DIVISION OF PUBLICATIONS. 131 



of the neglect or inability of an applicant to give the proper designa- 

 tion of a publication are very numerous and daily multiplying. 



The difficulties presented to applicants by this unfortunate system 

 may be inferred wlien it is known that there are, besides a series of 

 departmental reports numbering 1 to 65, and apart from the series 

 known as Farmers' Bulletins and the circulars, 17 series bearing num- 

 bers 1 to -4; 16 series numbering up to 8; 14 series up to 13; 12 series up 

 to 16; 13 series have a bulletin 17; 11 series have bulletins IS, 19, and 

 20; 9 series have bulletins 21 and 22; 8 series have a bulletin 23; 7 

 series have a bulletin 24; 6 series have a bulletin 25; 4 series have 

 bulletins 26 and 27; 3 series have bulletins 28 to 32; 2 series have 

 bulletins 33 to 57. Altogether, covered by numbers 1 to 57, we have 

 378 separate bulletins, and the confusion in our circulars is equally 

 great, 331 separate circulars being covered by numbers 1 to 43. 



If this be not remedied, the near future will bring about a state of 

 things which will be both aggravating and absurd; and if it is to be 

 remedied the sooner it is done the better. The longer tlie adoption of 

 a new method is j)ostponed, the more difficult will it be to effect. 



The remedj- 1 would suggest would be to utilize the present series of 

 Department reports by throwing all divisional publications, excepting 

 circulars, into that series beginning January 1, 1901. 



This would comprise all Department publications in (1) the Year- 

 book and its reprints; (2) the departmental reports; (3) the circulars; 

 and, (4) Farmers' Bulletins. In Appendix A to this report there are 

 presented some title-images of existing publications showing better than 

 can be done by description the slight alteration in style which the 

 adoption of this system would entail. 



The defects of the present system have been very generally recog- 

 nized in the Department itself, but the diversity of opinion on the 

 subject deterred me from bringing it up. I do so now from the con- 

 viction already expressed that to leave things as they are will result 

 ere long in a condition which will imperatively demand remedying, 

 and that if a change of method is to be undertaken, the sooner it is 

 undertaken tlie better. 



The Librarian of the Department, in speaking of the present system 

 of classification and the difficulty of cataloguing the Department pub- 

 lications on account of the numerous series and the consequent dupli- 

 cation of numbers, says in his annual report for 1899: 



Such confusion exists as a result of the changes in names of Divisions and the 

 bewildering classification of our publications that it is becoming more and more 

 difficult to find any particular publication or even to so arrange and catalogue the 

 heterogeneous mass as to insure complete sets. I would strongly urge an imme- 

 diate attempt to segregate these various publications into fewer series, in order 

 that our published scientific results may not be entirely lost in the future. 



In view of the necessity, in a matter of this kind, of a very full 

 consideration and discussion of the subject and very deliberate action, 

 I earnestly recommend that it be referred to a special board of which 

 the Department Librarian as well as the Department Editor shall be 

 members. 



APPENDIX A. 



CHANGE OF SYSTEM IN NUMBERING PUBLICATIONS. 



The four title-pages following show the slight alterations in style which might 

 be necessary in changing from the present system of separately numbered divi- 

 sional series of jiublications to a series of Department reports with the numbers 

 running continuously. 



