334 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMEIsT OF AGRICULTURE. 



amount named and would be of untold value to the industry, because 

 definite, detailed, and timely data would be available which would 

 enable ^rowers to decide intelligently upon long-time programs of 

 production, how and when to sell, and how best to take advantago 

 of the feed situation. Such data are also essential to any program 

 of crop production which involves live stock as a part of the farm- 

 management program, and are absolutely necessary as a guide to 

 intelligent marketing and distribution of live stock and live-stock 

 products. With the limited funds at its disposal the bureau has 

 endeavored to meet the increasing demand upon it for live-stock 

 information, with an ever-increasing realization of the inadequacy 

 of the present live-stock reporting service and of the funds and forco 

 available for improving the service. 



(8) Special phases of agriculture. The war also stimulated inter- 

 est in special phases of agriculture, and many requests continue 

 to be received for information on farm wages ; hours of farm labor ; 

 prices farmers receive for their products; prices farmers pay for 

 equipment, machinery, and supplies; progress of farm work; amouint 

 of binder twine required; seed requirements, supply, surplus, and 

 deficiency; number of farm tractors; number of silos; storage ca- 

 pacity on farms; average distances farmers must haul products to 

 nearest market or shipping station; kinds and quantities of fertilizers 

 required for different crops and sections of the country; farm incomo/ 

 and outgo; extent to which particular varieties of crops are grown 

 and compete with each other; methods of planting, cultivating, and 

 harvesting crops, which are different in different States; utilization 

 of different crops; and similar information bearing on crop and live- 

 stock production as an industry. Requests of this nature are received 

 largely from special investigators employed in other branches of the 

 Department of Agriculture or in the State agricultural colleges and 

 experiment stations, from legislators, representatives of farmers' 

 organizations, and of the press. The bureau was able to furnish mucli 

 of this information during the war from results of former special 

 inquiries or to secure it from new investigations. With the reduced 

 appropriation available in the present fiscal year it Avill be imprac- 

 ticable to make additional investigations of this kind. 



(9) Foreign crops and live stock. Interest in the foreign crop and 

 live-stock situation during the war Avas unprecedented in this country. 

 The demand for information concerning consumption, production, 

 import and export of food crops in Europe, and the available supply 

 in countries of surplus production was constant and is continuing. 

 The bureau files of reports from the International Institute of Agri- 

 culture and the published and unpublished statistical reports of for- 

 eign Governments were consulted almost daily by representatives of 

 other Government departments and war-emergency organizations. 

 Detailed studies were made by specialists of this bureau for the use 

 of economists who accompanied the peace commission to Paris. Esti- 

 mates of food requirements of foreign countries, their reserve stocks, 

 production and net inqjorts, were essential factors considered by the 

 department's committee which had charge of formulating programs 

 of production in this country during the war. Continued interest in 

 world production and consumption indicates the need for more sys- 

 tematic periodic reports as a guide to production and marketing in 

 this country. 



