Evening star., 1936-03-20
This is the sirth and concluding
article OF a series on the progress OF
Resettlement Administration prof.
ects in Maryland and Virginia.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

eCtS W. mu uytuHu uHu tHgthHUs
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
The Government now has the big
gest experimental farm In the world
just outside Of Washington.
Through land purchases completed
In the last few weeks by the Reset
tlemen Administration approximately
10000 acres have been added to the
6,000-acre research center of the De-
partment Of Agriculture at Beltsville,
Nd. 1t now is being cleared OF brush
and laced with roads and bridges by
TOO Civilian Conservation Corps work.
ers in four companies.
1t is expected to be the world CEN
ter Of agricultural science. Within
the past two years approximately
100000 has been expended in the
erection Of so laboratories and stock
buildings and the purchase of land.
1t is stated by $50 men, including
some of the Nations best-known SCI
entists. For the first time it is pos
sible to concentrate most of the
scientific activities of the Department
Of Agriculture.
The acquisition Of the extra 10 900
acres came as surprise to the de-
partment. 1t now Is being split up
into a 2,000-acre wild-life preserve,
where the Biological Survey will con-
duct experiments in game manage
ment: an adjacent 2,000-acre forest,
where the Forest Service will carry
on research work for the East, and a
soil erosion demonstration area, where
much Of the experimental work will
be conducted for the vast soil erosion
project of the Government which now
Is just getting under way. Some Of
the new land may be turned over to
laboratories already at Beltsville.
Incidental to Greenbelt.
The new expansion was incidental
to the building of Greenbelt, one of
the suburban housing undertakings Of
the Resettlement Administration. The
new town was mapped out in the
midst Of a vast tract Of worn-out farm
land and cut-over forest backing up
against the Patuxent River. Options.
at an average of less than 500 an
acre, were taken on about $4,000 acres,
with the idea Of picking out the best
location for the new town. Then
the options on the rest Of the land
would be allowed to lapse. It was
found, however, that nearly all of
this land was contiguous to the
nal hA%
need for 1t and that 1t could be pur-
chased within the sum allotted for
Greenbelt.
The new land, almost tripling the
size of the farm, presents a wide
variety of soil conditions and agricul-
tural problems. In looking through
the old land records Resettlement
Administration found that it belonged
to some of the old Calvert grants and
before the Revolution was considered
as rich tobacco country. Then its
fertility was lost through too inten-
lapse into forest. 1t was practically
deserted at the time Of the Civil War.
Since then it has been cut over at
least once and a new crop of timber
now is growing up. II.
Although there were some fair farms
in the neighborhood it was. for the
most part, practically worthless for
agriculture. Some bad rural slums"
were found there. It obviously was
unsuited to be turned back into agri-
culture as q means of livelihood.
Game Preserve Project.
One of the new experimental prof.
ects actually under way is the game
preserve. It will be fenced and
stocked with game indigenous to this
area-including grouse, quail, rab-
bits and squirrels. 1t is proposed to
introduce some red deer and beaver,
both of which were once common
along the Patuxent, but which have
been exterminated. The biologists are
especially interested in extending
southwark the present range Of the
beaver. The tract already has a pop
ulation of mink and muskrat. One
of the two streams which traverse
the property may be damned to make
an artificial lake. some of the brush
tangle will be cleared away and seed
plants introduced to provide food for
the animals.
It has been practically impossible
in the past, Biological Survey experts
say, to make q valid laboratory study
of the habits or diseases Of wild ami
mails. Now. within q few miles Of
Washington, there will be an expert
mental woodland. entirely barred to
trespassers, where animals will react
In their natural surroundings. Some
what similar preserves have been
maintained by some Of the States In
the past.
Practically every research branch
Of the Department Of Agriculture will
now be represented by laboratory
at the Beltsville station. It will be
possible to carry on interdepart-
mental experiments and to exchange
technical information on the ground.
There Is no set-up quite like it-nor
on anything approaching. the same
scale-auywhers In the grid.