world,
but they are scattered throughout
the nation that they can be near
to the problems they seek to solve.
The experimental farms serve to IL
lustrate the point. That farm in
your state is located where 1t is
for q very practical reason, the
same being that it is attempting to
develop some kind of agricultural
product of especial fitness for the
conditions of soil and climate IN
der which you live.
But / would not have you under
derstand that the department has
only this method of serving the
farmers. Although their work lacks
the appeal that Is required to at
tract sightseers, the vast Offices of
the department in Washington are
thoroughly filed with men and
women and equipment as each one
of them proceeds to work out some
new factor in connection with plant
and animal life. People are too
prone to think of the department
only in connection with wheat and
cotton and corn and cattle and hogs,
etc. AS matter of fact, its other
work is more basic.
Let me relate the circumstance of
one office as an illustration. Pre-
siding over it is a small man, alGer-
man by birth, but an immigrant to
America at an early age. He lis
highly educated, uses many terms
in conversation that go far over my
humble head, and plods along with
his studies.
And what does he study? Peat,
peat boys. uses of peat, how to use
peat lands.
He is recognized throughout the
world as an authority on peat, and
slowly but surely out of the vast
researches that he has made and AZ
making is coming information that
will result in utilization of millions
| Of acres Of land that is looked upon
now by those residing near as not
worth the taxes its owners have to
| pay.
l The Individual about whom have
written above is just one cog in a
i great machine, known In the depart
ment as the bureau of chemistry
/ and soils, an agency of earnest men
and women seeking facts. Sci.
entists they are, and scientists they
will remain, and while specifically
l their work may be made the sub.
! iect of laughter and by-play, agri.
| cultural life of America owes much
1 to them.
4 For instance out of the constant
investigating that goes on by that
group, we already know that GER
tain kinds of wheat will produce in
/ greater volume in Kansas than for.
merly could be grown in that bread
basket Of the nation; we know that
their soil studies have evolved ways
Of fertilizing that win break up
| ''hardpan' and subsoils which the
| farmer despises, and we have
learned from them that crops re-
quiring soils free from acids can be
grown In sections hitherto held to
be areas where such crops were I'm.
profitable.
| In other words, the work the sci
entists do Is OF the sort that the
farmer may not see It's value until
he suddenly discovers through his
farm paper that the experiments
have shown It feasible to plant a
certain type Of seed or do some
other thing that opens new ave-
nue. OF profit to him. The chemical
examinations, the soil Inyestica-
tions, and the studies of fertilizers.
to mention a few. all lead directly
to benefits for those who tin the
soil and with their produce feed the
nation.
II Is only step in ones survey
Of the department activities from
the bureau Of chemistry and soils
to another section--the bureau Of
entomology -wllcre TIRE investIgaS
tons are directed towards means
OF saving the crops which the Other
scientists have found can be pro-
duced to better advantage The
| scientists In the bureau Of enro.
moiogy can ten you about the itFe
history OF the potato bug or any
ether that has been discovered as 4
parasite on American plant life. And
what Is more important to the ar.
| riculiural producers. those scientists
can tell you how to defeat the raw
ages or the Insects thai are known
to be injurious to the crops.
/ Naturally, too. since they study