SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE W. K. GRANGER, Utah, Chairman STEPHEN PACE, Georgia REID F. MURRAY, Wisconsin 73 Annand, P. N., Chief, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine_ Bourg, Clarence J., vice president, American Sugar Cane League.. Brandes, Dr. E. W., Division of Sugar Plant Investigations, Department of Doherty, C. W., Denver, Colo., representing Great Western Sugar Co---- Fracker, Dr. S. B., research coordinator, Agricultural Research Adminis- Goldsmith, P. V., Farmers and Manufacturers Beet Sugar Association Gray, R. B., Division of Farm Mechanical Equipment, Bureau of Plant In- Greene, Ernest W., vice president, Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association. McCall, Dr. M. A., Assistant Chief, Bureau of Plant Industry, Department Reeve, Perc. A., Farmers and Manufacturers Beet Sugar Association, Sagi- Taylor, Fred G., secretary, American Sugar Beet Policy Committee.. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE: Your committee appointed by the chairman to make an investigation of certain diseases of sugar beets began its investigation on Monday, October 29, and concluded the same on October 31, 1945. The subcommittee appointed to investigate this matter, which made appearances at said hearings, submits this statement with the hearings rather than a formal report to the committee. The members of the committee will remember that during the consideration of other problems in the full committee, the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Clevenger, made the statement to the committee that there was prevalent, particularly in the Ohio Valley, a disease in sugar beets known as black root, and that if this disease were not checked the whole sugar-beet industry of this area would be destroyed. The committee called before it various individuals from the Department of Agriculture who could speak authoritatively on this question; also, individuals representing farmers and farm organizations, as well as processors of sugar beets and sugarcane. In the hearings it was developed by the unanimous testimony of those who were interrogated that the disease of black root in sugar beets in this area was of a serious character, and to quote Dr. E. W. Brandes, head pathologist in charge, Division of Sugar Plant Investigations, Department of Agriculture: We have a feeling that because of the evidence of progressive severity of the disease, it will be a deciding factor in whether that whole area where it is prevalent now will survive as a sugar-producing area. It is evidence from reading the hearings that the committee did broaden the scope of its inquiry to include not only sugar beets, but sugarcane; not only what had been done to curb disease, but the research and experiments that had been carried on by the Department. The hearings show that there has been excellent coordination of effort between the Department of Agriculture, growers, and processors; further, that the processors have spent large sums of their own funds in the field of research, the development of the sugar-beet plant, the sugarcane plant, and in the development of mechanized machinery for the production of sugar. Some rather startling information was given to the committee; i. e., through its research department within the period of 14 years the Bureau has developed the raising of beet seed in this country to such an extent that although 14 years ago we imported all the beet seed used in this country, today we produce all we use ourselves and have some for export. Where it took 2 years in Europe to produce sugarbeet seed, it is now produced by American farms as an annual crop. The Bureau has further concerned itself with the problem of developing a single-seed sugar-beet plant; it has also furnished the leadership in the development of mechanized machinery for the har vesting of sugar beets and sugarcane which, if perfected, would revolutionize the production of sugar in the United States. Great progress has been made, and it is apparent to your committee that further research and experiment is necessary to bring about these very desirable ends. Discoveries of the Department of Agriculture made possible the development in the United States of a sugar-beet seed enterprise that freed our beet farmers from the necessity of buying sugar-beet seed from Europe. This research, estimated to cost $400,000 over a period of a little more than 15 years, has been responsible for launching a new agricultural enterprise in western United States whose annual product is valued on the farm at more than $1,500,000. But this seed enterprise has done more than provide a new and profitable crop-it has supplied the American sugar-beet farmer with varieties bred in the United States that are adapted to his conditions. The fact that the United States could produce its own sugar-beet seed averted in World War II the seed crisis experienced in the First World War. In hearings before another congressional committee, Hon. Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of Commerce, referred to this work as being one of the finest jobs ever done by agricultural scientists. Conspicuous achievements have been made in the sugar-beat-breeding research. The first curly top resistant varieties introduced held the line against his threatening disease. These were followed by other more resistant and more productive varieties. The testimony indicates that the western farmer now has better varieties to grow than ever before in the history of the industry. "U. S." curly top resistant varieties, as the products of this research are denominated, are now almost exclusively grown in the western sugar-beet districts. Representatives of the industry frankly state that these improved varieties are basic to the advances made in the last decade. Thus, new factories in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington have come into existence because they have curly top resistant varieties to grow. New districts in New Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Utah are able to grow the sugar beet because of the plant breeder's contribution. The increase of sugar-beet culture in southern California and its advance into the great Imperial Valley is attributable to the breeding work that has produced resistant and adapted types. Western agriculture has received enormous dividends from the appropriations made for this research. The committee was very much impressed with the work done by the Department, and feels that this money has been well spent. The committee recommends to the full Committee on Agriculture that it see to it that adequate appropriations are made for further research not only in sugar beets and sugarcane, but in the whole agricultural field, as we feel that appropriations heretofore have paid great dividends. It is the opinion of the subcommittee that the fine work already done in this Department has not been fully appreciated by the Congress. The members of your committee were unsuccessful in their efforts to secure an additional appropriation for research in the deficiency bill now pending before the Appropriations Committee, but we have the assurance of the Department of Agriculture that they will recommend an adequate appropriation in the regular appropriation bill to combat the black-root disease. |