
Scientific observations and accurate records are made on 
the performance of hundreds of strains and varieties in our 
tests. Here our breeders are recording leaf rust ratings on 
wheat varieties. 
AGRICULTURE ANSWERS 
THE CHALLENGE 
The thought uppermost in the minds of all 
of us today is how we as farmers can con- 
tribute most to winning the war. Our Presi- 
dent has selected our Secretary of Agricul- 
ture, Claude Wickard, to direct us in these 
efforts. He has been foresighted, has called 
in agricultural leaders, economists and 
specialists from every section of our vast 
country. They, working together, have 
determined the needs and established cer- 
tain goals for agriculture. The South, the 
hot bed of patriotism, has responded as all 
the country knew she would. These goals 
established for vitally needed products will 
be reached and passed. We are planting 
more peanuts, more soy beans, more feed 
crops, raising more hogs, more beef cattle, 
more dairy cattle and more chickens. We 
have planted our victory gardens and are 
determined to live at home. 
PROPER NOURISHMENT ESSENTIAL 
One reason why the Cotton Belt has been 
listed as economic problem Number 1 is 
because we have not always been as mind- 
ful of the welfare of our own people as we 
have our crops and livestock. We have seen 
to it that they had balanced rations, but 
have neglected our people. For a country 
to be strong, its people must be well, prop- 
erly fed, educated and cared for. This 
emergency has brought to light many of our 
shortcomings. Many of our ‘people are sick, 
inefficient—sim ply because they have not 
been properly fed. We live in a land that 
could literally be “over-flowing with milk 
and honey.’ Many of those turned down by 
our draft boards are from farms, and there 
is no excuse for people on farms not to be 
properly fed. 
PATRIOTIC DUTY OUTLINED 
Our President has put it up to us as one 
of our first patriotic duties to see that this 
condition is remedied. By carrying out the 
Agricultural program of our Government, 
this can best be accomplished and maximum 
assistance given in winning this war for 
Democracy. 
We will win through, but we must use 
all the ingenuity, knowledge, energy and 
available means at hand if we are to carry 
out successfully this program. 
FAR-REACHING BENEFITS 
Fortunately for the farmers of the South 
in following this program, we will at the 
same time be benefiting our soils, our 
people and our country, as this will tend to 
the establishment of a diversified agricul- 
ture—diversified income—diversified crops; 
a proper balance between livestock, feed 
crops and money crops, something that has 
been long preached but followed by few. 
“Must” orders have been issued to the 
nation’s plant breeders by our patriotic 
farmers. They say, “We must have highly 
productive, adapted, quality varieties, if we 
are to reach these established goals.” 
THE PLANT BREEDERS’ 
CONTRIBUTION 
Fortunately, plant breeders have not been 
unmindful of their obligations to the grow- 
ers. Adapted crops that will fit into such a 
program have received special attention. 
3reeders saw that no crops could be of 
more assistance in this than the small grains, 
namely, oats, wheats, barleys and rye. Our 
President and Founder, the late Mr. David 
R. Coker, realized this thirty-four years ago 
and inaugurated our first small grain breed- 
ing program. This work has expanded to 
meet the diversified and ever increasing 
demands made by growers, until this past 
year, it embraced over 47,000 test rows. 
Varieties have been bred or are being bred 
that will fill each specific requirement and 
that will withstand the hazards of diseases, 
insects and storm. Some idea of this pro- 
gram and its great possibilities can be gotten 
from accompanying photographs. 
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