The reduction of $5,739 in the 1935 estimate of $34,101 below the appropriation of $39,840 for 1934 consists of: Impoundment of 6% percent of 15 percent pay cut-- 5 percent salary restoration Total. -$2,664 -4, 781 +1, 706 -5, 739 WORK DONE UNDER THIS APPROPRIATION Scientific studies are made on the growing of drug, essential oil, oil-seed and related crops, and on the distribution and economic importance of plants poisonous to livestock. Cooperative experiments are located at the Oregon agricultural experiment station. Drug, poisonous, and oil plants.—Work under this project consists of investigations of the growing of plants yielding drugs, insecticides, essential oils, drying oils, and related products for the purpose of their introduction as farm crops, and of the preparation and marketing of commercial products from such plants; also investigations of the important constituents of medicinal and poisonous plants with respect to their economic significance. This work is of wide application, and that part of the project relating to medicinal and essential oil plants is the subject of thousands of requests received in the Department annually for special information not readily available to the public from other sources. Downy mildew of hops.-Under this project an investigation is in progress on the downy mildew of hops which during the past 3 or 4 years has caused material damage in the hop yards of the Pacific Northwest. Experimental spraying of infested fields under varying conditions and dusting of the crowns is well under way to develop eradication and control measures and to reduce losses to growers. A small experimental hop yard has been established in which by crossbreeding efforts are being made to produce mildew-resistant varieties. Mr. RYERSON. This item, while a small one, is exceedingly important, and is becoming more so from several points of view. At the present time special emphasis is being given to plants yielding poisons or related compounds of possible use as insecticides. The problems of arsenical sprays has been before this committee already. It is a problem with which we are concerned. We are endeavoring to assist other units of the Department in finding sprays that will be toxic to insects and at the same time not harmful to human beings. PRODUCTION AND USE OF ROTENONE Doubtless both in hearings for the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils and the Bureau of Entomology and Quarantine the question of rotenone and its use was discussed. We have introduced a number of plants which produce rotenone, and are getting ready to test them on a fairly large scale. We have made a small beginning, and hope to increase these plants in number until we have enough to plant for a field test. Most of them are tropical. We are trying a few in southern Florida. One of them, from South America, which is a perennial there, we are planning to try as an annual crop in parts of the South when we have produced enough seed. As these plant species are primarily tropical, at least those we have to date, we expect to try them out, in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and our own other tropical possessions. This is an untouched field insofar as plants are concerned, or practically so. There has been built up in the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils a very complete history of rotenone and the work that has been done upon it, but the problems of the introduction of plants which yield rotenone and of the culture are new ones. Rotenone is not the only compound which we may get from plant sources that may have insecticidal value. As I say, it is an untouched field, we are just getting into it, and it will become more important as time goes on, as the whole question of the use of metallic poisons becomes better understood. PRODUCTION OF TUNG OIL Among the drying oils tung oil is now being produced commercially in a limited area in this country. Rather large imports are being made annually into this country, and because of these imports much interest is evident at the present time looking toward replacing these imports by American produced oil. It is primarily an orcharding crop and like all new plant industries much remains to be learned about it. There is a pronounced desire for government aid for various tung-planting enterprises, some of which have probably come to the attention of members of this committee. The tung-oil tree was introduced into this country in 1905 by the office of foreign plant introduction, and has become established in parts of the South. We feel that we have yet much to learn before we can recommend it generally or for widely-varying conditions. We have been considered too cautious in our statements about it; but we do know that it has very definite climatic and soil limitations; and that there has been insufficient time and, until recently, too few orcharding plantings to give us reliable data upon which a large permanent industry can be based. There are large-scale plantings now made, spread throughout the Gulf region, eastward into northern and north-central Florida, where the earliest orchards were established. We feel that if these were studied intensively, as they should be, they would yield us much of the information upon which, we could make recommendations that would properly safeguard the investor. Until that is done we have to be cautious, and, of course, during the past 2 or 3 years the situation of the country has been such that we could not expect or ask increased funds to undertake these studies. The Florida Experiment Station has made a creditable beginning on important research projects related to this crop. It is hoped other States will do likewise, but the broad regional problems are awaiting Federal investigation. Mr. SANDLIN. Is there any further statement you wish to make in connection with this project? DOWNY MILDEW OF HOPS Mr. RYERSON. Downy mildew of hops is a disease that has assumed major importance in the Northwest because of the greatly increased demand for hops due to the return of brewing. We are working on methods of control, and also on the breeding and introduction of types for breeding purposes. We are endeavoring to check its spread, as the disease is not yet in all of our hop-growing sections, and eventually to control it in the areas in which it is now found. DRY-LAND AGRICULTURE Mr. SANDLIN. The appropriation for the dry-land agricultural project is entirely cut out by the Bureau of the Budget, as I understand it. Mr. RYERSON. The following statement is presented under that appropriation head: Appropriation: 1932. 1933. 1934 Estimated obligations, 1934. Budget estimate, 1935.. Decrease, Budget 1935, compared with estimated obligations, 1934. $265, 740 242, 260 220, 000 183, 496 183, 496 No estimate is submitted for 1935. The reduction of $220,000 below the appropriation for 1934, due to the elimination of this item for 1935, consists of: Impoundment of 6% percent of 15 percent pay cut.. Curtailments in 1934 working funds.. -$10, 104 -26, 400 Further reduction in working funds for 1935 ($137,940 for dry-land crop production, $26,375 for dry-land fruit and vegetable production, $19,181 for cooperative shelter belt demonstrations and experimental test plantings). -183, 496 --220, 000 The reduction of $183,496 in working funds for 1935 includes: (a) A decrease of $137,940 for dry-land crop production. This decrease is the entire amount of the appropriation. Under this decrease, work and field stations will be discontinued at the following points: Akron, Colo.; Tucumcari, N. Mex.; Mandan, N. Dak.; Lawton and Woodward, Okla.; Big Spring and Dalhart, Tex.; and Sheridan, Wyo. Cooperative work in dry-land methods of crop production will also be discontinued at the Federal experiment stations maintained at Huntley, Mont., and Newell, S.Dak. The investigations in methods of dryland crop production conducted in cooperation with State experiment stations at Pendleton, Oreg.; Havre and Moccasin, Mont.; Dickinson, N. Dak.; Archer, Wyo.; North Platte, Nebr.; Colby, Hays, and Garden City, Kans., also will be discontinued. (b) A decrease of $26,375 for dry-land fruit and vegetable production. This decrease is the entire amount of the appropriation. Under this decrease all work in breeding and testing fruits and vegetables for dry-land conditions and determining the methods of growing them on the field stations at Mandan, N.Dak., and Woodward, Okla., and varietal tests and methods of production at Huntley, Mont.; Sheridan, Wyo.; Akron, Colo.; Tucumcari, N. Mex.; Dalhart and Big Spring, Tex.; and Lawton, Okla., will be discontinued. (c) A decrease of $19,181 for cooperative shelter-belt demonstrations and experimental plantings. This decrease is the entire amount of the appropriation. Under this decrease it will be necessary to discontinue work and the experimental plantings of shelter belts and shelter-belt materials and the nurseries for the growth of shelter-belt trees at the field stations at Mandan, N.Dak., and Woodward, Okla. Shelter-belt experiments will also be discontinued at the field stations at Sheridan, Wyo.; Akron, Colo.; Tucumcari, N. Mex.; Dalhart and Big Spring, Tex.; and Lawton, Okla. Tests of shelter belts in cooperation with State experiment stations at the following points will also be discontinued: Havre and Moccasin, Mont., and Archer, Wyo. It will also be necessary to terminate cooperation with farmers in the States of Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, who are testing shelter-belt and ornamental and fruit-tree plantings under the direction of the Department. WORK DONE UNDER THIS APPROPRIATION Under this appropriation the problems of agricultural and horticultural development of the Great Plains and Intermountain areas, a region classed as semiarid, are studied at field stations to obtain the fullest possible information concerning soil and climatic conditions throughout the region and the agricultural effectiveness of each of the many different methods of tillage and crop rotations that can be considered as more or less suitable for this region where irrigation is not avail. able. Field stations are maintained at the following points: Akron, Colo.; Tucumcari, N. Mex.; Mandan, N.Dak.; Lawton and Woodward, Okla.; Big Spring and Dalhart, Tex.; and Sheridan, Wyo. Investigations are conducted at stations maintained by the United States Division of Western Irrigation Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, at the following points: Huntley, Mont. and Newell, S. Dak. Investigations are conducted in cooperation with States at State stations at the following points: Colby and Garden City, Kans.; Moccasin, Mont.; Dickin son, N.Dak.; Archer, Wyo.; Hays, Kans.; Havre, Mont.; North Platte, Nebr.. and Pendleton, Oreg. Dry-land crop production.-The work under this project consists of rotation and tillage experiments with cereal crops, forage crops, and cotton, as well as pasture conservation and development in this region. (Bureau of Animal Industry cooperates with livestock experiments at the field station at Big Spring, Tex.) Crop rotation, cultural methods, and pasture practices are concerned not only with the immediate effects but with the cumulative effects in increasing, maintaining, or decreasing the productivity of the soil. Dry-land fruit and vegetable production. The work under this project consists of demonstrations of the feasibility of growing in this semiarid region certain fruits and vegetables which can be produced on a home-garden scale. Cooperative shelter-belt demonstrations and experimental test plantings.—Under this project trees and ornamental plants that can be grown in dry regions are propagated and placed with experimenters for testing and demonstrations of trees planted as shelter belts are developed and encouraged. The dry lands naturally are treeless regions, but gratifying success has attenedd systematic effort to determine the kinds of trees and methods of care and culture necessary in their successful growth for shade and shelter. C.W.A. FUNDS APPLICABLE UNDER THIS HEADING An allotment under the National Industrial Recovery Act has been made for physical improvements, as follows: Repairs on buildings and fences, painting buildings, clearing land, repairing roads, digging wells, and constructing machine sheds to house Government machinery, $30,700. This money was made available August 1, 1933, and will be expended during the fiscal year 1934. PURPOSE OF STUDIES OF DRY LAND AGRICULTURE Mr. SANDLIN. You can make a statement about the work that was done under this appropriation. Mr. RYERSON. The work under this appropriation goes back almost 30 years. There has been considerable misunderstanding about the purpose of this work. It has been felt by some that it was an effort on the part of the Government to encourage the settlement of the lands in that great area. This area is between 400,000 and 450,000 square miles in extent. It is an area equal to 10 States the size of Pennsylvania, and it has a variety of climatic and soil conditions. The work was not established to encourage settlement in that area. but it was started at a time when there had been many land booms there and tremendous disappointing losses. They had been repeated until the time seemed fit, or long past, when an effort should be made on the part of the Government to study the conditions out there to determine what agriculture would be profitable in any part or all of it. Such studies would naturally extend over a long period of time. They are climatic cycles that can only be determined by long-time studies. The difficulty there is not on account of a lack of richness in the soil, because for the most part it is quite rich; but you have a light rainfall and a very unevenly distributed rainfall. If it were spread uniformly, it would be ample for excellent crop production in most of that area. They do have heavy rains, but they are distributed spottedly throughout the year. There was no accurate information to which the prospective settler might have access so he could determine whether it was worth his while to go out into that country and attempt cultivation. He simply did not know about the conditions. Therefore, about 1905 this work was started, and during the next 10 or 12 years the number of stations grew larger. At the present time there are eight stations controlled by this division, two maintained by the Division of Western Irrigation Agriculture, and there are nine more conducted in cooperation with various States. The work has consisted of a study of tillage methods, planting methods, planting seasons, and the varieties of cereal and forage and other crops that may be grown. It includes a study of trees in connection with the shelter belt work especially, since home gardens cannot usually be started until they have windbreaks. The study involves the effect of various climatic factors, rotation of crops, and the inclusion of livestock in the program. Studies of range problems have been conducted. The work each year adds to the value of this information which has to be accumulated through long-time tests. The longer the tests are conducted, the more reliable the conclusions. As a result of that work, the Department is in a much better position now than it was before to advise people as to the desirability of locating in that area. The purpose of the work is as much to prevent the settlement of some parts of that area as it is to give advice to those who are farming it. This project also served as a source of information, for example, during the war time, so that it could be determined how much that area could be counted on in the food campaign. We know the general background of this work. As the chairman has stated, the item was cut out by the Budget Bureau. ITEM ESTIMATED FOR BUT NOT ALLOWED FOR 1935 Mr. SANDLIN. What estimate did the Department of Agriculture make for this work? Did they recommend a continuation of this amount for carrying on the work? Mr. RYERSON. They did; yes, sir. Speaking for the Bureau, we recommended it. Mr. Jump can speak for the Department. Mr. JUMP. The Department recommended the continuation of the work on the basis of the amount appropriated for 1934. Mr. SANDLIN. They recommended the amount of the obligated allowance for 1934 for the same work. Mr. JUMP. Yes, sir; plus 5 percent on account of the salary adjustIt was substantially to continue it as it is now. ment. EFFECT OF ABANDONMENT OF DRY LAND AGRICULTURE WORK Mr. SANDLIN. What would happen if this work were stopped? If you stopped it now, what would be the result? Mr. RYERSON. Of course, the stations would be dropped. These research activities would have to stop, and the results that we have obtained up to date would be all that we would have. We would have only our present knowledge to go on, and we would not be in a |