440 ANXUAL, EEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



past fiscal year. The railroad lines, express companies, and the 

 prin('i]:)al boat lines originating such shipments have cooperated 

 heartily in this work. The scope of these mail reports grew during 

 the year, so that about 110 different commodities are now included, 

 and approximately three-fourths of a million carloads of fresh and 

 dried fruits and vegetables were reported. It was found necessary 

 during the fiscal 3'ear to discontinue the publication of the semi- 

 weekly shipment report, which was based on these daily mail reports. 

 The reports of fruits and vegetables unloaded in 16 of the prin- 

 cipal markets have been somewhat diminished in scope during the 

 past year and are now obtained for the following commodities only : 

 Apples, cabbage, cantaloupes, celer}^, onions, peaches, strawberries, 

 tomatoes, white potatoes. This project is supervised by Mr. W. A. 

 Sherman. 



MARKETING DAIRY PRODUCTS. 



The work of this project was supervised by Mr, R. C. Potts during 

 the fiscal year 1919. 



Surveys of milk-marketing conditions, including the sources and 

 amount of available supplies, the demand for and methods of dis- 

 tributing fluid milk and cream, were made at Sedalia and Kansas 

 City, Mo. ; Leavenworth and Kansas City, Kans. ; and Cumberland, 

 Md. Reports on these surveys were prepared and recommendations 

 were made for the improvement of marketing methods and condi- 

 tions in the cities named. 



Special attention was given to problems connected Avith the busi- 

 ness management and operation of city milk-distributing plants, 

 especiall}^ those owned and operated b}'^ farmers' cooperative com- 

 panies. 



Field campaigns to increase the demand for and distribution of 

 cottage cheese were conducted in New York, Massachusetts, and Con- 

 necticut with most satisfactory results. 



Special investigations were made of the production, consumption, 

 and prices of casein in the United States to determine the possibility 

 of furnishing adequate supplies for war needs by domestic production. 

 The results of the investigations were made available to the Aircraft 

 Construction Division of the Xavy Department and to the AYar Trade 

 Board. 



The size of existing stocks and the prices of milk powder Avere 

 investigated for the purpose of obtaining definite information 

 regarding market conditions which were reported to be injurious 

 to the development of the milk powder industry. Investigations 

 proved, hoAvever, that the alleged conditions did not exist. 



Studies of the sources of supply, production, demand, prices, and 

 market conditions of butter and cheese were made. It is hoped 

 that complete statistics on this subject maf be published for the years 

 1917 and 1918. 



MARKETING LIVE STOCK, MEATS, AND ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS. 



This project is under the supervision of Mr. Louis D. Hall and 

 furnishes the fundamental information upon which the market news 

 service and the regulatory work connected Avith live stock and meats 

 are based. The information obtained by this project served as a 

 guide in preparing tlie regulations governing licensees operating 



