LXX EEl'ORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



the work of this Department, that in spite of the very roMsiclera))le 

 increase in the nuui])er of pul)lications issued, the demand for them 

 has increased in a far greater degree, so that hist year, with the largest 

 number of copies of all publications ever attained, aggregating consid- 

 erably over 7,(X>0,0()0, the refusals to applicants were at least ten times 

 more numerous than six years ago, when the total number of copies 

 of the Department publications aggregated barely more than half that 

 number. 



It is obviously impossible to reduce the number of publications. 

 These must always depend upon the work accomplished in the several 

 Bureaus, Divisions, and Offices. At the same time, to reduce to any 

 important extent the number of copies issued, in the face of the rapidly 

 increasing demand, would sadly restrict the scope of our service to the 

 farmers. 



The above facts show that one of the problems urgently calling for 

 solution is that of supplying facilities for prompt diffusion of the infor- 

 mation acquired as the result of the work and investigations of the sev- 

 eral Bureaus, Divisions, and Offices of the Department. The general 

 printing fund made available for our use was exhausted long before the 

 close of the fiscal year, and man}^ valuable pul^lications were unfortu- 

 nately delayed thereby. I have been forced to ask for an increase in 

 this fund for the ensuing year. It is a question, however, whether, 

 without some change in the present system of distribution, it will be 

 possible to maintain a supply equal to the demand in the matter of 

 Department publications. 



The report of the Department Editor shows that for the fiscal year 

 1900 the number of new publications issued from the Department was 

 320, against 297 for 1899. Of reprints, however, there were only 118 

 in 1900, as against 306 in 1899. The total number of copies of all 

 publications in 1900 was 7,152,178. 



Since the writer assumed control of the Department and up to the 

 close of the fiscal year 1900, there have been issued over 1,600 different 

 publications, aggregating over 21,000,000 copies, 



farmers' bulletins. 



The Farmers' Bulletins continue to fill a most useful purpose. 

 Indeed, it would be difficult to achieve a wider diffusion of practical 

 information in proportion to cost than is accomplished by these publi- 

 cations. The total number of Farmers' Bulletins issued during the 

 year, including reprints, was 108, aggregating 2,360,000 copies. The 

 total number of copies of these ])ulletins issued from the beginning 

 aggregate 13,630,500. Of this enormous number, over 7,000,000 copies 

 have been issued during the present Administration, and the total num- 

 ber of copies distriliuted since the beginning through the Senators, 

 Representatives, and Delegates in Congress exceeds eight and a half 



