The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-26

w. KERR SCOTT
~forerunner of all student fairs
winch are held at the present time.
Beginning in 1901 with an exhibit
OF popcorn, he has been a regular
exhloltor at the State Fair up to
this time. Scott is the first Com
missioner of Agriculture to operate
a financially successful state fair.
A farmer and dairyman, Scott is
the breeder of registered Jersey
cattle and the originator and breed
er OF the Melville Jersey bred of
hcgs He received the Progressive
FARMER award, THE Man of the
Yea1," as North Cardinals leader
for 1887 and served as district
vice-president of the National As
s"c.ation of Commissioners Of Agri-
culture in 1887 and 1898.
Scott was chairman of the spe-
clal marketing committee for the
national association of Commission
ers of Agriculture for the promo
ton of marketing legislation now
pending in congress and chairman
Of the Southern Commissioners of
Agriculture in the Association of
Southern Agricultural Workers in
1889.
An expansion of marketing serv-
ices and the addition of a soils
testing program to furnish farm
ers with additional information to
be used in more intelligent our
chase Of fertilizer were 1899 con-
tributions of the state department
Of agriculture under Commissioner
Scott.
Saves Much Money
The intelligent use Of information
gained through soils testing alone
will save growers thousands Of dol
lars annually, to say nothing of the
enlargement of the agricultural
grading, sorting, and standardiza-
ton program ~inaugurated to in
crease the farmers income through
the adoption Of approved market
ing methods.
The year 1889, Commissioner
Scott says, marked the greatest fl
nancial contribution given agricul-
ture by any legislature during the
past 80 years, with $445,00 being
allotted agricultural agencies for
the biennium to further research,
control costly plant and animal
diseases, increase much needed
marketing services, finance soils
testing, and render greater regula-
tory service.
Of particular significance to the
agriculture of the state is the de-
velopment of an "official state
label' for farm commodities of def
mite quality and grade. Emphasis
has been placed on better market
ing of field crops, with particular
emphasis on ~lespedeza seed, which
has a farm value Of approximately
S 5000, 900 this year.
In a relatively new field, a mem
Der of the marketing division staff
has been assigned to special prof.
ects of organizing, promoting, and
financing wholesale markets for
farm commodities in cooperation
with local authorities.
Enforcement of the newly-enact-
ed storage egg law, together with
a promotion Of an understanding
of the statute, have brought a
noticeable improvement in the cor
rect labelling Of eggs and also an
improvement in the quality of both
fresh eggs and storage eggs, Com
missioner Scott says.
Looking toward increasing the
consumption of milk and dairy
products, a program has been
launched this year to form dairy
councils in the larger cities of the
state. An urgent demand from far
mers raising hogs, especially in
the commercial hog producing
areas, resulted in the employment
of four additional veterinarians to
conduct a swine disease control
program.
Poultry Program
Commissioner Scott says more
than 400, 900 birds on 1000 farms
will be tested for Pullorum disease
"a costly malady of baby chicks
this year.. With $4,000 a year OBJ
tanned from the general assembly
to pay owners for Bangs diseased
cattle slaughtered, results nave
been tangible in the campaign to
rid the state o. this costly menace
to the dairy industry.
Control of the Japanese oeetle,
enemy of nearly 300 plants n
grasses is being sought by the
department. Blister rust' a deaoly
disease of white pine, has been.