6. Higher tannin yielding canaigre varieties are probable.-Wild canaigre plants collected recently in Western States promise new canaigre strains with higher tannin content and higher root yield. Several contain more than 40 percent tannin in the roots, and under cultivation should yield substantially more tannin per acre than strains now available. 7. Prospects are good for efficient production of castor beans in the U. S.-Varieties adapted to mechanical harvesting, coupled with improved harvesting machines, promise to lower the labor needs of castor bean production. About 1,000 of the 20,000 acres grown in 1950 were planted with U. S. 74, an improved variety adapted for stripper harvesting. Semidwarf type varieties specifically adapted for combine harvesting and newly developed types of harvesters are now being tested. A large collection of seed has been assembled for an intensive breeding program for further varietal improvement. 8. Sansevieria, phormium, and yucca could be used as a domestic source of cordage fiber. Big yields of high quality sansevieria fiber were produced in initial investigations in Florida. This species has been increased for possible large scale production. A world wide collection of sansevieria has been made and research is underway for improving varieties, developing_agronomic practices, and determining areas of adaptation. Phormium (New Zealand hemp) has been found well adapted over a wide area along the Pacific coast, and observational plantings have been put out along the Gulf coast. About 90 percent of the wild yucca surveyed in Southwestern States is accessible for harvesting should it become necessary to use this source of fiber. Yield and quality tests are underway. Mr. STIGLER. Mr. Andersen. Mr. ANDERSEN. Yes, sir. HEMP PRODUCTION Mr. ANDERSEN. Mr. Chairman, I would like a little additional information as to the studies now proceeding in hemp. Dr. MCCALL. The new work on hemp is just getting underway, Mr. Andersen. Following the war, hemp production of the United States has almost dropped out of the picture. In fact, last year there was no commercial hemp acreage grown in the United States. Our former hemp research program, which never was very large, has also been greatly reduced. We had a very small amount. Mr. ANDERSEN. You had something like eleven thousand dollars, I believe, for 1951. Dr. McCALL. This last year, yes, we were given this amount. Dr. McCALL. This has been devoted to a study of storage problems with hempseed. Some limited field experimentation has been done in areas of lower soil nitrogen content to find if possible conditions better for growing fiber of a quality superior to that normally produced on the high nitrogen soils where the crop has been grown most recently. Mr. ANDERSEN. What are you asking for, in the way of hemp research money, for 1952? Dr. MCCALL. We are asking for an additioral fifteen thousand for hemp study. Mr. ANDERSON. You will recall that we had quite a few of these plants in Minnesota during World War II. Dr. McCALL. That is right. Mr. ANDERSEN. Of course, they all went out of the picture following the war, because of the fact that we could not produce the type and quality that would be competitive to others. I believe that was the reason. Dr. McCALL. That is right. Mr. ANDERSEN. Is there any contemplation for such a program later on if we become engaged in a war? Dr. MCCALL. We do not know. We hope not. We believe now that if we do have to develop a hemp program, it would be better not to do so in the areas of highly productive soils where we tried to grown the crop before. Mr. STIGLER. Thank you, Doctor. If you have no further statement, I want to say we appreciate very much your appearance before our committee. Dr. MCCALL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. WHITTEN. Before concluding these hearings, the committee would like to hear from Mr. Roberts, the Department's budget officer, regarding proposed amendments to the general provisions of the Agriculture appropriation bill. Mr. Roberts, the committee would also like to have you explain the steps taken by the Department to comply with the travel limitation carried in section 411 of the 1951 Appropriation Act. DATA ON TRAVEL FUNDS Mr. ROBERTS. Thank you Mr. Chairman. If it is agreeable with you, I would like to discuss the travel matter for a few moments first, since I believe it is important that the committee understand fully the action the Department has taken to comply with both the express wording and the apparent intent of section 411. You will remember that section 411 requires that $791,888 of funds appropriated in the Agriculture chapter for travel expenses be carried to the surplus fund of the Treasury within 30 days after the enactment of the 1951 Appropriation Act. As provided in that section the Department has returned the amount indicated to the Treasury, and to report thereon to the committee, we have prepared, and submit for inclusion in the record, three tables indicating the basis for the action. we have taken. Mr. WHITTEN. I think it would be appropriate for these schedules to appear at this point in the record. (The schedules referred to are as follows:) Summary of travel funds, 1951 (1951 budget and 1951 appropriation act) Total travel funds in 1951 budget.. Add: Estimated amount for travel included in budget amendments Total travel funds, 1951 estimates___ Travel funds in 1951 budget for items included in 1951 act-Reductions in travel funds, 1951 act below budget (see schedule B for details).--. Total travel funds in 1951 act.......... Sec. 411 reduction.__. Amount $16, 395, 734 +644, 551 17, 040, 285 -2, 261, 008 14, 779, 277 -1, 293, 460 13, 485, 817 -791, 888 Net travel funds available, 1951 act-----. 12, 693, 929 SCHEDULE A.-U. S. Department of Agriculture travel funds, 1951, special items (reimbursements, special funds, trust funds, transfers from other departments, etc., shown in 1951 budget, but not included in act) Amount Removal of surplus agricultural commodities.. $233, 708 Administrative expenses, Commodity Credit Corporation_. 532, 500 Farm Credit Administration, reimbursements for services performed for other governmental agencies. 182, 872 Farm Credit Administration, corporations_ 283, 900 Disaster loans, revolving fund.. 46, 968 Roads and trails for States, national forest fund.. Marketing agreements, hog cholera, virus and serum. Construction, water conservation and utility projects. 19, 575 300 1, 000 Synthetic liquid fuels (transfer from Interior Department). Trust accounts: T Expenses and refunds, inspection and certification of canned wet Cooperative work, Forest Service.... Operation and maintenance, water distribution systems, water Payments in lieu of taxes and operation and maintenance costs, Expenses and refunds, inspection and grading of farm products.. State rural rehabilitation corporation funds. Advance from Atomic Energy Commission (working fund). Total, special items... 700 425, 018 800 35, 000 100 350 355, 000 35, 965 103, 500 3, 452 300 2, 261, 008 SCHEDULE B.-Travel funds, 1951 (1951 budget and 1951 Agricultural Appropriation Act)-Continued 1 Adjusted for comparability with the appropriation structure contained in the 1951 Agricultural Appropriation Act. Excludes travel applicable to the contingency authorization which, pursuant to the provisions of the 1951 Appropriation Act, is available only to the extent that the Secretary, with the approval of the Bureau of the Budget, finds necessary to meet emergency conditions. Mr. ROBERTS. The first schedule is a summary of travel funds in 1951. It reconciles the amount of travel funds carried in the budget with the net travel funds available in the 1951 Appropriation Act as finally passed, and reflects the $791,888 reduction required by section 411. You will notice that the 1951 budget carried a proposed travel fund totaling $16,395,734. To that amount we have added $644,551, representing estimated travel included in certain specific budget amendments, thus increasing to $17,040,285 the total travel funds in the regular 1951 budget and in the amendments later submitted for committee consideration. From that sum, we deducted $2,261,008 for travel funds not included in the 1951 Appropriation Act. These include such special items as "Section 32, Disaster loan revolving fund," reimbursements from other departments for services rendered them, trust funds, working funds, and so forth. These special items are detailed in schedule A. After deducting the schedule A items from total travel funds reflected in the 1951 estimates, the remainder of $14,779,277 represents travel funds in the 1951 budget estimates for appropriation items included in the 1951 act. From that sum we then deducted reductions in travel funds resulting from congressional action on program proposals in the 1951 budget. These are shown in the second column of schedule B and total $1,293,460. This second reduction is itemized, by appropriation, in column 4 of schedule B. We then made a further reduction of $791,888 to comply with the provisions of section 411 that such a sum be covered into the general fund of the Treasury. After making these adjustments, net travel funds available under the 1951 Appropriation Act total $12,693,929. This total has been established as an administrative limitation for travel in the Department in |