188 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



them do not adjourn until almost the 1st of April, so that the actual 

 appropriations made l)y the State legislatures will necessarily be an 

 uncertain quantity until the State legislatures actually adjourn. 

 You are as familiar with that problem as I am, but we want to em- 

 phasize the fact that the States are ready to go forward, and the 

 support is well organized in every State. 



The other members of our committee here to-day hicludes the 

 presidents of three State farm bureau federations, and two plant 

 patholoo^ists. All of them have interesting statements to make 

 and, if it is agreeable to the chairman. I will ask Mr. Reed, tlu* 

 president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, to make a 

 statement. 



Monday, November 27, 1922. 



eradication of barberry bush. 



STATEMENT OF MR. J. F. REED, PRESIDENT MINNESOTA 

 BUREAU FARM FEDERATION, ST. PAUL, MINN. 



Mr. Reed. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, Minne- 

 sota has rather taken the lead in this matter. That was prol)ably 

 because of the fact that it is a large spring-wheat growing area ami 

 has seen the damaging results of the ravages of the black stem rust 

 more than some other areas. We have seen the rapid falling off in 

 the amount of grain produced in the State ant! the hazard to wiiich 

 the farmers were subjected. That probably had much to do with the 

 State of Minnesota two years ago appropriating $40,000, to be used 

 last year and this year in this work. AVith that apy:)ropriation and 

 with what the Federal Government has provided we have made very 

 substantial process. There has been a very lively interest in the 

 problem, not only on the part of the fanners but on the part of grain 

 dealers, millers, and others who are directly interested in the matter. 

 However, the general public or the consuming public of the Stale 

 was never apparently aroused to the actual necessities of this matter 

 until 1921. 



Much of that interest was brought about through the establisiimeiit 

 of the Conference for the Prevention of (irain Rust, and, also, be- 

 cause of the scientific explanations given by the pathologists of the 

 Department of Agricultui'c and by the pathologists in our own school 

 of agriculture. Through those means the idea has gotten pretty 

 well known to the people of Minnesota and to all of our jH'oplt', not 

 only to those engaged in the raising of grain or the handlintr of it. 

 or the manufacture of it, but to the consuming i)ul)lic as well, that 

 this is a very potent cause of a very large loss that comes annually 

 to our grain production. With that knowledge, a very active cam- 

 paign has been carried on for the eradication of this bush. In 191S 

 the section of Minnesota in which 1 liv(>. or the southeastern |)ait of 

 the State, was sui'veyed by ollicors fi'oju the Departnient of A<. ricul- 

 ture, and those bushes were removed, or the »»riginal |)lantings. 

 There has been a very hearty cooperation on the part of the farmers 

 in this count r^^ and wh('re\-er these hushes (>\ist or two known to 



