BUREATT OF MARKETS AND CROP ESTIMATES. 533 



The information work of the bureau has been expanded and 

 reorganized during the past year on account of the merging of the 

 Bureau of Markets witli the Bureau of Crop Estimates on July 1, 

 1921. and of the anticipated merging of the Bureau of Markets and 

 Crop Estimates with the Office of Farm Management and Farm 

 Economics on July 1, 1022. The information work of the bureau 

 aims (1) to furnish farmers and others interested in agriculture 

 specific information and suggestions in such form as to be readrly 

 available for practical use and application; (2) to keep before 

 American farmers information which will furnish a definite economic 

 background which will aid them in specific decisions, plans, and 

 actions, and tend to relate them to general economic agricultural 

 conditions and movements; (3) to acquaint the public at large with 

 the intimate connection between the farmers' marketing problems 

 and the economic problems of other groups. 



This division is charged with the supervision of the issuance of all 

 information relating to the activities of the bureau. In addition 

 to the formulation of general policies covering the release of market 

 news and other current reports, the division prepares the material 

 for publication in the department publication Weather, Crops, and 

 Markets, prepares press releases covering matters of immediate 

 interest, and supervises the preparation of mimeographed reports 

 containing information on foreign crops and markets, and of general 

 m.arketing activities. This division also directs the work of prepar- 

 ing exhibits, motion pictures, etc., for the purpose of making graphic 

 presentation of certain phases of the activities of the bureau. The 

 work of editing all manuscripts prepared for publication is also 

 carried on in this division. Aid is given to authors in planning 

 publications and attention is given to the form in which material is 

 presented as well as to the adequacy of the treatment of subject 

 matter. A list of the publications of the bureau for the past j-ear 

 is appended to this report. 



WEATHER. CROPS, AND MARKETS. 



In Januarv, 1922. three periodicals were merged to form Weather, 

 Crops, and 'Markets. These three publications were the Market 

 Reporter, the Crop Reporter, and the National Weather and Crop 

 Bulletin. This new combined periodical thus became a departmental 

 rather than a bureau project. The material relating to crops and 

 markets is prepared in this bureau, and this division acts for the 

 Division of Publications in caring for the make-up and proof work 

 for the entire periodical. 



Weather. Crops, and Markets contains information prepared by 

 the Weather Bureau and also statistical and other information pre- 

 pared in this bureau, covering data secured by the Division of Crop 

 Estimates, and bv the Market News and other services of the bureau. 

 This information is similar to that formerly carried in the three sepa- 

 rate publications. In addition, effort is made to include articles of 

 definite interpretative and economic value. 



PRESS RELEASES AND SPECIAL ARTICLES. 



The results of the regular work of the bureau, and significant 

 developments of interest and value to the public, have been placed 

 before the general public and before specific groups by means of 



