REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTTTRE. 21 



similar manner. It is hoped that State agencies will take up these 

 studies, as it is impossible for this department to pursue them in 

 any large portion of the country. 



WORLD DEMAND FOR FARM PRODUCTS. 



To compete successfully the farmers of the United States need 

 to know the world demand for the commodities of which they pro- 

 duce a surplus for the world markets and the conditions under 

 which their competitors are producing. To meet this need a world 

 crop and market reporting service has been developed for the pur- 

 pose of collecting, summarizing, and interpreting information as to 

 demand and competition in foreign markets. 



The International Institute of Agriculture has greatly improved 

 its reporting service to the Department of Agriculture in the past 

 year. The institute has promptly cabled reports of conditions and 

 estimates of important crops and livestock from all of the countries 

 of the world reporting to the institute. For example, an estimate of 

 the wheat crop in Argentina is cabled to the institute within a few 

 hours after the estimate has been released in Argentina and in turn 

 is cabled to the United States, and the same day this report is broad- 

 casted from the Department of Agriculture by radio, telegraph, and 

 press release. In this way the farmer may know as soon as the 

 trader the size or condition of the crop in other parts of the world. 

 Greater use will be made of this and other information on agriculture 

 in foreign countries as its value to agriculture in this country is more 

 fully recognized. 



SURVEY OF WORLD AGRICULTURE AND W^ORLD MARKETS. 



To continue to adjust American agriculture to meet the needs of 

 an ever-changing world market situation, it is necessary to know the 

 trend of production in foreign competing countries. The war had a 

 profound effect upon many of our competitors as well as upon our 

 own markets. As in the United States, the conditions of production 

 in these countries are continually changing. To meet the need for 

 such information a world survey of agricultural production has been 

 inaugurated. 



A close study has been made of agricultural conditions in Europe 

 "with a view to a better understanding of the rapidity with which 



