GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 949 



Mr. Case. No. I am thinking of the farmer where his major 

 operation and production is something else. 



Mr. Hill. You said "major." 



Mr. Case. Where his major operation and production is some other 

 crop and potatoes are merely a side issue. They have been expanding 

 that "noncommercial," you see. 



Mr. Hill. Wliat would you do to him; would you jnit him in the 

 one-acre class? 



Mr. Case. No; I would say it could be regulated. There is some 

 thought that that "noncommercial" should be regulated down to 1 

 acre. I do not know whether that is approved of or not. 



Mr. Pace. Did not I understand you to propose to exempt 3 acres 

 or less? 



Mr. Case. I say he is exempt today, but there is some proposal 

 that that should be reduced. 



Mr. Hill. Then you are not yourself sure how you would apply 

 the percentagewise reduction down to the lower acreage? 



Mr. Case. For commercial growers, the percentage reduction would 

 apply across the board. 



Air. Hill. Now, you ask the farmer to hold out this acreage. Are 

 you going to make any preparation or give him any leeway as to what 

 he shall do with the land you tell him to leave out of potatoes? You 

 suggested a moment ago that he plant grain crops and plow them 

 under. 



Mr. Case. I presume the Department of Agriculture will make 

 recommendations on that program. The potato land will be no 

 different than the acreage they were asked to take out of corn or wheat 

 or anything else. I think you are thinking of soil conservation now. 



Mr. Hill. Then let me ask all of the potato growers here this 

 morning are you willing to subscribe to that type of program, that the 

 Secretary of Agriculture be given power to tell these men back on the 

 farms what they can use those acres for that you are requesting they 

 do not plant in potatoes. Is that right? 



Mr. Case. No; I do not know that they are willing to subscribe 

 to that. That is proposed. You asked me what we propose to do. 

 We had no proposal. I think the Secretary made that proposal. 



Mr. Hill. You agree that something must be done to cut off acreage. 

 How are you going to take care of the acreage that you tell these boys 

 to keep out of potatoes? 



Mr. Case. The recommendation of the Department is that they be 

 put into some soil-improving crop — grass, or the stimulation of live- 

 stock feeding. 



Mr. Pace. Are there any further questions on acreage allotment? 



Mr. CoTTOx. I just want a little more definite declaration, if I can 

 get it, on Mr. Hill's first question. I live up in New Hampshire, right 

 next to Maine, and they have been raising potatoes there year after 

 year after year and have made quite a business of it and now produce 

 a very large volume. In the past few years, with the huge benefits, 

 everybody from Maine to California, all over the countrv, lias gone to 

 raising potatoes. If you are going to have acreage allotments, acreage 

 control, we will have precisely the same situation that the cotton 

 people faced a few weeks ago. How are you going to let all sections 

 of the country where they raise potatoes and also raise many other 



