The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-01-26

APPLIANCE worker uses an aerial map
Iebraska farmer.
larly transmitted. 1t made posi-
BILE the control of yellow fever in
the Panama Canal zone and the
United States completed the canal
after the French had failed.
After years of fruitless efforts by
scientists of many countries, depart
ment workers in 1908 discovered
that hog cholera is caused by a FL
terable virus, and developed pre-
ventive serum that controls the dis
ease. This discovery saves millions
of dollars for American farmers ev-
cry year.
Cheap nitrogen from the air, pro-
duced by synthetic ammonia proc
ess in many American plants, is to
a large extent an outgrowth of re-
search in the departments labora-
tories. This development resulted
in the collapse of the foreign mo-
nopoly in organic nitrogen fertiliz-
ers and the United States is well on
the road to independence in its re-
quirements for fertilizer raw ma
terialS.
Developed Better Products.
Research in the department DEM
onstrated for the first time that re-
sistance to disease in plants is
genetic character and that resistant
qualities can be bred into plants.
This discovery has led to far
reaching improvement in wheat,
oats, cotton, tobacco, sugar cane,
tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, and
other important crops. This phase
of research is well illustrated by
the discovery of department sci
entists that mosaic disease was WHIP
ing out the sugar cane industry in
the deep south. Introduction of mo-
saic-resistant stocks from the far
east and a consistent quality breed
ing program have restored sugar
cane productivity within a few
years.
These are just few examples OF
what department research has done
for the American farmer. Many OF
the experiments are conducted IN
cooperation with state experiment
stations. There are now more than
1900 cooperative research agree
ments between the department and
the experiment stations.
Cooperative research received
another big impetus in the Bank
head-Jones act, which provides spe-
cial funds for basic research. The
act also serves to integrate state
and federal research through re-
gional laboratories. More far-reach-
ing in this respect was section 202
of the agricultural adjustment act
for 1888, which provides for four re-
gional laboratories at New Orleans
and Peoria, and in the vicinity Of
San Francisco and Philadelphia.
Combat Farm SURPRISES.
The research to be carried out at
the new laboratories will attack,
through science and technology, the
problems of developing new and ex-
tended outlets and markets for the
main surplus agricultural commodi-
ties in the four major farm produc-
ing areas of the country.
To begin with, the northern lab
oratory will study corn, wheat and
agricultural wastes; the southern
laboratory cotton, sweet potatoes,
and peanuts; the eastern labora-
tory tobacco, milk products, apples,
potatoes, and vegetables; the west
ern laboratory wheat, potatoes, al
falfa, vegetables, and fruits other
than apples.
Today's department of agricul-
ture also has many other duties,
including the administration of more
than SO regulatory laws. The food
and drug administration is prepar-
ing to administer the new food, drug
and cosmetic act which goes into
effect next June. The new act gives
wider protection to the consumer
and protects manufacturers from
INSCRIPTIONS trade practices.
Supervise Meat Packing.
Among its regulatory duties is the
supervision of the packers and
stockyards act, supervising the
great commodity markets to re-
strain dishonest practices and ex-
cessive speculation, it grades prod
ucts for the wholesale and retail
markets, and defends the country
against foreign insects and animal
and plant pests.
None the less important are the
duties of the weather bureau in fore
casting floods. storms. frosts and
weather in general; protecting wild
life; conserving the soil, the for
ests, and certain tasks relating to
flood control through land treat
ment. These and other means of
correcting old abuses in our land
utilization method are compare
lively recent developments.
The department, but so years ago
one small bureau employing small
technical staff, now has technical
staff of about 10000 trained persons.
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