COMMUNITY COTTON PRODUCTION.

That all cotton production should be placed on an organized community basis appears the more desirable with each additional season of experience in such efforts. The most direct and obvious advantage of uniting upon a single variety is that each farmer in the community can get more for his cotton than if many different kinds are raised. There is no question that large buyers and manufacturers will pay more for cotton of one kind that can be had by the hundreds of thousands of bales than for cotton that can be had only in small lots, with each farmer feeling at liberty to grow a kind different from his neighbors.

The result of mixing the seed of many varieties at public gins and of planting such "gin-run" mixtures of seed is a general and con- · tinuous degeneration of varieties. This can be counteracted only in a partial and temporary way by the breeding and distribution of seed of select stocks, which soon lose their purity and uniformity when grown in mixed communities.

The chronic deficiency of pure seed, even of the oldest and bestknown varieties, is traceable largely to the lack of communities where seed of one variety can be grown without contamination. The advantages of community production of one kind of cotton and adequate supplies of pure seed have been demonstrated conclusively in the Salt River Valley of Arizona, which now has the largest body of uniformly pure cotton in the world. The first communities that were organized in different parts of the cotton belt are being utilized in the same way as sources of supply of pure seed for other communities that are beginning to organize.

War-time conditions are enforcing with many special reasons the general policy of more diversified farming and the need of each district producing its own supplies of food, as far as this can be done, but a fundamental relation of the cotton industry to other crops. should not be overlooked. In humid regions the effect of the weevil is to compel or at least to encourage the replacement of cotton with other crops, but in the drier parts of Texas and the adjacent States the relative importance of cotton as the chief reliance of the farmer has increased during the period of weevil invasion, because the pest is less injurious in dry climates. While a large aggregate volume of other products is grown in the dry regions, cotton serves as the basic crop, being sufficiently reliable to keep the people on the land, so that the other ventures are made possible.

CORN GROWING.

Conclusive evidence has been obtained from several lines of work, proving that the productive power of a corn plant is influenced by the treatment received by the kernel from which the plant grew, from the time it ripened until it was planted. It has been common knowledge that injury to seed corn would reduce its germinability. These investigations have extended beyond germinability and determined the effects of seed treatment upon productivity independent of germinability.

A good stand may be obtained by the thick planting of poor seed, but with an optimum stand of plants from injured seed such plants are less productive than the same number from uninjured seed.

These results follow when the seed is injured by normal weather conditions as well as when injured by subjection to moisture, freezing, and thawing. Mechanical mutilations of kernels similar to the chipping, cracking, and breaking that to some extent take place in shellers and planters reduce the productiveness of the plants that grow from such kernels.

The point of value that has been established is that, independent of heredity and independent of germinability, any injury to dormant seed corn reduces the power of such seed to produce a good crop. Seed corn of 100 per cent germination, laboriously secured from injured seed by individual-ear germination tests, is less productive than seed that matured well and was so cared for as to make individual-ear testing unnecessary.

Tests under the same environmental conditions of widely dissimilar varieties have brought out the value in long-season districts of making plantings at different periods and using at least two varieties of different seasonal requirements in order better to meet the exigencies of the season and to insure a crop.

GROWING GRAIN SORGHUMS.

The grain-sorghum area increased from 3,944,000 acres in 1916 to 5,153,000 acres in 1917, or more than 30 per cent. Production increased from 53,858,000 to 75,866,000 bushels, or over 40 per cent. This largely increased quantity of grain was consumed through the ordinary channels without any undue drop in price. Farmers report excellent results from Dwarf milo and Dawn kafir, the varieties bred and distributed by the department, and the demand for seed increases. In Arizona and California Dwarf milo is grown successfully on irrigated land after barley is harvested, thus enabling the farmer to grow two grain crops on the same land in one year.

BROOM-CORN PRODUCTION.

Under the stimulus of high prices an increased acreage of broom corn was grown in 1917. Drought reduced the yield and quality and resulted in the highest prices known for many years. The production of this crop has been extended into new districts of southern Texas, especially under irrigation in the Rio Grande Valley.

SUGAR-BEET GROWING.

At the beginning of the fiscal year 98 beet-sugar mills were standing and equipped for making sugar. Two were built during the year, making a total of 100. Several new mills are in process of construction, some of which will be ready to handle the 1918 crop of beets.

Among the factors that are retarding sugar-mill construction are scarcity of material and scarcity of sugar-beet seed. These retarding influences are gradually being overcome, and the indications are for a marked advance in sugar-mill construction and in the development of new sugar-beet areas. Practically none of the existing mills were able to operate for a normal period of 100 days last year, for lack of raw material.

The domestic production of sugar-beet seed last year amounted to nearly 40 per cent of this year's planting requirement, and the quan

tity produced in this country this year will be greatly increased. The yields of seed vary from 1,000 to 1,500 pounds per acre, with occasional yields much greater. The cost of production is being reduced, and there is every indication that a permanent seed industry has been established. It only remains to develop it until it is able to provide the total quantity of seed required by the beet growers of this country from year to year.

AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES ON RECLAMATION PROJECTS.

To aid settlers on Government reclamation projects to develop productive systems of agriculture, the work of several specialists is directed toward the promotion of the agricultural industries best suited to the conditions on the several projects. In general, the conditions of the different projects are shifting to a diversified agriculture in which live-stock agriculture occupies an important position.

PASTURES.

On those reclamation projects where the dairy and sheep industries are specially important, there is strong demand for information regarding feasible methods of maintaining dairy cows and small farm flocks of sheep during the summer months. In this connection the use of irrigated pastures is being encouraged and is receiving wide recognition by the settlers. The work of this bureau during the year in connection with pastures has been done principally on the Huntley, Shoshone, and Uncompahgre projects, and excellent results have been secured. A rapidly increasing number of farmers on these projects are planting pastures, and the great majority of them are succeeding in their efforts.

SUPPLEMENTARY FEED CROPS.

On several of the projects some difficulty has been experienced in the production of crops to use in supplementing alfalfa. The work in the production of supplementary feed crops has been done chiefly on the Truckee-Carson, Huntley, and Shoshone projects. On the Truckee-Carson project tests of several varieties and cultural methods of wheat, oats, barley, and mangels have been conducted in cooperation with farmers, and very satisfactory results have been secured. Preliminary tests have been successfully inaugurated on the same projects for the purpose of securing information as to satisfactory varieties and methods of production for silage corn, and some attention has been paid on the Huntley and Shoshone projects to the production of sunflowers for silage. This crop promises to have value as a silage crop on those projects where the growing season is short and where light frosts during early autumn make the production of silage corn somewhat hazardous.

IRRIGATION METHODS.

A field man has been stationed on the Umatilla project, in Oregon, where the topography is rough and the soil extremely sandy, to assist the farmers in developing satisfactory methods of land reclamation and irrigation. This work necessitates, in some instances, a complete readjustment of the farm irrigation systems and equipment, in order

to secure more efficient distribution of irrigation water. Improved methods of preparing land for irrigation and planting have been encouraged and have been adopted by a large number of settlers.

DAIRYING.

During the fiscal year 1918 demonstration work in dairying has been conducted on the Truckee-Carson, Huntley, Minidoka, Tieton, Shoshone, Boise, North Platte, Uncompahgre, and Belle Fourche projects. In this work the settlers have been assisted in securing stock, improving local dairy herds through breeding and cow testing, controlling diseases, planning and constructing barns and silos, and in improving their methods of feeding and marketing. A large volume of systematic cow-testing work is carried on. A number of bull clubs were organized, and much useful work was done in the local manufacture of dairy products. Owing largely to the efficient work which has been done with reference to the control of diseases affecting dairy cattle and to the resulting better understanding of these diseases by the settlers, the losses from contagious abortion and other ailments affecting dairy stock have been materially reduced. The work of encouraging the construction and use of silos made very satisfactory progress during the year, and a very large number of silos were built. Speaking generally, the dairy industry on the reclamation projects experienced marked improvement during the year. There was a decided tendency to reduce the size of herd, largely because of the difficulties of securing satisfactory dairy labor; but, on the other hand, a large number of farmers for the first time began to conduct dairy enterprises on a small scale, and owing largely to the increased prices for feeds there was a very marked increase in the appreciation of the necessity for using improved high-producing

COWS.

THE SWINE INDUSTRY.

Work in connection with the establishment of the swine industry is in progress on the North Platte, Truckee-Carson, Huntley, Minidoka, Tieton, Shoshone, Boise, Uncompahgre, and Belle Fourche projects. The settlers on these projects have been aided in solving problems of breeding, feeding, housing, and marketing their hogs and in the control of diseases affecting swine. The unusually high prices for feed and for pork resulted in a marked reduction in swine populations on most of the projects. This change consisted chiefly in a reduction in the size of herd, and this, in turn, resulted in a better utilization of waste materials and more economical pork production. Interest in high-class breeding stock increased materially, and there were marked improvements in housing facilities and methods of management. Chiefly because of the efficient educational work which is being done with reference to the control of diseases, losses from this cause were extremely small. The settlers are coming to a better understanding of the quarantine and sanitary requirements in the control of swine diseases and are acting more promptly than heretofore in this connection. As the result of the high prices and scarcity of the grains ordinarily used to supplement alfalfa in swine feeding and to finish hogs for market, special attention was paid during the year to the production and utilization of field peas in swine production. A number of cooperative tests were conducted

in this work with project settlers, and very satisfactory results were secured. In this work gains as high as 950 pounds of pork per acre of peas were secured. Attention was also paid to other crops which can be used as substitutes for the grain crops that have commonly been grown for swine feeding but which at present are not looked upon with favor for such use. This applies particularly to wheat, which heretofore has been widely used as a hog feed on a number of projects.

THE BEEF INDUSTRY.

The beef industry has received attention chiefly on the Minidoka, Tieton, Boise, Shoshone, and Uncompahgre projects. The settlers on these projects have been assisted in securing improved breeding stock, in improving their methods of feeding, and in the control of diseases affecting beef cattle. Special attention has been paid to the organization and conduct of farmers' associations for the cooperative use of the range lands adjacent to the projects. Cooperative grazing is now carried on by the settlers on the Boise, Minidoka, Shoshone, and Tieton projects. The cooperative marketing of beef stock was carried on successfully on a number of the projects during the year.

SHEEP PRODUCTION.

The high prices for mutton and wool have greatly stimulated the interest in sheep production by irrigation farmers. During the year perhaps more interest was shown in this industry than in any other live-stock industry. The chief work in connection with sheep production was done on the Minidoka, Truckee-Carson, Shoshone, Boise, Uncompahgre, and Huntley projects, where special attention has been paid to securing breeding stock for the settlers and to the cooperative marketing of lambs and wool. Attention has been paid to cooperative grazing on the Minidoka and Boise projects, and the settlers on these projects are now cooperating in grazing five bands of sheep on national forests. Good progress has been made in connection with the cooperative marketing of lambs and wool, particularly on the Boise, Minidoka, and Shoshone projects.

CROP UTILIZATION.

SWEET-POTATO STORAGE.

In connection with the emergency work a special campaign was carried on in the fall of 1917 in the Southern States in the storing and curing of sweet potatoes. The main effort was to induce the growers to build suitable storage houses for sweet potatoes. As nearly as can be determined, as a direct result of this campaign 166 storage houses, having a capacity of 700,000 bushels of sweet potatoes, were built, and 30 houses, having a capacity of 35,000 bushels, were remodeled. Because of the very severe winter, during which many sweet potatoes stored in banks were frozen, it is believed that the storage houses, which gave adequate protection against the cold, were of even greater value in conserving the crop than they would have been under ordinary winter conditions.

The experimental storage of sweet potatoes at the Arlington farm was contínued, 45 varieties being stored, with a loss of less than 1 per cent of decay in a storage period of more than five months.