Evening star., 1933-10-15
bELTSV|LLEFARM
TO Be EXPANDED
Station to Become National
Laboratory for Live Stock
Industry.

After 10 years OF planning ny Tic
Agriculture Department, nationa!
laboratory clearing house for the live
stock industry, along with other allied
work, will soon become a reality at
Beltsville. Md.
The Public Works Administration has
awarded the Department s1,l45,000 for
improvements at the station. and plans
already approved call for a group OF
permanent, modernly equipped build
ings, along with the acquisition OF addi-
ttonal land and the installation OF mod
ern laboratory equipment, including
complete refrigeration, air conditioning
and humidity control machinery.
The principal structure in the new
plan will be three-story flreproo1
building, including approximately l.00o,-
600 square feet of floor space as
laboratory, or rather a group OF labora-
tories, for the division Of animal hus-
bandry Of the Bureau OF Animal In
dustry.
Building to Cost S425.000.
This building, for which tentative
plans have been approved. will cost
S425,000. In its laboratories will be
done most of the work pertaining to
animal nutrition, physiology and bac-
teriology. animal genetics, meat and
wool investigations and control work
involving small animals.
1T is intended" said DR.. E. w.
Sheets, chief of the division Of animal
husbandry. "as clearing house for
the animal husbandry stations through
out the whole country. We expect to
be equipped to handle any work sent to
us from any part of the country and
we hope to cooperate with all our pres
ent stations in the solution OF any
problems that may arise from time to
time"
The present experimental station at
Bethesda, where the Department Is
carrying on studies in animal diseases
! will be moved to Beltsville, and $685.
600 has been allotted to make this
transfer.
Disposition Uncertain.
Just what disposition will be made
OF the property at Bethesda has not
been determined. Some time ago efforts
were made to purchase the station
there from the Government to be used
Is a real estate development, but the
offers were rejected. Since that time
there has been some agitation to con-
vert the property into park develop
ment
The Government now owns two tracts
Of land at Beltsville, but to carry out
>the-new plans $ll5,000 was provided
in the new allotment to procure the
property between them and link the
entire project in a single farm. The
land owned or leased at Beltsville now
estimated approximately 1000 acres
will be added to complete the new
station.
In the new laboratories group $50
900 will be spent on buildings for poul-.
try studies including incubation and
related subjects, the quality OF egg and
poultry meat For equipment in han
ding live birds another $4,000 will be
spent. This sum will be used to con-
struct a feeding and marketing bul!o-
ing, experimental laying houses and Tor
necessary fencing, drainage and other
Improvements.
Hog Projects to Be Shifted.
The present hog experimental work
will be transferred to newly acquired
land when $40, 900 will be spent in erect
ing a laboratory and other necessary
buildings. A large share OF the new
land also will be used In the STUDIES
Of dual purpose cattle.
For permanent employees of the new
experimental station group OF II cot
tages will be built at cost OF $50 '0Oo.
Already there are some permanent
buildings at Beltsville, including the
poultry nutrition laboratory built last
year, the meats laboratory and the beef
cattle barn. These structures were
erected with a view to permanence and
In the hope that eventually the larger
plan could be realized.
Many Of the older buildings there,
however. are to be raZed as soon as they
can be replaced. Altogether the Bu-
reau Of Animal Industry will spend ST.
ol0, 900 Of the total fund.
~rhe Bureau Of Entomology will es-
tablish a new laboratory at the clear
ing house" and $135,000 has been
awarded for that purpose.
"This may appear to be a large in
yestment," Mr.. Sheets said, but when
YOU consider that the live stock indus
try represents $4,000. 100000 or s6000.-
00O, 900 you can see readily that 1t isn't
excessive. Benefits from experiments
there probably will be measured in mil
lions Of dollars"
Studies in Small Fruits.
Northwest Of the Beltsville tract Is
the experimental station OF the Bureau
Of Plant Industry. of which DR.. w. A.
Taylor is the chief. Southeast of the
tract. distance of about four miles, is
the Bell experimental station. where
studies are being made in small fruits.
Also located at Beltsville, on the
same land. are two units OF the Depart
ment Of Commerce. The radio expert
mental station is situated there. and
an emergency landing field OF the Bu-
reau Of Aeronautlcs is also malntalneo
on the property.
All tLa y-ork of the Rurea1 of Animal
Industry will be under direction OF DR..
John r. Mohler, chief of the bureau:
DR.. Sheets will conduct the work OF
the division of animal husbandry; DR..
o. z. Reed will direct the studies Of
the dairy branch: and Lee A. Strong,
recently appointed chief of the Bureau
of Entomology, will direct the work
Of that division.
200 Men Already at Work.
Approximately 200 men are already
Mt work at Beltsville, preparing for the
new construction, and it is expected
that probably that many more will be
put to work within the next few day..
All the new construction. landscaping,
drainage and other necessary work IS
expected to be completed by next July /.
B. F. Brandon is at present Superln-
Eendent of Beltsville experimental farm,
and the personnel includes % scientific
employees and go laborers. Present
buildings and equipment are valued at
$224,465
Live stock there is classified as fol-
lows: For beef cattle investigations. "a:
Gual purpose cattle. 6S; swine. 500:
sheep and wool, 384; poultry. 3.150;
horse Investigations, 25; goat investiga
tions, II. and genetic Investigations,
1850.