302 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 37 



sources, as well as some of their potentialities for the days still to 

 come. 



The activities of the Department of Agriculture, which is admin- 

 istered mainly on a basis of annual appropriations, are at all times 

 quite closely prescribed in advance by the terms of existing legisla- 

 tion. When the United States entered the war, routine appropria- 

 tion acts had already been adopted covering its work up to June 

 30, 1918. This legislation had of course been framed when the 

 Nation was still at peace, so that the passage of emergency legisla- 

 tion became necessary to meet the altered conditions. 



A number of measures designed to supplement the resources of 

 the Department were introduced into Congress, among them the act 

 under review. This law was passed by the House of Representa- 

 tives May 28, and with numerous amendments bj' the Senate June 2. 

 It was hoped that the measure would become law prior to the begin- 

 ning of the new fiscal year on July 1, but it was not until August 

 2 that it was reported from conference, and it was on August 10 

 that it was signed by President Wilson. On the same day was 

 signed the so-called Food Control Act, an entirely separate measure 

 having to do chiefly with the regulation of the distribution of foods, 

 feeds, fuel including fuel oil and natural gas, and fertilizer and 

 fertilizer ingredients, tools, utensils, implements, machinery, and 

 equipment required for the actual production of foods, feeds, and 

 fuel. This measure is likewise intimately related to agriculture, but 

 it is not administered by the Department of Agriculture and no edi- 

 torial discussion of it is here attempted. A description of its main 

 provisions may be found elsewhere in this issue (p. 399). 



The Food Production Act, as stated in its opening section, is " for 

 the purpose of more effectually providing for the national security 

 and defense and carrying on the war with Germany by gathering 

 authoritative information concerning the food supply, by increasing 

 production, by preventing waste of the food supply, by regulating 

 the distribution thereof, and by such other means and methods as are 

 hereinafter provided.'' It is thus primarily a war measure. Its 

 duration is restricted to the termination of the national emergency 

 resulting from the existing state of war, as determined by the Presi- 

 dent, but not later than the beginning of the next fiscal year after 

 the ending of the war. During this period certain fimctions of the 

 Government are enlarged and extended, and the President is author- 

 ized to direct any agency or organization of the Government to 

 cooperate with the Secretary of Agriculture in carrying out the pur- 

 poses of the act and to coordinate their activities so as to avoid any 

 preventable loss or duplication of work. In addition, the Secretary 



