HIDES AND LEATHER Dr. CLARKSON. An increase of $50,000 is needed to expand research on hides and leather. Increasing competition of synthetics has resulted in the replacement of over 60 percent of the leather formerly used in shoe soles. A serious threat to the upper leather market now is posed by use of plastics. More rapid and cheaper tanning agents and procedures would be sought as well as more rapid dehairing processes for preparing hides for tanning. Improved washability in leather would also be developed. REDIRECTION OF RESEARCH As previously mentioned, it is proposed to redirect work in the present farm research program to the extent of $805,000 in order to place greater emphasis on cereal crop utilization research. The farm research programs were critically reviewed and evaluated. The funds to be redirected would be derived from the following less critical areas of research: Project 1. It is proposed to reduce farm housing research, including the elimination of the Cooperative Farm Building Plan Service... 2. It is proposed to reduce research on fur animals. Amount $50, 000 75, 000 Breeding, feeding, management, and disease studies at Petersburg, Alaska, and Fontana, Calif., would be discontinued. 3. All goat research would be discontinued. This is nutrition work which is conducted at Beltsville, Md. 14, 000 118,000 4. Research on breeding for production and meat quality on dual-purpose cattle at Beltsville, Md., would be eliminated_ 5. It is proposed to reduce research on tung-nut production and disease problems. Funds in the amount of $36,990 would be available for continuing the project on a standby basis. There would also be approximately $24,000 available for engineering studies on tung-nut production and harvesting equipment. 6. It is proposed to reduce funds for the development of physical facilities at the National Arboretum by. The construction of roads will have been completed with funds available in 1958, and planned construction of greenhouses and other improvements would generally be deferred. 7. Research on ornamentals, including breeding and disease studies on flowering bulbs, roses, camellias, Easter lilies, mimosa, gladiolas, and Giant Saguaro, would be reduced by 8. All production, breeding, disease, and quality research on sugar sorghum would be discontinued.. The sugar sorghum station at Meridian, Miss., would be closed and such research would be discontinued at Brawley, Calif., Cairo, Ga., Houma, La., and Beltsville, Md. 9. A general reduction would be made in research on soil and water conservation and management problems at Beltsville, Md.. 116, 000 185, 000 50,000 55, 000 142, 000 Total.. BASIC RESEARCH STRENGTHENED 805, 000 Before reviewing some of our recent research accomplishments, I would like to inform you of a step we have taken this past year to strengthen our basic research work. We believe that giving increased attention to the fundamental aspects of science in agriculture is the surest way to solve agriculture's problems. In 1947, about 7 percent of the Department's research resources were going into basic research. We have increased that to 17 percent in fiscal year 1958. Our goal is 25 percent. We believe that this is necessary to provide a firm undergirding for all applied research efforts. PIONEERING RESEARCH LABORATORIES The step we took last year was to authorize the establishment of pioneering research laboratories in our several divisions. It will be their role to advance frontiers of science in areas not now adequately covered. For example, plant physiology is of great importance to all of our crops research units whether they be working on cotton, tobacco, or cereals. We have set up a pioneering research laboratory on plant physiology in an effort to strengthen our entire cropsresearch effort. The initial studies of this laboratory will deal with the effects of light on plant growth. Dr. H. A. Borthwick, who has made outstanding contributions in this field over the past several years, is providing the leadership for this pioneering research. Likewise, in the field of soils, we have set up a pioneering laboratory in mineral nutrition of plants. I might interpose here, Mr. Chairman, that the leader in that laboratory is Dr. Sterling Hendricks, one of our most distinguished scientists. He was 1 of 5 civil servants honored by the President a month ago with the highest award given to civil servants in the Government; included among the other 4 was J. Edgar Hoover. Dr. Hendricks was 1 of 2 scientists so honored. The other scientist was a man from the Office of Naval Research who had done remarkably good work on the development of rocket fuels. I mention that to show the caliber of some of our research scientists. We have authorized laboratories on insect pathology, insect physiology, seed protein, plant fibers, microbiological chemistry, cellular metabloism, allergens, and blood antigens. We also expect to establish laboratories in plant and animal genetics. In each case, as in the two cases mentioned, we form such a laboratory only when we have a man of particular ability or genius with ability to lead a group. BLOOD ANTIGEN RESEARCH Senator RUSSELL. Just what would the study of blood antigens embrace? Dr. CLARKSON. The whole problem of immunization of animals to disease; the protection of animals; the resistance that some animals have to disease is tied in with antigens found in the blood. They are minute quantities in the blood stream. They are, as yet, of uncharacterized composition. No one understands really well how they are formed or why some persist in the blood for long periods, whereas, others are only transitory. The genetic capacity of animals of different breeding to form blood antigens varies widely and this aspect will be a major research area. I might mention that in the brucellosis program the familiar test is made to discover whether there are antigens that were formed in the blood as a result of an attack of the disease, brucellosis. We think there are many antigens that are formed because of other stresses on the animal other than the stresses produced by disease. And we feel that a characterization of these important, but small, components will give us many important leads toward improving the health and productivity of livestock. FACILITIES FOR PIONEERING RESEARCH LABORATORIES We are making use of our present facilities for these laboratories and are staffing them with scientists who have proved themselves outstanding in agricultural research. These laboratories will be small, each staffed with 2 or 3 top scientists and their assistants. I think you will be interested to know that the establishment of these pieoneering research laboratories has been commended by the Agricultural Research Institute of the National Research Council. The Institute, which is composed of scientists almost wholly outside the Federal Government commended this as "the single most significant step in decades" to "promote the welfare of the fundamental elements of agricultural science" without which other research must be severely limited in its potential. Senator RUSSELL. Where are these laboratories located, Doctor? Dr. CLARKSON. At Beltsville and at our four regional utilization research and development laboratories; there may be one at the animal disease laboratory at Ames, when that is built. We have essentially such a unit at Plum Island, on foot-and-mouth disease. The allergens laboratory is located here in Washington. Mr. PETERSON. The word "laboratory" may be somewhat misleading. Essentially this is a group of research people. And the group is referred to as being a laboratory, which I am sure you understand. Senator RUSSELL. I had assumed it probably was located within the structure of the present research system, but I just wanted to clarify it. Mr. PETERSON. Your understanding is correct, sir. Dr. CLARKSON. We try to relieve these people from all of the business management and other housekeeping headaches which we all have to some extent, so that they can spend their genius on research. EXAMPLES OF RECENT RESEARCH RESULTS We feel that our research workers are continuing to make outstanding contributions to the science of agriculture. With your permission, I will cite a few examples. COTTON BREEDING Our crop scientists, working in cooperation with State experiment stations, have taken an important step toward the practical breeding of hybrid cotton. Specifically, they have discovered that treatment of the plants of same varieties of cotton with certain chemicals pre 23506-58- 6 vents pollen from developing. This gives them male sterility-the male sterility is the characteristic that has led to the development of hybrid onions and hybrid sorghum. However, male sterility in onions and sorghum is a genetic factor. This is the first time male sterility has been achieved in plants with chemicals. Testing the practicality of this discovery, cooperating scientists in California have already produced hybrid cotton in the field by chemically treating one of two varieties planted in alternate rows and then permitting cross-pollination. Senator RUSSELL. What is the advantage of this hybrid cotton? Is it better fiber? Or does it produce more bolls per stalk? Dr. CLARKSON. It gives us opportunities to build into a constructed cotton plant, if you will, the characteristics that are needful in producing the best cotton, just as in hybrid corn it was possible to build into the end product the optimum in production and in good characteristics of the corn itself. You have always to go back to the several lines from which you got the seed that made the hybrid. In cotton we have not heretofore been able to accomplish that. Now, with this development, we think we can. Senator HAYDEN. This experiment has been with upland cotton in California, I presume? Dr. CLARKSON. Part of it was with upland cotton in California; yes. Senator HAYDEN. We developed what we call the supima in Arizona. Has it been tried on that variety? Dr. CLARKSON. There has been some work on it. Senator RUSSELL. Of course, the outstanding characteristics of hybrid corn is that you have 3 or 4 times as many ears per stalk as you do on other corn. I was wondering whether this puts any more bolls on your cotton, or whether it just gives a better variety of cotton? Dr. CLARKSON. More bolls and better bolls and better quality bolls. It has possibilities as broad as the differentiation and characteristics of cotton plants. We do not know what this may result in, but the possibilities are there. And this is one of the things about which our folks are rather excited. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY RESEARCH In fighting disease, breeding for resistance is the chief weapon used by plant scientists. But until this year, animal scientists have found genetic resistance too complex to be useful to them. Now poultry scientists of the Department have discovered a simple, inherited genetic resistance in chickens-resistance to one form of the infectious and cancerous avian-leukosis complex. It is too early to assume that this simple form of genetic resistance will be found against all forms of this disease, or against other livestock diseases. But we can be hopeful that if there is one instance of complete genetic resistance to an infectious animal disease, there may be others. Another important discovery concerned with animal genetics is research proof that a dairy cow's ability to produce nonfat milk constituents is not tied to her production of butterfat. This means. that to a degree cows can be bred to give milk of specific composition. It is hoped that with this new knowledge, dairymen may eventually be able to produce milk tailored to their markets. SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION RESEARCH Now, I would like to show you a product of soil and water conservation research. I have here a slide rule, Mr. Chairman. This slide rule was developed cooperatively by the Soil Conservation Service, the Extension Service, the State experiment stations, and ourselves. It is proving to be a great timesaver to the technical experts of the Soil Conservation Service who are out on the ground helping the farmer in his soil conservation practices. This slide rule combines in this simple form 12 cropping systems: 3 supporting practices, 3 cultural management practices, 4 soil factors. And by a knowledge of the meaning of each of those, the technically trained person can get from this simple rule a good guide for the farmer without reference to the piles of documents and tables which it was otherwise necessary to use. Now he has still to make some estimates of rainfall. This particular slide rule as you will note, is made for the North Central States, the nine so-called Corn Belt States. We are working on the information necessary to make similar slide rules-1 for the Southeast and 1 for the Northeast. Into these rules we hope to add an additional factor, rainfall on an average annual basis, which will be of further assistance to the man in the field. This is a good example of the several agencies working together. HOME ECONOMICS RESEARCH Results of the 1955 national household food consumption survey have been made public and are being widely used by home economists, nutritionists, and others who are concerned with the Nation's health and potential markets for food. Among other things, it points out that although American diets have improved in the past 20 years, almost 30 percent of our families are still not getting recommended quantities of calcium, and 25 percent are not getting enough vitamin C. Many diets could also include more of the foods rich in vitamin A and the B vitamins. This has important meanings for agriculture. For example, if all households whose diets are low in calcium were to meet recommended standards, milk consumption would go up about 9 percent. I just learned this morning that a tentative report under consideration by the National Research Council suggests that the people of this country may need to increase their intake of pantothenic acid by 10 to 15 percent. Pantothenic acid is one of the minor components of food-a vitamin-chiefly found in animal products, principally meat, eggs and milk. We have recently published a report on the distribution of pantothenic acid in foods. UTILIZATION RESEARCH In our search for new uses for farm products, I can report that industry has begun producing vinyl stearate from animal fats as a result of our research in this field. This is a new type plastic with chemically combined fat. Although current production is small, the many uses for vinyl stearate in the growing field of surface coatings, and in wire coatings and waxes, promises greatly increased future |