Of Agriculture
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NAL DIGITIZING PROJECT MBP0000254 GENTURY SERVieE the first 100 years of THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE USDA HISTORY COLLECTION^ BOX__~r__ FOLDER __rä Tí n * merica's Strength . Agricultural Abundance CENTURY OF SERVICE the first 100 years of THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AUTHORS Gladys L. Baker Wayne D. Rasmussen Vivian Wiser Jane M. Porter ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE Agricultural History Branch CENTURY OF SERVICE the first 100 years of THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Growth Through Agricultural Progress COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL HISTORY The Committee on Agricultural History was appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture in Memorandum 1440, to give direc- tion and leadership to a study necessary to the preparation of a history commemorating the Centennial of the United States Department of Agriculture, to establish policies and standards applicable to such a publication, and to provide guidance in its development. Membership of the Committee is: Nathan M. Koffsky, Administrator, Economic Research Service (Chairman). Oris V. Wells, Served as Chairman prior to his retirement as Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service. R. Lyle Webster, Director of Information. Foster E. Mohrhardt, Director of the National Agricultural Library. James P. Cavin, Economic Research Service (Secretary). IV FOREWORD ORVILLE L. FREEMAN Secretary of Agriculture Agriculture in the United States has progressed from an economy of scarcity to an economy of abundance in the space of a hundred years. This profound change may be measured in a number of ways. For example, less than 9 percent of our labor force is engaged in agriculture today, as compared with 20 to 40 percent in much of Western Europe, over 45 percent in the Soviet Union, and 70 to 80 percent in some parts of the world. Agriculture has contributed labor and capital to the other parts of the American economy, and has been a major force in our economic growth. Three laws adopted by this Nation in 1862—the act creating the Department of Agriculture, the Homestead Act, and the Morrill Land Grant College Act—have helped the American farmer make invaluable contributions to our agricultural productivity. Illustrations of contributions by the Depart- ment of Agriculture appear in After A Hundred Years: The Yearbook of Agriculture 1962. Other examples appear in this volume. However, the basic purpose of this history is to outline the Department's organizational development and its response to changing conditions—national and international, scientific and economic. We have a responsibility to the future, a responsibility which we can best understand if we have a knowledge of our past. Our first responsibility is to the American farmer and the American people. In helping the farmer to meet his respon- sibility of providing for basic human needs for food and fiber we contribute basically to the high level of living in this Nation. Our responsibility to the American people includes concern for the rest of the world, and the use of our abundance and knowledge to help assure peace and freedom. Our natural resources—land, water, forests—are a responsibility of today and tomorrow. Yet, numerous and heavy as these responsibilities may seem, they are not new. They have their roots in the past. The United States Department of Agriculture has helped the American farmer meet these responsibilities for the past one hundred years. This is that story. Our past tells us why we can look forward with confidence to the future. February 1963 Commissioners and Secretaries OF AGRICULTURE ISAAC NEWTON HORACE CAPRON FREDERICK WATTS First Commissioner Second Commissioner Third Commissioner WILLIAM GATES LeDUC GEORGE BAILEY LORING NORMAN JAY COLMAN Fourth Commissioner Fifth Commissioner Last Commissioner, First Secretary JEREMIAH McLAIN RUSK JULIUS STERLING MORTON JAMES WILSON Second Secretary Third Secretary Fourth Secretary DAVID FRANKLIN HOUSTON EDWIN THOMAS MEREDITH HENRY CANTWELL WALLACE Fifth Secretary Sixth Secretary Seventh Secretary HOWARD MASON GORE WILLIAM MARION JARDINE ARTHUR MASTICK HYDE Eighth Secretary Ninth Secretary Tenth Secretary HENRY AGARD WALLACE CLAUDE RAYMOND WICKARD CLINTON PRESBA ANDERSON Eleventh Secretary Twelfth Secretary Thirteenth Secretary CHARLES FRANKLIN BRANNAN EZRA TAFT BENSON ORVILLE LOTHROP FREEMAN Fourteenth Secretary Fifteenth Secretary Sixteenth Secretary CONTENTS COMMITTEE MEMBERS iv FOREWORD V CHAPTER 1 IN THE BEGINNING i Proposals for a Federal Agricultural Agency 2 Importation of Plants and Livestock 4 The Patent Office and Agriculture 5 Further Suggestions for a Department 9 CHAPTER 2 "THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED" 13 Objectives of the New Department 14 Capron as Commissioner 18 Scientific Change Under Watts 19 Le Duc and National Self-SufRciency 20 Loring as Commissioner 22 The Bureau of Animal Industry 22 Colman Is Last Commissioner 23 Hatch Experiment Station Act 24 viii CHAPTER 3 "THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SHALL BE AN EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT" 27 Legislation To Raise the Department to Cabinet Status 27 The First Secretary of Agriculture 30 The Development of the Department Under Rusk 30 Conquest of Cattle Fever 32 Morton Becomes Third Secretary 33 Beginnings of Nutrition Work 36 CHAPTER 4 SCIENCE COMES TO FARMING 39 Scientific Activities 42 Statistical Activities 56 Interest in Marketing and Regulatory Activities 57 CHAPTER 5 THE DEPARTMENT AND WORLD WAR I 63 Reorganization of the Department 64 The Secretary's Office and Centralization of Adminis- tration 66 Rural Organization Service 73 Organization of Marketing Work 74 Agricultural Estimating and Statistical Work 80 States Relations Work 80 Scientific Work 83 The Federal Government and Agricultural Credit 86 Agriculture in World War I 88 Agriculture in the Postwar Period 91 Reorganization of Work 92 An Expanding Agriculture in a Contracting Market 93 ix CHAPTER 6 A CHANGING APPROACH TO AGRICULTURE 97 Research Reemphasized 100 Henry C. Wallace Becomes Secretary 101 Scientific Organization 106 Consolidation of Economic Work 107 Abolition of States Relations Service 108 Legislation 109 Expansion of Forestry Activities 110 Problems in Extension Work 110 The Master Farmer Movement 111 Economic Work 112 The Department Sponsors the Graduate School 113 Relief Activities 113 Secretary Wallace and Agricultural Relief 114 Howard M. Gore as Secretary 122 The President's Agricultural Conference 123 CHAPTER 7 THE DEPARTMENT IN TRANSITION, 1925-1933 125 Coordination and Reorganization X26 Service to Cooperatives 128 Forestry Legislation 129 The Building Program 130 Secretary Arthur M. Hyde 131 Agricultural Research 131 Foreign Agricultural Work 134 Farm Relief Plans 135 Federal Farm Board 136 Beginnings of Soil Conservation and Better Land Use 138 Timber Conservation 140 Emergency Activities 140 CHAPTER 8 THE FIRST AGRICULTURAL ADJUST- MENT ADMINISTRATION 143 Plans to Solve the Farm Crisis 144 Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 146 Organization 147 Programs for the Basic Crops 148 Marketing Agreements 154 Surplus Disposal and Drought Programs 156 Innovations in Organization and Administration 157 Supreme Court Decision 161 CHAPTER 9 PROTECTING THE SOIL, FARM IN- COMES, AND FOOD SUPPLIES, 1935- 1940 165 Conservation Approach Recommended 166 Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936 167 Changes in Washington Office of AAA 168 Programs Under Soil Conservation and Domestic Allot- ment Act 169 Drought Relief 170 Drive for a Comprehensive Farm Program 171 Enactment of General Legislation Delayed 172 Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 173 Adjustment Programs in Operation 176 Crop Insurance Program 178 Direct Distribution of Surplus Commodities 181 Food Stamp Program 183 Cotton Distribution Programs 184 School Lunch and School Milk Programs 185 Export Programs 188 Soil Conservation Service 190 xi CHAPTER 10 NEW RURAL WELFARE AND CREDIT PROGRAMS 203 Programs of the Resettlement Administration 205 President's Committee on Farm Tenancy 211 Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act 211 Establishment of Farm Security Administration 212 Farm Credit Administration 213 Rural Electrification Administration 218 CHAPTER 11 RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND SERVICE, 1933-1940 223 Reorganization of Scientific Agencies 224 New Facilities for Broader Programs 225 Research and the Great Depression 229 Production Research 234 Soil and Water Conservation Research 235 Forestry Research and Service 235 The Library—Basic Research Tool 237 Making the Results of Research Known 237 Social Science Conferences 239 Research and Regulation 239 Commodity Exchange Administration 240 Eliminating Disease from Livestock 241 Eliminating Plant Diseases and Pests 242 Agricultural Research and the General Welfare 243 CHAPTER 12 ADMINISTRATION OF THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 245 Office of the Secretary 246 Organization for Personnel and Budget 250 Coordination of Land Policy Activities 251 Regional Adjustment Study 252 xii County Adjustment Planning Committees 253 Coordination and the Problem of Federal-States Relations 254 Coordinator for Southern Great Plains 255 Office of Land Use Coordination 256 Mount Weather Agreement 257 1938 Reorganization of the Department 260 Presidential Reorganizations Affecting the Department 265 Foreign Agricultural Service 266 Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations 267 Departmental Coordination Through Staff Offices 269 Effects of the Department's Experience 270 CHAPTER 13 THE DEPARTMENT DURING WORLD WAR II 273 The Overflowing Granary 274 "Guns and Butter