THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1951. BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, SOILS AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING WITNESSES DR. R. M. SALTER, CHIEF, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, SOILS, AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING DR F. P. CULLINAN, ASSISTANT CHIEF, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, SOILS, AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING DR. M. A. McCALL, ASSISTANT CHIEF, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, SOILS, AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING DR. F. W. PARKER, ASSISTANT CHIEF, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, SOILS, AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING J. D. LONG, ACTING HEAD, DIVISIONS OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, SOILS, AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING V. H. BEACH, BUDGET OFFICER, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY SOILS, AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING RALPH S. ROBERTS, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUDGET OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Mr. WHITTEN. Gentlemen, we are glad to have Dr. Salter and his associates with us. I would like to have pages 225, 226, and 233 through 237 of the justifications inserted in the record at this point. (The material referred to follows:) PURPOSE STATEMENT The Bureau of Plant Industry was established under provisions of the Agricultural Appropriation Act of 1902, approved March 2, 1901, and the act of June 3, 1902 (5 U. S. C. 524). In February 1943, the name was changed to the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering. Research is organized in four major groups, as follows: 1. Field crops. Research is concerned chiefly with the production and improvement of cereals, cotton, forage, rubber, sugar, tobacco and other important food, feed, fiber, oil and specialty crops. Increased yield, improved quality, and resistance to diseases, insects, heat, drought, cold, or other hazards is sought by breeding, selecting, and testing varieties and by improving crop management practices. Methods of controlling weeds are also studied. 2. Horticultural crops.-Research is conducted on the production and improvement of fruit, vegetable, nut, and ornamental crops, and on methods of reducing losses from diseases and deterioration involved in handling, processing, transporting, and storing these crops. Methods are developed for avoiding or controlling diseases of trees and forest products. Foreign plant exlporations and introductions provide new crops and valuable breeding material for the development of improved crops. Investigations are also conducted on reducing crop damage caused by nematodes and on the control of plant disease epidemics. 3. Soils. Soil investigations are directed toward the determination of systems of soil management and irrigation that will increase soil fertility and give most efficient crop production; the improvement of fertilizers and liming materials; and the classification and mapping of soils with particular respect to their crop production capacities, crop adaptations and management practices. The relation of soils to plant, animal, and human nutrition are also studied. 4. Agricultural engineering.-Agricultural engineering investigations are concerned with the improvement of farm machinery for planting, cultivating, fertilizing, spraying, dusting, and harvesting crops; the development of improved equipment and facilities for processing and storing farm products; the design of improved farm buildings and houses; and the develompent and application of electrical equipment to farm use. The Bureau also is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and development of the National Arboretum, which was established by Congress in 1927 in the District of Columbia to provide a collection of living plants from this country and abroad valuable not only for breeding with native species to develop improved strains of trees, shrubs, and flowers for parks, boulevards, and other landscape uses, but also for study by students and scientists. The research work consists primarily of field, laboratory, and greenhouse experiments conducted usually in cooperation with State agricultural experiment stations, industry, and others. Because of the diverse crops and wide range of soil and climatic conditions, it is necessary to conduct the work at numerous field locations. Research results are made available to farmers and others through increase and distribution of improved varieties, and by dissemination of information through the Federal-State cooperative extension service, publications, the agricultural press, and correspondence. Work locations and personnel. The headquarters of the Bureau are at Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. In the field, the work is conducted at approximately 200 locations in 45 States, at Summit, Canal Zone, and at Sao Paulo, Brazil. As of November 30, 1950, under all funds of the Bureau there were 2,172 full-time employees, including 119 in the departmental service, and 705 part-time employees. In addition there were 691 collaborators serving without compensation. Summary of increases and decreases, 1952 Plant, soil, and agricultural engineering research: Subtotal National Arboretum: Decrease due to providing a direct appropriation to General Services Administration for certain procurement costs previously paid from this subappropriation....... +$28, 900 +35, 000 +85,000 - 185, 000 22, 850 - 58, 950 - 50 79808-51-pt. 1——25 1 The 1950 fiscal year excludes $100,000 contract authorization contained in the 1950 Agricultural Appropriation Act for construction or acquisition of buildings, facilities and equipment for the station at Brawley, Calif., and fiscal year 1951 includes $100.000 appropriated in the Supplemental Appropriation Act, 1951, for iquidating obligations incurred pursuant to the contract authorization. 441, 970 -370 +35,000 476,600 12, 593, 4291 2,746, 900 -7,600 -160,000 2,579,300 (1,144, 340) (1,058,870) (-930) (-180) (-6, 390) (+25,000) (1, 168, 410) (226,040) (1,052, 480) (132, 470) (-100) (132, 370) |