170 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



grubbing. Those areas are not large, but they are very difTicult 

 where there are rocky, rough phices that are thickly set with barberry 

 bushes. There are some such in Wisconsin, some in Minnesota, and 

 some on rough river bank territory in Iowa. In certain of those 

 places, organized bees, after the style of the farming country, have 

 been enthusiastically prosecuted by the communities. By the use 

 of certain arsenical poisons and common salt, in heavy applications, 

 the eradication appears to be more thorough than in any other way. 



CEREAL DISEASE-CONTROL WORK. 



Mr. Anderson. The next item is the item on page 102. 



Doctor Taylor. The item on page 102 is that for cereal disease 

 control, one which it is proposed to eliminate by transferring funds 

 to these other places that have been mentioned. 



The next is on page 104, for the breeding and physiological study 

 of alkali-resistant and drought-resistant crops. 



TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS. 



Mr. Buchanan. How about this tobacco item on page 102 >. I> 

 that all the same \ 



Doctor Taylor. I beg your pardon. The tobacco item on page 

 102 contemplates continuance of the work as it is. It is proceeiUn^ 

 effectively. 



FOR THE BREEDUNG AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDY OF ALKALI-RESISTANT 



AND DROUGHT-RESISTANT CROPS. 



The next item is on page 104, for the breeding and j)hvsiological 

 study of alkali-resistant and drought-resistant crops. Tiicre is no 

 change proposed in that item. That work is proceeding as hereto- 

 fore. The same remark would apply to subappr()i)riation for sugar 

 plant investigations on page 105. 



SUGAR-PLANT IXVESTKJATIONS. 



Mr. Anderson. Mav I ask you in connection with the sugar-plan | 

 item if you have observed any extension of the sugar-lxu't area in ' 

 the country within the last year or two '. 



Doctor Tayix)R. There has been material reduction of acreage of 

 sugar beets grown in the vicinities of the sugar factories in most 

 parts of the country as a result of the unsatisfactory outcome of the 

 crops of 1920 and 1921, and tiic deflation of price which cauic to a heaii 

 in the contract price for sugar beets in the season of 1922, which, of 

 course, was determined hist winter, when the sugar market was at its 

 lowest and the sugar factories were experiencing very l)(>avv losses 

 due to the war rate contracts for beets wiftch thoy were cari'ving ami 

 the low selling price of sugar which they confronted. Tlieiv was ilis- 

 satisfaction among beet gi-o\V(>rs which ((»ok the form of reduceil 

 contract acreages so that the acreage for this year in ct)niparison to 

 that for the preceding three years, 1 would say, without having the 

 exact figures in mind, is nniterially less. However, there is continu- 

 ing int(>rest in territory not y(^t ('(juippivj with IxMM-sugar factoi"i(>s in 



