DIVISION OF PUBLICATIONS. 



115 



ment, but witli the Pul)lie Printer. Moreover, it is desirable to keep 

 the cost of printing- and the cost of illustrations separate. 



GROWTH IX THE PUBLICATION WORK. 



The steady growtli, with the exception above noted, in the publica- 

 tion work of this Department has been most remarkable, as shown 

 by the following table : 



Xumber of publications issued front, 1803 to 1900, by years. 



Year. 



Number 

 of pub- 

 lications. 



Total 



number of 



copies. 



1893. 



1894. 



1895 



1896. 



1897. 



1898. 



1899. 



1900, 



210 

 205 

 254 

 376 

 4^4 

 501 

 603 

 468 



Total 



2,689,084 

 3,169,310 

 4, l(K), 660 

 6,561,7(10 

 6,541,210 

 6,280,365 

 7,075,975 

 7. 1.52, 428 



3,041 43,570,732 



The above figures reflect in a very marked manner the growtli m 

 the popular demand for the publications of the Department, and this 

 is especially noticeable in the figures for 1000, compared with pre- 

 vious years ; for although in that year the total number of publications 

 was reduced the total number of copies showed an increase. 



NECESSITY OF REDUCINC4 COST OF PKIXTIXG. 



The overflow of work from last year and the constant increase in 

 the work of the Department, all of it reflected directly in the work of 

 this Division, has necessitated an earnest efl'ort toward reducing the 

 cost of printing. It will not do to Avithhold from the public useful 

 information in the possession of the Department; hence, it is desirable 

 that all bulletins and rei)orts submitted for publication by the various 

 Divisions be promptly ijublished; nor will it do to economize cost 

 by cheapening the mechanical work. It follows that our effort toward 

 economy must be applied especially' to the strict limitation of the size 

 of the editions issued and to the exclusion of all illustrations not 

 actually essential to a proper understanding of the text. This will in 

 turn compel a careful revision of the divisional lists and the withhold- 

 ing from free distriljution of all publications, save Farmers' Bulletins 

 and circulars, from ordinaiy applicants. 



INADEQUACY OF SUPPLY OF PUBLICATIONS TO THE DEMAND, CAUSE 



AND REMEDY. 



Ill spite of the increased sales (through the Superintendent of Doc- 

 uments) of the Department i)ublications and of the efforts made during 

 the past five years to restrict and discriminate in the miscellaneous 

 distribution of its documents, the number issued has greatly 

 increased ; nevertheless, the refusals to honor the requests of appli- 



